MIAMI -- Convenience stores are inconvenient for people looking for e-cigarettes, e-liquid and vaporizers, the tobacco-related products used in the nicotine-delivery method known as vaping, according to a new survey.
In the study, only 8% of the 300 adult vapers surveyed said they bought e-cigarettes and components at convenience stores. Miami-based V2, an e-cigarette and vaporizer online retailer, commissioned the study that polled shoppers from May 11-12.
“This is clearly still an untapped market for retailers—especially c-store retailers—as most aftermarket products are sold in smoke or vape shops,” said Michelle Blair, vice president of sales for V2. “These retailers are taking advantage of the opportunity, with more than 8,500 vape shops, for instance, having been created since 2008. Savvy c-store retailers should see this growth as a sign of the revenue and market potential.”
Here’s where people said they shopped for vaping products the most ...
A close third at 26% were online sales of e-cigarettes, e-liquid and accessories.
C-stores aren’t so convenient for e-cig and vapor shoppers, with only 8% of customers saying they used convenience stores for their vaping needs. Of the multiple explanations chosen, shoppers picked “I rarely see e-cigarette accessories for sale at convenience stores” the most at 50%. Of the remaining options, “I don’t often shop at convenience stores” and “Other purchase points are more convenient for me,” both received 23% of respondents’ votes, and 21% selected “Other purchase points provide more information to help me decide how to buy.”
Barely a blip on the radar, supermarkets represented only 2% of responses as being shoppers’ main point of purchase.
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