Act now to prepare for 1 June vapes deadline
GLASGOW wholesaler JW Filshill has urged its retailers to act now to clear out remaining single-use vape stock ahead of the ban on 1 June.
This includes ensuring that all remaining stock is sold before this date and that store owners are only purchasing new vape devices that adhere to new regulations. Retailers found with any devices that will be non-compliant from 1 June will not be able to sell them and must ensure they are disposed of safely.
To further support KeyStore retailers to understand the new legislation and be prepared for its implementation, Filshill’s category manager for the tobacco and vape categories, Derek Cowan, has compiled a comprehensive guide outlining what businesses need to know and how to prepare for the transition.
Cowan said: “Any legislation that affects convenience stores is important and requires retailers to be fully compliant with all aspects of it – and the new UK-wide regulations around vapes are particularly important.
“However, government legislation can be cumbersome and complicated for busy business owners and their staff to navigate, which is why we have put together our comprehensive guide to what is required of them ahead of the 1 June deadline.”
As part of this, Filshill has said retailers must act now to ensure a seamless transition come this summer, including some proactive measures such as:
• Optimising the new range with the best-selling rechargeable products, containing at least 25% refillable pods within each range – e.g. for every one refillable vape brand, retailers should stock nine devices and three pod options.
• Ensure that both staff and customers are well educated about the new regulations well in advance and to help guide consumers to legal alternatives.
• Phase out disposable vape stock now and begin to replace it with long-term, compliant alternatives. Retailers should only stock their fastest selling lines when it comes to disposables to continue to meet consumer demand, while following legal up-coming guidelines.
Further to this, Cowan has stressed the importance of keeping accurate records of vape inventory for stores. As the ban is introduced, there will be further crackdowns across stores to ensure no single-use options are still available in them. These detailed records will assist in these investigations and ensure stores remain compliant.
Records of sales processes, age verification procedures and refusal logs will also demonstrate compliance with the ban.
The comprehensive guide is now available to read online via this link and highlights current single-use devices that will be illegal from 1 June and show retailers what the brand’s compliant counterparts will look like. This covers a range of massively popular vaping brands such as ElfBar, SKE, Lost Mary, IVG and Gold Bar, to name a few.
Cowan said: “From record-keeping and preparing for the shift to compliant vaping and ensuring that stores continue to provide a dedicated vape recycling bin for customers – even after disposables are no longer available – our guide should be studied all retailers and staff who sell vapes to help them understand the many aspects of this upcoming legislation.
“Retailers requiring more help or advice are also urged to contact their KeyStore business development manager as soon as possible.
“As a responsible wholesaler, it’s important that we communicate to our retailers when they should transition from non-compliant to compliant SKUs as unfortunately ranges are transitioning at different times – and also what the optimum range and planogram they should execute going forward.
“We will be in a position at the end of April that all stock we have will be compliant.”
Highlighting this responsible outlook across the category, KeyStore retailer Chris Cobb (pictured), who has run his store KeyStore Cults in the Aberdeen area for nearly 18 years now, says he has been planning for this ban since the beginning of the year and agrees action needs to be taken on the devices.
Chris said: “You see them lying about and the ban will have a really beneficial environmental impact. It’s not just vapes though – this is a societal thing. We are a throwaway society.
“We’ve been running down stock and ordering new products that are compliant. We expect to have all our disposable vape stock finished by the middle of May.”
Chris, who is a multi-award winner at the Scottish Grocer Awards and has received numerous accolades for his work across the nicotine category, said that demand for stock that will soon be non-compliant is still high at his store, highlighting the importance of ensuring consumers are well aware of the incoming legislation.
He said: “We are trying to educate them and tell them that disposable vapes will be illegal and encouraging them to move over to other products. For others, however, I don’t think it will hit home until 1 June.”
Chris has urged his fellow retailers to ensure they take on board Filshill’s advice well in advance of 1 June and ensure they are prepared for the incoming legislation.
He said: “It’s really important because Trading Standards will be all over it – it’s just not worth taking any risks because you will damage your reputation.
“If you are unsure about anything, your business development manager is at the end of the phone. You must protect your name, brand and standing in your local community.”
