In the shadow of the bankruptcy of one of Sweden's largest e-cigarette chains, its competitor Vapes is looking to reopen. At least almost. A few weeks ago, they took over B1 Vapes' premises in Linköping.
"We've been thinking about expanding for a long time. It was pretty much a coincidence that it happened now," says Michael Fredén, CEO of Vapes Lidköping AB.
The company already operates two physical stores, one in its home town of Lidköping and one in central Gothenburg. Much of the sales are made online and via business to business sales. It was through the latter that the store in Linköping became a reality.
"There has been a vejpshop on the premises for many years. First it was a Cigge Store shop and after that B1 Vape, but it was the same owner all the time. We had a very good relationship with the owner who bought some of his stock from us. So when he got the urge to do something new, we took the opportunity to offer him a job with us"
The staff remains
Soon after the New Year, "B1 Vape" became a "Vapes" store instead. New signs, but otherwise business as usual.
"We have hired the old staff and the previous owner. We know the people who work there and they already share our views on customer service and customer satisfaction. So the big difference compared to before is probably a much larger range," says Michael Fredén.
Large chain in bankruptcy
Just a few weeks ago, Sweden's largest specialised retailer in the e-cigarette industry filed for bankruptcy. Eurobrands Distribution had, in addition to large business-to-business sales, seven physical Cigge Store shops open in central Sweden. Everything disappeared in just a week. In other words, Vapes Lidköping AB and its subsidiary Vapes International AB are playing in a market that is anything but stable.
How do you see the risks after the disappearance of a major market player?
"If there's one thing I've learnt over the years in the vejp industry, it's that size doesn't matter." laughs Mikael Fredén. "The most important thing for us has always been to be transparent, to follow the laws, not to make excuses if things go wrong and to always tell customers why things are the way they are."
Not dependent on disposable vapes
For a few years now, e-cigarettes in the form of disposable models have been available in every other convenience store and in some of Sweden's largest grocery chains. Since 2021, sales of e-liquid have increased from 4,000 litres to 26,000, mostly due to disposable vapes. This has meant a new market for traditional vejp shoppers, but also new competitors,
How does it affect vejp shoppers and is it really worthwhile to run specialised e-cigarette shops today?
"Fortunately, we are not dependent on disposable models, but have a wider range. We'll always have to see how it goes, but there is already a customer base that B1 Vapes and Cigge have worked up." says Michael Fredén.
Expertise is important
He believes that vejp shops today must be able to offer much more than just e-liquid and hardware. And that those who work with vejpning must know what they are doing on all levels.
"Purely vejpshoppes are special, and how well they do depends not least on who runs them. It is in the vejpshoppes that the cutting-edge expertise should be found, and customers appreciate that. We also have a much wider range of products now than vejpshoppar had just five years ago. Nicotine pouches are also a natural part of the range today, as are other products that attract the same customers." says Michael Fredén.
