B & M trade is dying

[ianleeds]

During my weekly excursion into Leeds centre on Friday I called into five B & M vaping shops on my travels.
And sadly they had many thing in common.
Firstly, I was the only customer in there, and in two shops I called in around lunchtime, I was the first potential customer of the day.
Second, the level and choice of stock of juices, mods and tanks was bordering on pitiful in 4 of the 5 stores.
Now Leeds was pretty busy on Friday, and I spotted dozens of vapers out and about. But no one appeared to be looking and shopping for vape gear and juice.
I believe TPD is doing to vape shops what the smoking ban did for pubs. Fewer and fewer customers leading eventually to many many shop closures and loss of jobs.
I know most of us buy online, and we are all aware of at least half a dozen online vaping suppliers that have closed post TPD.
But B & M's are in the same boat and the staff who work there must think that their employment will be coming to an end before long.
As most of us began our vaping journey using the advice given in a B & M, maybe we should instead of walking past, call in and chat to the very lonely staff and maybe make a purchase or two.
Yes, I am well aware B & M's are more expensive than online, some bordering on extortionate.
But very soon the B & M will no longer be there, more than likely on the day when you are desperate for some juice or a coil or 5 and being a Saturday, you won't get your 'fix' until Tuesday at the earliest.
You miss your closed ' local' for a pint.....soon you will miss your B & M and only see a for sale sign, not loads of vape gear.

 

[VenomX]

You are right, most b & m i visit are empty.

However id rather buy a mod from a b & m so if anything goes wrong you can take it back without having to pack it up and send in the post

 

[Shetland Sam]

I have never been in a B&M and never will. they are over priced. It doesn't help that my nearest one is over 200 miles away which is a £200 return flight or 14 hours on a boat to get there

 

[Mutley1]

its very rare i use a B & M yes like others i buy most my gear from china, how ever at least once a week or maybe some times twice a week, i pop into my regular vape shop, on my way to work, its where i usualy get batts or some times some premade coils for my rdas & so on, plus they also let you try all juices using decent equipment, & not some poxy ego lol.

 

[burnt fingers]

I was in my local store this morning . Now its not the easiest to get to , it is out of town in a lockup round the back of a garden center ..its as odd a location as you could possibly find . However there were 8 or so other customers in buyin coils , juice etc . I myself popped some cash over the counter on a goon RDA and some juice . Had a chat with the guys there, compared some notes on Moonshot tanks . As usual a pleasent experience and much better than online . I do hope their trade keeps as strong as it seems to be .

 

[jock1092]

The three b+ms I have local all seem to be growing, never empty but the tank ranges are almost identical, bar one having some authentic broadsides and the other with an own label range

Even a little vape stand has evolved from a tiny desk to a large stall type thing

 

[Mr Ripple]

Second, the level and choice of stock of juices, mods and tanks was bordering on pitiful in 4 of the 5 stores.

This is the reason as what's the point in going in them if they do not sell anything but starter kits.
The new vaper boom has gone so they need to get with the seasoned vapers or face facts they'll have no customers.

 

[Simon G]

I guess because Leeds is a pretty big city it's different but for a lot of us the high streets are dead full stop. ... it's not just vape shops that are empty it's all shops .... my ebay account says I've been a member since 2004, amazon since 2007 and to be honest there's not much I've bought from an actual shop for 10 years or more. I just got sick of making the trip into town wandering around for ages looking for things and coming home empty handed, going online and finding exactly what I wanted in a few minutes.

There's no going back now, unless a shop has a very good online presence it will never survive.

 

[Leni]

I believe TPD is doing to vape shops what the smoking ban did for pubs. Fewer and fewer customers leading eventually to many many shop closures and loss of jobs.

I don't think the TPD has much to do with it. If you walk down the average high street, what do you see? Primark, McDonald's, bookies, charity shops ... more charity shops. The internet has been killing the high street since the beginning of the century, I wish it were different but that's a fact. I don't mean to sound callous, I work in retail, and a large chunk of our customers fucked off to buy from the likes of Amazon. It's a battle that's already been lost, and those of us working in retail pretty much understand that. It won't be any different for vape shops, particularly given that the majority of the population have no interest in vaping.

 

[Simon G]

I don't think the TPD has much to do with it. If you walk down the average high street, what do you see? Primark, McDonald's, bookies, charity shops ... more charity shops. The internet has been killing the high street since the beginning of the century, I wish it were different but that's a fact. I don't mean to sound callous, I work in retail, and a large chunk of our customers fucked off to buy from the likes of Amazon. It's a battle that's already been lost, and those of us working in retail pretty much understand that. It won't be any different for vape shops, particularly given that the majority of the population have no interest in vaping.

I totally agree..... a mate of mine used to own a guitar/music shop, he started there on a YTS and ended up taking it over, it had been there as long as I've been alive, it closed about 5 years ago.... more and more people started coming in trying a guitar out then saying 'yeah, I like it but I can get it £50 cheaper online" once upon a time that shop had zero competition in the area, the last 10 years it's been trying to compete with pretty much the whole world.