Convenience stores lost more than £5m of sales within the vaping category during the first week of the ban on disposable vapes.
That’s the stark conclusion of specialist convenience insight agency Talysis, based on the analysis of EPoS data from thousands of independent and symbol c-stores across the UK.
The agency’s Convenience Data UK (CD:UK) latest figures, for the week ending 8 June 2025, also revealed that over £1m-worth of illegal vape sales were still taking place.
Before the ban, the vapes category (disposables, kits, pods, etc.) was worth approximately £23m per week in UK convenience stores. Last week, sales totalled just £17.8m, a drop of more than £5m
Despite a significant drop, disposable vapes still achieved noticeable sales during this first week, which included no legal selling days. Accounting for sales of over £1m, this backs up the widely reported flouting of the ban by some retailers. Surprisingly, the price of disposables also remained steady last week. While some stores have reduced prices to quickly shift stock, it appears that, on average, there have been no major price cuts.
The regional picture sheds even more light on the impact, with Scotland suffering most, losing 36% of sales in the total vaping category in the week since the ban, versus the average weekly sales prior to the ban. Northern Ireland (-31%) and north-east England (-27%) were also hit hard, whilst all regions have seen a minimum of 20% of sales wiped out.
And it looks like the alternatives to disposables have yet to make up the shortfall in sales. Two weeks ago, CD:UK data showed that ‘big puff’ and ‘small puff’ sales were broadly similar. There is now a gap between them, with more consumers choosing the small puff 2ml kits. Unit sales of small puff kits are now around double those of big puff kits (4-in-1 and 10+2ml combined). However, last week (week ending 8 June), value sales of 10+2ml were +24%, whereas the small puff 2ml kits were +11%. Meanwhile, after a slow start, sales of pods (which fit the new reusable kits) continue to rise, with value sales up by 21% last week, although the number of kits sold is still easily outpacing pods. As consumers begin to re-use their new kits, it’s likely that this will change.
Smoking alternatives (mainly oral nicotine) have seen notable growth over the past year. However, this appears to have levelled out in recent weeks. During the first ‘ban week,’ week ending 8 June, sales grew by 5% in value. In the weeks prior, sales were slightly down, at -0.1% and -3.74%.
With the introduction of the ban, there are now even more options for consumers, especially in the ‘big puff’ space. But which type is selling fastest? Exclusive insights from Talysis show that the 12ml (10+2) kits are leading the way. Last week, the 10+2ml kits saw 24% growth in value, while the 4-in-1 kits grew by just 12%. In fact, for every 4-in-1 kit sold, approximately 3.5 of the 10+2ml kits are sold.
Talysis boss Ed Roberts said it was a challenging time for retailers. “For the vast majority who are adhering to the ban, there’s no doubt that there’s at least some short-term pain to suffer within the vaping category alone,” he said.
“Our data presents a tough picture of how the ban is impacting sales and how the alternative options are yet to compensate fully and replace disposable use. Whilst it’s early days, a £5 million loss in the first week alone is a major hole to fill.”
