A qualitative assessment of business perspectives and tactics of tobacco and vape shop retailers in three communities in Orange County, CA, 2015–2016

Abstract

BackgroundIn response to the growing awareness and use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asserted its regulatory authority over ENDS in May 2016. Federal, state, and local regulatory action on ENDS may have significant and unique impacts on specialty ENDS retailers, including tobacco and vape shops. The purpose of this study is to describe the commercial motivations of vape shops in minority communities as business entities whose financial interests and actions may be particularly impacted by regulation of ENDS.MethodsSpecialty tobacco and vape retail stores in three minority communities were identified through an online search and community canvassing. Key informant interviews were conducted with tobacco and vape shop owners or managers discussing the business interests and tactics of selling ENDS for their store. Interview data were coded and analyzed for major themes.ResultsInterviews with 18 tobacco shops and 9 vape shops were completed. Tobacco shops’ reasons for carrying e-cigarettes were business oriented, focused on maintaining their customer base. In comparison, vape shops opened because of the owner’s positive experiences with e-cigarettes and belief in the potential of e-cigarettes to help people quit or reduce smoking. Tobacco shops mainly see their customers as using e-cigarettes to quit smoking whereas vape shops reported their customers using e-cigarettes for more varied reasons. Tobacco shops are much more limited in their marketing than vape shops, which rely heavily on social media and experimentation with other forms of marketing.ConclusionsTobacco shops and vape shops differ in their rationale and approaches to the business of e-cigarettes. Vape shops engage in a wide range of activities that stabilize their financial interest and increase their influence with customers and within the vape community. In order for regulatory policymaking and tobacco control interventions to maximize effectiveness, the actions of vape shops in promoting ENDS use and influencing policy debates must be taken into account.

Understanding e-cigarette content and promotion on YouTube through machine learning

“…We also observed that ‘vape enthusiasts’ and retailers were the most common channel who posted e-cigarette videos about product reviews and instructions, which is a novel way to promote e-cigarettes without using traditional paid ads that could be tracked and regulated. This finding is consistent with previous qualitative studies that observed that vape shop retailers considered social media as a new effective marketing channel to use strategies, such as featuring new e-cigarette products 28 29. We used the term ‘vape enthusiasts’ to refer to channels that primarily posted videos about e-cigarettes 30.…”

The Impact of Recent Tobacco Regulations and COVID-19 Restrictions and Implications for Future E-Cigarette Retail: Perspectives from Vape and Vape-and-Smoke Shop Merchants

“…Merchants’ perspectives regarding the implications of tobacco regulations provided valuable insights into shifts in the e-cigarette marketplace that will likely occur. In this sample of retailers, roughly half owned or managed vape shops that do not sell combustible tobacco products [ 6 ] and may advocate vaping to aid in cigarette cessation, despite such marketing being prohibited [ 38 , 55 ]. However, as a result of such regulations, many vape shops have faced—or are beginning to face—a difficult decision: struggle to survive, close, or rebrand with new inventory—which likely includes a wider variety of tobacco products [ 34 , 42 , 43 , 56 ].…”

“…As the nicotine marketplace has evolved and key regulations have gone into effect that may substantially impact the vape retail environment and product use [ 34 ], understanding merchants’ perspectives regarding such regulations may have important implications for regulatory efforts [ 35 ]. For example, prior research involving vape retail merchants has provided unique insights into their marketing strategies [ 36 , 37 , 38 ], as well as into their concerns that policies are not distinguishing e-cigarettes from traditional tobacco (e.g., cigarettes) [ 39 , 40 , 41 ] and/or not taking into account the impact on the potential harm reduction that could result from using e-cigarettes [ 37 , 38 , 40 ]. As these more recent policies and regulatory changes (e.g., flavor restrictions, T21, COVID-19-related orders) have occurred, engaging the perspectives of vape retailers may provide unique insights into the future of vape products and retail.…”

Where Do Vapers Buy Their Vaping Supplies? Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) 4 Country Smoking and Vaping Survey

“…In theory, one might expect that smokers purchasing their NVPs from a vape shop would get better instruction on how to vape to maximize nicotine delivery compared to those purchasing their NVPs online or in a cigarette selling retail store. Additionally, since vape shops are typically not in the business of selling cigarettes or other tobacco products, there would be an incentive for the vape shop owners to encourage consumers to completely switch away from cigarettes [27]. On the other hand, vape shops remain unregulated, so it is unclear if consumers would get accurate information about the NVPs they are purchasing [28].…”