Take a look around and you’ll see it: everyone’s vaping! It’s a great alternative to smoking cigarettes and it’s swept up the UK, becoming something of a cultural phenomenon that people enjoy doing and enjoy talking about.
Understandably, you probably want a piece of the sales action going on. It’s a good time to consider how you’ll set up your vaping business; as the company emerges from lockdown, you have the chance now to step out the door fully prepared and ready to invest and act where you need to.
Today we’ve gathered some tips on how to get that ball rolling.
Customers want it personal.
Usually referred to as ‘personalisation’, the choice to tailor your communications and interactions with your customers is a hugely valuable call to make. It’s a principle you set into your business, and it matters; studies abound from market research focus groups and more and they’re all showing just how much personalised messaging matters to customers. They’ll be more inclined to buy, they’ll talk about your business positively to others and they’ll be coming back more often.
Practically speaking, you can focus on doing this not only in your in-store interactions if you choose a physical shop, but also by opting for a more friendly and informal tone in your emails. Whether it’s a newsletter or an order confirmation, play around with how you speak to your customers; they’ll enjoy a friendly, direct and casual approach.
Get your stock right.
It’s important you have variety, but you also need to choose the right range of eliquids for your store. The importance of this can’t be overstated; if you mess up and don’t have a popular type, you’re missing out on more than a sale. A customer who doesn’t get what they want may cause damage to your brand image – and that’s something you’ll be living off.
Make sure that you have a range of stock that includes liquid with a higher nicotine level – always a popular choice amongst vapers. Beyond that, you’ll also be well served by covering the budget range with a set of e-liquids that are more affordable; this usually means ones that have a higher vegetable glycerine and lower nicotine content.
Finally, you can encourage repeat business and a sense of community by ensuring you’re always well-stocked on replacement parts. Make sure you have plenty of tanks, coils, mods and sub ohm kits available for people who need to get their vape back in action as soon as possible.
Stay on top of legislation
Although a vape shop doesn’t need a specific license, you do need to be aware of legislations that ban the sale of e-cigs to under eighteens. If you’re starting a physical shop, you may want to consider a Challenge 25 policy to help cover your rear end and make it less likely to get caught selling to an underage person who may mislead you about their age.
