Scottish vaping store chain VPZ says it plans to have opened 20 stores by the end of the year as its expansion plans continue.
Meanwhile the group’s director Doug Mutter is calling on the UK Government to follow the lead of New Zealand and increase regulation of the vaping market.
Edinburgh-headquartered VPZ plans to grow to 170 stores by the end of the year.
The chain has this year already opened stores in Hexham, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and Newquay. It says Falkirk and seven “major shopping centre sites” are going through the acquisition process and that further growth is planned in the North East of England and Yorkshire.
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Mr Mutter also called for tighter controls and licensing for selling vaping products.
He said: “At VPZ we are firmly focused on helping adult smokers quit and have helped over 700k people quit smoking since we were established in 2012.
“Our strategy has always been to bring expert knowledge and engage with smokers to educate them on the health and financial benefits of switching to vaping.
“At the moment VPZ fully recognises that there is an issue where imported, many unregulated, disposable vaping products are readily available from local convenience stores, supermarkets and several other general retailers with no age verification control or regulation in many of these.
“This problem centres around access, an area that VPZ has publicly campaigned on with UK and devolved policymakers.
“We are at a pivotal moment for the vaping industry, which will define its future role in the smoke-free goal of 2030.
“We are urging the UK Government to act now and follow best practices from countries like New Zealand, where flavoured products can only be sold from specialist licensed vaping stores. In addition, there is a challenge 25 policy in place and consultation is aimed towards adult smokers and vapers.”
