The Vejp store Light Your Fire on Hisingen in Gothenburg is closing down. It is now clear after the owners notified customers via their social media. The reason is high rents and difficulties finding new premises in the area.
"Among other things, we were told by a landlord that they "do not rent to nicotine businesses". At the same time, they seem to have no problem renting to convenience stores that sell cigarettes" says owner Christian Brandt
Light your fire's store in Vasastaden was the first vejp store in Gothenburg in 2016. The store guided many curious Gothenburgers into the world of e-cigarettes and a year later they also opened a second store in Kville on Hisingen, a larger model. In both stores they sold both its home-made but also imported juices, as well as vejps, coils and all kinds of other accessories.
"We were among the first on the scene, but it wasn't long before other shops popped up in Gothenburg. Even though vejpningen was in its infancy, we were able to share customers. As e-cigarettes became more widely known, we helped create a small market," says LYF's founder and owner Christian Brandt.
Corona and high rents
In 2021, the store in Vasastan had to close again. According to Christian Brandt it had difficulty recovering from the restrictions during the corona pandemic. The larger store on Hisingen then became the company's bastion in Gothenburg. But now it too is being closed down.
"Actually, we have looked around at other premises as well. But we haven't found anything suitable. This building still costs 65,000 a month, and we've had it for six years. So there are large sums in rent that simply don't add up," Christian Brandt tells Vejpkollen.
Policies and insurance
In addition to the high shop rents in a major city like Gothenburg, there are other has worked against the business.
"There is a lot of regulation creeping in for the whole industry. Insurance companies want certain regulations and we are subject to the same legislation as ordinary tobacco products. With the insurance companies, it's about wired alarms and so on to be able to get a decent insurance, and that costs a lot of money," says Christian Brandt.
Will not rent to "nicotine business"
For the time being, all plans for a store in Gothenburg are on hold, but Christian and his wife Pamela Brandt, who run the company together, looked long and hard for another location.
"We actually found a slightly smaller one in the same area that would have been good. But the owner there didn't want to give access to nicotine business, they said. Then they have a lot to think about, I mean, as they have regular kiosks that sell cigarettes in their properties" sighs Christian Brandt.
Uddevalla and the online store
The original shop in Uddevalla, which is also Lyf's lab and warehouse, will remain. There are problems with insurance there too - but at least the rents are lower than in Gothenburg. Otherwise, it will be on online sales that an extra gear is pulled instead.
"Yes, we will put even more effort into that now. Simply have a wider range. We've been hovering a bit between the floor and the ceiling there, and haven't had too much or too little. But now we're going to do some restructuring."
E-cigs more accessible today
For Gothenburg residents who want Light your fire's range, they will have to order in the future. The city has two or three other stores left, but that's still quite small for the country's second largest. But Christian Brandt hardly thinks it would be because fewer people would vejpa in Gothenburg.
"No, I don't think so. E-cigs are spread out there and so on. But disposable vejps are starting to be available in every newsagency now, so it's probably become a thing there too. The availability means that it competes and many people choose the easily accessible."
Whether this will mean a trend towards fewer serious, specialized e-cigarette shops is hard to say.
"We don't know what the future holds for disposable e-cigs. But we should also consider the environmental aspect, with plastic and batteries and other components that are just thrown away. How far will it go?" wonders Christian Brandt.
"Creating a void"
Fililp Jansson, which worked in Hisingsbutiken since the start in 2018, believes that the closure will create a void among those who vejpar in Gothenburg.
"We have between 50 and 100 customers a day spread over a month. Many are regulars who come back month after month. There are also some elderly people who may need more help than others to get the vejpningen, both devices and e-juices, to work, what should they do now?" says Filip Jansson.
What has been the reaction from customers?
"Everyone we tell has been very sad. There are other shops in town that we refer them to. But I suspect that many of the customers who live here neither have the time nor the energy to go into town to buy their stuff. So the disappearance of the store clearly leaves a void here on Hisingen," says Filip Jansson to Vejpkollen.
