Thinking of opening Brick/Mortar E-cig/Vapor shop

There's an e-cig lounge that's crazy popular around my town right now. The reason: marketing... and an Italian "vape flavor" producer that has 'em hooked up with tasty flavors like "blueberry gummbear".

They started by advertising, placing ads on the classic rock radio channel. That's your market, btw. Old peeps with the smoking addiction.

They have now bought enough advertising rights to call the station: ####, "the smokeblahblah" station.

Dudes are doing well. Opened 2 more stores within the year.

If you are going brick and mortar, get finances right so that you have 6 months of rent, employment, product, and enough for ads to play at least 3x a day (for at least a month) on the radio channel that will attract. Borrow if you need, I don't know the rates in your town.

Fuck SEO or websites.

Actually wait... fuck brick and mortar.
 


edit, ^ beat me to it.

I've seen 4 or 5 e-cig only stores popping up all over Orlando. I can't speak to profits of course, but I can say that there is one near me that has been in business 6 months or so and when I drive by seems to have customers. I joked about it when I saw it open up, but it might work. E-cig vaporizers and supplies vary in quality, so I could see why someone would do repeat business with a shop over getting the cheap vaporizers from 7-Eleven.



Let's not forget potential regulatory issues, if you are in the US. I'd be leery.

It will depend on the state, but in some states, tobacco shops have to sell loose tobacco as "pipe tobacco" because the feds and states want money if you are selling "cigarettes." If the tobacco is being sold for rolling your own cigarettes, it is taxed differently than if you plan to smoke it from a pipe.

The ATF and states want in on the e-cig business. They want in on it, big time, because vaping nicotine sounds much healthier than smoking cigarettes, and it's much more socially acceptable. The tax people will get their hands in it at some point.

Now, does that mean you need to get in before they do? I don't know, but I know it will change your cost/income projections in some form.


edit... I see it has been mentioned. It's a real consideration for sure.
 
Do it..

Vape kiosks are starting to pop up around here in Colorado, and they are in high demand. I wish there was a store nearby, because sometimes I just want to pop in and pick up a new clearomizer or ejuice.

So many more people are vaping each month, I think there is a continuous and growing demand for it. And right now, it is only being satisfied by online merchants.
 
In Milan it was very popular to open ecig shop last year, the best thing was to get custom liquid mixes

Then 3months ago they taxed the liquids ridiculously high and forbidden to make custom liquid and try them in the shops

Now 90% of the shop are closing