19 minute read
VAPRIL
from RN - 4 March 2022
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SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT
Tim Allinson
Managing director, Zeus Group
Throughout VApril, we will focus our communications on educating first-time vapers and those looking to make the switch from traditional cigarettes by discussing vaping being a ‘healthier’ alternative to smoking. Alongside the important information and advice that we will be sharing, we will also promote sales on starter kits aimed at firsttime vapers as well as highlighting exciting offers such as a gift with purchases to help conversion.
Using VApril to boost next-gen nicotine sales
VApril is Vaping Awareness Month and a great chance for retailers to look into next-gen nicotine, as Charles Whitting discovers
There are two months that offer the best opportunity for retailers when it comes to next-gen nicotine. January is the first big chance, as New Year’s resolutions are put into place and people turn to vaping as they try to give up smoking.
The other is April, or VApril. Vaping Awareness Month is a global campaign designed to help smokers turn from cigarettes to vaping.
“VApril is going from strength to strength and is now one of the world’s largest vaping awareness campaigns, helping people make the switch from smoking to vaping,” says Tim Allinson, managing director of Zeus Group. “Supported by the NHS, VApril presents a fantastic opportunity for retailers to harness the increased visibility driven by the campaign and they must be prepared with their own supporting campaigns, products and stock levels in response to the potential increase in customer interest.
“Taking advantage of vapingfocused calendar campaigns such as New Year, VApril and Stoptober also presents a great opportunity to increase footfall and sales.”
More than three million former smokers in the UK have taken up vaping, and, according to VApril, 72% of smokers who were aware of the campaign said it had influenced them to switch to vaping. In addition, the government recently announced its ambition for England to be smoke-free by 2030.
In what would be a world first, there is also talk of e-cigarettes becoming products the NHS in »
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England could prescribe for people trying to stop smoking tobacco. All of this points to a growing importance for next-gen nicotine and serves as a good reason for retailers to start thinking about where they can fit in a range of products.
“The next-gen market shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, the nicotine pouch category has experienced strong growth in the UK and is now worth approximately £21.8m a year,” says Gemma Bateson, head of reduced-risk products at JTI UK. “Combined with the heated tobacco category, which is now worth £73m, and vaping, which is in growth of 23.3%, retailers should consider how to best display this category to profit from the opportunities available.”
WHAT RETAILERS CAN DO FOR VAPRIL For retailers with an existing nextgen range, VApril offers the chance to spread the word further and increase sales in this category. Promotional material and PoS can draw attention to your products, while deals and offers will attract existing vapers to your store for the prices and encourage the ‘vape-curious’ to give them a try.
“We’ve done it in the past,” says Amrit Singh Pahal, of H & Jodie’s Nisa in Walsall, West Midlands. “It’s become a bit of an event nowadays and it always works well. We’ll push it again this year. We’ll put out some offers and see what traction they can get. It’s important to be careful with your promotions and to make sure that you’re following the suppliers’ guidelines.”
For retailers considering whether or not to start stocking vapes, disposables and the rest, this is the month to gauge interest from customers, find out about the category and take advantage of the increased
TOP TIPS FOR VAPRIL
GET THE WORD OUT: VApril is an awareness campaign, so make sure you’re highlighting your next-gen products in store and online.
GET STARTED: VApril aims to attract newcomers to the vaping category, so it’s a great time to either launch your own vaping range or to target your promotions to people looking to switch.
FOCUS ON POSITIVES: VApril is an opportunity to highlight the positives of next-gen nicotine, whether it’s health or price, so make sure your promotional activity focuses on these attributes.
EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION: Train yourself and your staff so that they can help guide category newcomers through the jargon and new products so no one feels intimidated.
awareness to launch your range. Retailers should consider trying out a small range to gauge interest during VApril, keeping things simple by focusing on established brands and tried-and-tested selling points.
“April is a good time to get into it – like January,” says Singh Pahal. “Start with something small, then really highlight the price difference to people compared with cigarettes. That’s always a winner in any argument – it’s incomparable.”
Regardless of your store’s current next-gen capacity, VApril should be utilised as a way to encourage people to start, so focus on promoting starter kits and value options to attract newcomers to the category.
“Stock levels should be boosted, displays and PoS should be elevated, and retailers should develop their own supporting campaigns and offer special promotions and deals,” says Zeus Group’s Allinson. “Particular focus should be on products targeted at first-time vapers who are making the transition from cigarettes. Stock should include a range of options from flavours to strengths to devices and knowledgeable staff must be on hand to educate, advise and guide new customers who may be at the beginning of their vaping journey.”
EDUCATION One of the major barriers to vapes and other next-gen nicotine products is the lack of understanding of the products themselves – particularly given the growing array of options that are now in existence, »
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the host of new brands entering the space and the different legal requirements that might list a bestselling European brand as incompatible with current UK law.
Given VApril is all about awareness, it is important that you and your team are well versed in everything next-gen to ensure that you can educate your customers, which will make their purchasing decisions easier, their experience more pleasant and their loyalty to nextgen more likely.
“Given the varied experience of shoppers in the vape category, it is really important for retailers to be equipped to offer advice that can be tailored to each customer,” says Duncan Cunningham, UK corporate affairs director at Imperial Tobacco and Blu. “The retailers who can do so will be the ones that see the most success and establish themselves as a destination store for vapers.”
AJ Singh, from Premier Morley in Leeds, is planning on a big promotional and educational campaign this year as he looks to get involved in VApril for the first time.
“We will be doing something for it, definitely,” he says. “We’ve got our own Tito Nano vape disposable brand, rather than stocking other brands. We make more margin that way. So, we’ll be doing something massive for that. We’ll do things in store and get customers to try it and learn about it. It’s a market that, once it’s done right, you can make a lot out of.”
GET THE WORD OUT Visibility is essential when it comes to vape products, especially if you are starting out with a range or looking to attract newcomers to the category. For many people, the products, let alone the brands, are unlikely to be things with which they are familiar, so having them prominently placed with clear directions and information will guide customers to the range and help them navigate it without feeling overwhelmed.
“It is also a good idea to have a strong visual display of vaping products, positioned away from the main gantry where possible, with clear information on pricing to enable customers to browse at their leisure without the need to handle and inspect products,” says Imperial’s Cunningham.
For retailers just starting out in the category, JTI’s Bateson recommends a countertop display solution to test consumer response. “If displayed in a clear and tidy display, customers will find it easier to find their preferred product, in turn experiencing a better level of customer service,” she says.
VApril activity shouldn’t be limited to in store, either. As most next-gen users are younger adults, making sure that any promotions you are doing for VApril are showcased online is a great way to spread the word and garner a reputation for your store that might bring in customers from further afield who might not otherwise have travelled to or passed by your store. Just make sure to do so responsibly, as it is an age-restricted product.
“The best thing you can do is make sure that everything you are pushing in store, you are also pushing online,” says AJ Singh. “That’s the beauty of it.”
Next-gen nicotine is a fast-growing category that retailers should be considering for inclusion in their stores. This April is a great month to test the water with customers and to take advantage of the national awareness campaign. l
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