From Trading Standards stats for 2023-24, their test purchases around tobacco showed a 19% failure rate. However, for vape related test purchases, this failure rate rose to 26%.

Once a timeline of when the new legislation comes into play is announced, we will add a countdown to this website so you know exactly when your new licensing arrangements need to be in place.

The Vape Market in the UK is thought to be worth £1.23 Bn per year – and the rest…

Apparently there are over 40,000 Convenience Stores that sell them, more than 8,000 Forecourt Shops, over 4,000 large grocery stores and literally thousands more specialist Vape Shops. What with the Vape Pop Up Shops as well – it’s mind boggling. Just think how many there are in your community alone.

1. A Personal Licence for the person making those sales or authorizing the sale of these items by other staff, and

2. A Premises Licence for the shop or store that these items are sold from.

Selling without these in place will probably be subject of an unlimited fine. The fixed penalty notices for breach of the regulations are anticipated to be set at £2,500. That’s one heck of a speeding ticket.

• Personal Licence - to sell, expose for sale or possess for the purpose of sale “relevant products”
• Premises Licence – to use or permit the use of premises for the storage of relevant products for the purpose of sale, expose for sale, or supply (inc. despatch) to retail customers.
“Relevant products” for licensing regime:
a) Tobacco products
b) Herbal smoking products
c) Cigarette papers
d) Vaping products
e) Nicotine products

2024 Vape Market - Places
Non-specialist – tracked by Nielsen
• Convenience stores – 40k +
• Forecourt traders – 8k +
• Grocery multiple stores – 4k +
Specialist - untracked
• Vape multiple stores - ~500
• Dedicated independent vape stores & chains - ~3500
• Online retailers – 50+
• “Opportunist” vape stores (+ American candy, phone covers) – 2000+?

Convenience and grocers have long experience of licensing, and therefore understand the ethos and mechanisms behind Licensing. These business have enjoyed substantial revenues and margins from disposable vapes, which has now diminished following the Single Use Vape Ban.

Dedicated vape stores largely have no experience of licensing. They have in almost exclusively shunned tobacco sales, selling only “95% safer” product. (Typically ~1% of toxicity.) This is therefore going to be quite a culture shock. Their livelihoods entirely dependent on ability to sell vapes.