Tobacco, vapes and smoking alternatives sales in convenience have continued to drop in the first quarter of 2026 as the disposable vape ban creates further pressure points for retailers, data analyst Talysis has claimed.
The category’s figures for the first quarter of 2026 show a “worrying” 4.4% decline in value and 7.8% tumble in volume versus the same quarter last year, revealed Talysis. What’s more, the previously burgeoning vaping sub-category saw decreases of 3.9% in value and 10.3% in volume sales over the same period year on year.
This follows Talysis’s report on Convenience 2025 (A review of the year in UK convenience), which revealed that tobacco, vapes and smoking alternatives had fallen by 8% (value) and 13.4% (volume) year on year during 2025.
The analyst claimed that there were “shoots of growth” in some of the smaller sub-categories, with oral nicotine “thriving”. Indeed, nicotine pouches enjoyed a 42.5% increase in value and a 46% rise in units during Q1 in 2026 vs Q1 2025, which portrays its rapid acceptance among consumers. “This follows on from healthy increases during 2025, but this sub-category still represents such a tiny share of the market that its growth is almost inconsequential,” noted Talysis.
The latest data highlights once again two of the inadvertent effects of the vaping ban, namely the continued impact on turnover and footfall, demonstrating that retailers are losing out, not necessarily because consumption has decreased, but because the formats have changed.
Purchasing patterns indicate that the shift towards reusable formats is far from embedded amongst consumers. Larger puff kits (12ml) and smaller puff kits (2ml) together (1.3m units) are currently outselling standard refill pods (1.1m units) each week, despite being designed for repeated use (data through to w/e 26/04/26).
At the same time, pricing dynamics are also influencing category performance. Consumers can now often purchase double the liquid (eg 2x2ml pods) for a similar price to the previous single-use disposable vape (1x2ml), creating clear cost savings for those who adopt reusable formats. In addition, the rapid growth of “Big Puff” products – generating approximately £6m per week – means that consumers are able to access significantly larger volumes of e-liquid (eg 12ml) in a single purchase, with the knock-on effect of reducing footfall instore.
Ed Roberts, MD of Talysis Ltd, said:
“Our first quarter focus on tobacco and vaping continues to paint a sobering picture for the independent convenience sector. The ban still isn’t working as intended but is creating further pressure points for an already struggling sector. What was previously around £20 million per week concentrated in disposable vapes is now spread across multiple sub-categories. This fragmentation, combined with improved value per ml for consumers, suggests that while total spend may appear to be declining, usage levels may not be falling at the same rate.”
Talysis will shortly unveil its Q1 report on the convenience sector.
