Vapes ban pushes consumers to other disposable nicotine options
NEW consumer research has found a meteoric rise in popularity for nicotine pouches as consumers looked for alternatives to single-use vapes.
According to research from nicotine products retailer Haypp, the UK nicotine pouch market almost doubled in 2024, growing by at least 95%.
Nearly one third (32%) of Haypp’s current nicotine pouch customers are now former vape users as well, up from 28% in 2023, as the retailer anticipates this number to increase further now the disposable vape ban is in effect.
According to survey respondents, which took into account 35,000 customers from Haypp, the main advantage of pouches compared to other nicotine pouches is that they are discreet with 68% of respondents listing this as their main reason for purchase. Some 64% also said they feel healthier in comparison to smoking cigarettes.
And 78% of nicotine pouch users also said that nicotine pouches were socially acceptable – compared to just 30% who believed that vapes were socially acceptable now.
Alongside this data, the retailer has found more specific research to do with regions across the UK including popular flavours and brands.
According to Haypp, the best-selling brands and flavours for nicotine pouches in Scotland for 2024 were:
Best-selling brands 2024 Best-selling flavours 2024 Velo Mint Nordic Spirit Fruit On! Citrus Loop Spices ZYN Other XQS Coffee Helwit Liquorice Fix Tobacco Übbs Pouches Klint
This new research could be welcome news for those retailers who are looking to find a viable alternative for disposable vapes in stores, especially following Talysis research which highlighted the loss of revenue for convenience retailers following the ban.
Markus Lindblad, director of Haypp, said: “These results suggest that while the nicotine pouch market is growing rapidly, users are typically a more mature demographic that value the more discreet nature of the product.
“It is also notable that many people have started using pouches to transition away from vaping. This could become an important trend in the UK’s drive to go smoke-free while introducing ever stricter regulations on vaping.”
