Setting up a vape shop, got a question for you guys.

[WelshVapes]

Hello everyone,

First of all, I want to say I have read the forums quite a bit here and you seem fantastic. Over the past 3 months myself and a family member have been looking at setting up a vape shop. I will try keep this as short as I can as I need to explain a few things to you guys.

A good friend of mine is a manager in a successful vape shop, he is interested in working for me after we worked out a little plan together. So let me give some background now.

- Currently own a few successful businesses, and have been a vaper for some times now.

- One of our businesses has a spare unit next door which we are looking to rent

- This unit which is empty currently has a lot of car traffic passing daily as it is on a fairly busy road, it is not in a city/town but is not far from a city/town.

My friend who works in a vape shop said anything outside a city/town will 'flop' and he thinks it is not a good business plan to set one up in the unit we have spare. Myself and family member disagree, from the hours of 8-9am we have ~1,000 cars pass, and from 16:00-17:00 1,100 cars passing by.

I have been to the business to business expo and met some interesting suppliers, one of which said they have 5 of their own shops and their most successful one was on an industrial estate.

My question to you guys is this, would you prefer to go to a vape shop which is easy to get too and has free parking or would you prefer to go in to town where you have to pay?

I don't see my mate's logic where he says anything outside of town would 'flop' he seems very confident in that. Thoughts?

Also, the good thing with this unit is, we will not be tied in to a lease, so if it does not go right, we are not stuck there for x amount of time.

Cheers, thanks for your time.

 

[WelshVapes]

Also, we will be looking to setup in roughly January/Feb, we are waiting too see how the TPD/TRPR has effected shops around our area/UK before deciding if it is worth it or not.

 

[Ment]

If you have obvious, convenient and free parking nearby then I'd say it's a definite goer.

If you're relying on people seeing you as they pass and returning later then a lot will depend on other factors.

 

[casey jones]

if you give it time and your product is good people will travel a bit
parking is a big thing for me how about free delivery to promote and also
big advert for passing motorists to spread the word ps for every thousand cars that pass i think the vaping motorist would be small

 

[scrumpox]

Don't ask me, mate, I buy just about everything online!

In your shoes the critical analysis would be on your likely customer base ... most of whom will be new switchers ... will they walk or drive to your premises?
Passing footfall seems pretty much essential to me for a new business, entirely different if you were already well established and considering moving out of town.

 

[Major Hazzard]

Convenience and parking win.. the busiest vape shop I know is isn't the best for stock etc but has a great location.

 

[MickNewtyleRed]

Where is the unit you are looking to rent? Some of the members here may know the area

 

[grinnell27]

There is a very succesful vape shop about 10miles from me in an industrial estate and i travel that far sometimes to get something, many other do too. Its about customer service, products and friendliness.

If word gets out your shop will do well especially if there is parking... in the middle of towns there is none, who wants to pay £2-3 just to get one juice.

Id say go for it!

 

[Muck777]

Parking is a major attraction. I rarely go to the town now because parking is a pain, and the council seem intent on making everyone leave as quickly as possible.

I know that I'll probably get shot down for this, but I used to live near a proper old school tobacconists who sold everything to do with smoking. I wonder if a vape shop also sold good quality cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff and chewing tobacco, then they might attract an audience who might not come across vaping otherwise. A vapeacconist?

Just a thought.

 

[bergkamp]

Tbh I never go into town if I can possibly help it , I would much rather go to a shop with parking out of town but saying that like scrumpox , I buy everything online so unless I heard or saw you had a amazing offer on I doubt i would bother coming in.
So even though your set on opening a shop , make sure you have a good online presence as I would check that out to see what you offer before I got off my fat lazy arse and made the effort to come down