Some smokers switch to vape because it is perceived to be a lower-risk nicotine substitute or because they are trying to quit smoking.
Electronic cigarettes first arrived on the U.S. retail scene in 2006, and since then, this other tobacco product (OTP) segment has gained a substantial customer base within the convenience store channel.
The addition of open-system vaporizers and pod devices further expanded inventory selection of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).
Early on, ENDS of all types primarily appealed to a younger clientele, especially millennials and, eventually, Generation Z. While that continues to hold true to a degree, another trend revealed itself as consumers became more aware of the OTP: some traditional cigarette users switched to vape.
Because ENDS use nicotine, not tobacco, and therefore are void of the usual carcinogens found in combustible cigarettes, they’re often touted as a less harmful alternative. At this point, it must be noted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the body granted authority over tobacco products sold in the U.S., has not designated any ENDS as “modified risk” or “reduced harm.” (The one exception to date is heat-not-burn iQOS, which technically is neither an e-cigarette nor vape device.)
Anne Baye Ericksen – CStoreDecisions – 2021-06-07.
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