The Number Of Vape Shops in The UK Has Increased Significantly Again, With 233 New Stores Opening in 2023

Amid plans to create a 'smoke-free generation' by restricting sales to children, the number of independent vape shops in the UK has surged again over the past year.

According to the Local Data Company (LDC), which conducted a detailed survey of all retail areas, 233 more independent vape shops opened in 2023, a significant increase from the following year growth of 61 in 2022 and a net decline of 23 in 2021.

According to LDC, there are now a total of 3,573 specialist vaping shops in the UK.

The data for these specialized e-cigarette stores does not include most convenience stores, post office stores, newsagents, and corner shops, which also offer e-cigarettes and related appliances.

According to data released in December by market research firm NIQ and trade magazine The Grocer, sales of e-cigarette products in the UK have increased by £897.4 million this year.

The Lost Mary brand, which belongs to Chinese e-cigarette company Heaven Gifts, is the fastest growing product in the UK, with sales up £310.6 million from the previous year, the data showed.

NIQ said e-cigarette products also grew on a volume basis on a sales basis, while sales of cigarettes, cigars and loose cigarettes fell by £849.1 million and £393.1 million respectively.

Experts say the e-cigarette industry is one of the few direct beneficiaries of the cost-of-living crisis, with the average price of 20 cigarettes now costing £14.57, compared to around £5 for disposable e-cigarettes, which can smoke a decent amount of smoke, and the price of a comparable amount of nicotine for refillable devices is half that amount.

However, the UK government plans to introduce stricter e-cigarette restrictions to protect children and phase out cigarette sales.

The Tobacco and E-cigarette Act would "do so by restricting tobacco sales... and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children" to "create a smoke-free generation."

The government says this will raise the tobacco marketing age by one year each year to prevent this and future generations from smoking in the first place.

The King's speech also pledged to "further combat youth smoking" and consultations are currently underway on how to protect children and encourage adult smokers to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking.

The consultation asked people to express their views on whether disposable e-cigarettes should be banned or restricted, which is known to be preferred among children, and whether more measures should be taken in terms of pricing.

Health activists have repeatedly said that offering e-cigarettes at a "pocket price" would encourage children to start smoking.

Other recommendations in the consultation include restricting the flavors and descriptions of e-cigarettes so that they are no longer targeted at children, making e-cigarettes no longer visible to children, and regulating the way e-cigarettes are packaged and displayed.

Other recommendations in the consultation include imposing immediate fines on retailers who sell to underage children and more to crack down on online sales.

Although smoking is illegal among people under the age of 18, one in five children has now tried vaping, and the number of children using e-cigarettes has tripled in the past three years.

According to government documents, smoking is given annually to the UK