Vape brands are developing products containing lower levels of e-liquid offering fewer advertised puffs, as the introduction of the UK’s Vaping Products Duty approaches.
Coming into force on 1 October, the new duty will apply to both nicotine and nicotine-free products. Once VAT is included, the potential retail increase is approximately £2.64 per 10ml, if the full additional cost is passed on to customers.
This means the amount of e-liquid included in a product will have a direct effect on the potential price increase.
By that token, a product containing 7ml of e-liquid could face an increase of approximately £1.85 once VAT is included. By comparison, a product containing 12ml could rise by around £3.17.
Put simply, the new duty is based on the total volume of vaping liquid rather than the retail price, nicotine strength or advertised puff count.
As a result, two compatible pods designed for the same device could face different price increases if they contain different amounts of e-liquid.
New products
In fact, the approaching duty is already influencing the design of new vaping products, retailer Ninja Vapes said.
One example is the forthcoming Hayati brand’s 4K model. It’s expected to contain approximately 7ml of e-liquid and offer around 5,000 advertised puffs. Its existing Pro Max Plus 6K (shown left) contains 12ml of e-liquid and offers approximately 6,000 advertised puffs.
The important feature is that the 4K pods are expected to be compatible with existing 6K kits, which could give adult customers a choice. They could purchase the lower-volume pods with a smaller duty-related price increase, or continue purchasing the existing 12ml pods if they prefer the greater volume and higher puff count.
Puff numbers
Mohmed Patel, founder of Ninja Vapes, said: “The new products aren’t offering the same number of puffs from substantially less e-liquid. A lower-liquid product will generally provide fewer puffs, and this needs to be communicated clearly to customers.
Patel said the compatibility between the products could help preserve consumer choice after the duty is introduced. He added: “Customers who want to limit the effect of the new duty on the price they pay may prefer the lower-volume option. Those who want the existing liquid volume and puff count can continue purchasing the 12ml pods, although these are likely to face a larger duty-related increase.
“This is a more accurate picture of how brands are responding. They’re not simply producing the same product with less liquid. They’re introducing smaller-volume alternatives while making them compatible with existing devices wherever possible.”
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