From Online to Offline

[Cheshire Vapes]

I think im right in assuming that most of us purchase our vaping related products generally through one website or another. But how many actually are able to go into a shop and purchase what they need?

Apart from odd corner shops, the market stall and supermarkets who all only sell cig style devices with varying prices, are you able to purchase the juice, batteries or whatever else you might be wanting to purchase?

I ask this partially due to the new online store that i've setup and comments and suggestions ive had from people that have asked me about what im using and it seems like people would more like to be able to go into somewhere, see devices,spares and even sample juices to help with their purchasing instead of 'guessing' from buying online

Now i say partially as in the past when i started there was times when i killed all the batteries i had or something going wrong, especially at the weekend and trying to find somewhere to go to purchase replacements...

So... ideas? comments? suggestions?

[bigbawmcgraw]

I'd thought about it myself, especially after seeing £8 kits being sold at market stalls for £35 but selling online is much quicker than having a shop. Could you imagine spending half an hour trying to explain how a device works to someone who then just walks out and says "I'll think about it" >
But yeah, getting yourself seen on the high street would attract custom that otherwise wouldn't have heard of e-cigs.

[Cheshire Vapes]

Online sales is an easier market with a bigger audience that you can target but then once you get past the explaining what it is there could be alot of people, plus giving those customers who dont like to buy online or *gasp* dont have the internet... somewhere they can buy from

It's a tempting thing to try and i've got ideas how i'd have a little shop set out

[Chrissie]

I buy all of my vaping gear online as apart from tesco selling the 10 motives disposables, there is no one near me selling e-cigs.

TW's shops/lounges up North seem to be successful & Jason (Vape Escape) is hoping to open his shop in the New Year

[Gordy]

i wished there was a walk in shop when i first started as looking online when you dont have a clue is very confusing and more often than not people end up with very expensive cigy-likes as there seems to be loads of them pop up when you do a google search

the problem i see with a walk in shop is the returning custom... once you have taken the time to educate and inform all about e-cigs and they have bought their starter kit then they will no doubt go online to buy their supplies cheaper from there in future... ok you will get people that like the personal touch and those that run out and use the shop in emergencies but i just dont know if you can make a living that way

i watched TW talking on VTTV about their shop they just opened and they said they make 8 sales in a day ....ok at their prices that maybe enough to make a profit LOL

[Cheshire Vapes]

Yeah i can understand that, there would probably be a small return custom from people that are out and about or emergancies... but then again its the same with any shop where you could go online and get it cheaper but for convience

I think if youve got the chance to sample liquids whilst you're there though that would be a big thing as whilst prices arent bad online to try a new flavour to only find out you dont like it, walking into a shop, giving it a taste before hand and then purchasing a larger bottle as you've not needed a sample might work out better?

[Gordy]

oh defo LOVE the idea of trying before buying

[Perpetua]

A B&M shop would be very much aimed at a new potential vaper I'd imagine . . . but not every Vaper then goes on to the 'Enthusiast' stage . . . where they frequent internet forums and get into the whole 'mod' scene, so I reckon you'd certainly get a degree of return business Vapourhut.

There's for and against for both methods of selling isn't there . . . on the internet you can keep overheads much tighter . . . but if you could pick up business premises with a good lease arrangement, who knows the number of customer's you could attract, who've been undecided about giving vaping a go because they'd rather see/speak to someone in the flesh and trial an ecig.

I'd imagine we were all sceptical about finding an alternative to cigarettes, which you could overcome so much more easily face to face.

[VE Jason]

Very true Perpy.

My initial feedback is that 95% of people who come into the shop (and make a purchase) will be leaving with a cig-a-like. That's not my choice, it's just a fact.

For that reason, the shop will have a totally different range of products to the website (although the website stock will be on the premises for purchase as well).

But hopefully once people have taken the initial step they will then come back and move on to a more efficient kit. But, if they want to stick with the cig-a-like that's absolutely fine, because I think it's a bad move trying to push someone onto something they're not comfortable with.

[DiscoDes]

Surely if you do juice at the same price as the web people will come back to purchase more juice and 1. not have to pay postage 2. try new flavours if you keep some demo stock 3. In my experience people like to get their hands on stuff quick and not wait a day or 2 to get it!

By them coming back in the shop you have an opportunity to sell all the other parephenalia and the occasional upgrade or replacement.

[VE Jason]

The juice will all be there Des, but in actual fact shop prices should be higher than web prices, although I'm not saying that they will be.

I took the shop initially for the offices and store rooms that go with it, because the website is more than enough to keep us busy. But, it seems a bit daft to just use the whole building as offices, especially with it having a main road position.

There's been a lot of passing interest over the last week and it is surprising just how many people still haven't heard about e-cigs, despite the supermarkets stocking them.

[DiscoDes]

Nov 23, 2011 20:00:15 GMT VE Jason said:

The juice will all be there Des, but in actual fact shop prices should be higher than web prices, although I'm not saying that they will be.

WHY? Processing a order costs money in time to pack, packaging, etc as opposed to just handing out over the counter.

[VE Jason]

Because the counter is inside a building that has a lease/mortgage/business rates etc.

That's why most of the larger retailers will let you buy cheaper online (PC World/Currys etc)

[bigbawmcgraw]

Plus time per customer...

[DiscoDes]

Nov 23, 2011 20:16:03 GMT VE Jason said:

Because the counter is inside a building that has a lease/mortgage/business rates etc.

Granted, but you said you were going to use the building as office/stores anyway so therefore you already had the cost factored in.