2017 in Vaping: A Significant Year for Vape Shops and the E-Cig Industry
There’s never a dull day when it comes to the world of e-cigarettes, but it certainly feels like 2017 has been a particularly eventful time for vapers. From historic international breakthroughs, to the emergence of exciting new products and trends, to whispers of political foul play, the last 12 months have formed a landmark year for e-cigs. Whether it’s the humble VUSE cigarette, the dedicated vaper, or even your trusted online vape shop, everyone has felt the effects of a dramatic year for the industry. As we welcome 2018, let’s look back at the key moments of 2017 for vapers, beginning with a rather bold prediction…
Vape kits and online vape shop sales on the rise in 2017
Even before 2017 got under-way, we were told that vaping was set to experience a boom in popularity and value through the year. In December of 2016, AOL Money listed Imperial Brands, one of the major players in the vaping industry, as one of its four dividend stocks to invest in for 2017, calling e-cigs a “potentially explosive growth market.” SWNS also listed vaping supplies, like VUSE cigarettes and vape kits, to be a profitable marketing niche this year, seeing vaping as “positioned to be a multi-billion dollar endeavor.” So, were those predictions of prosperity for vaping correct? The most recent studies project an upwards trend for the amount of vape kit users. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed in its most recent report that nine million vapers in America, with Euromonitor International stating that America makes up over 42% of the world’s vaping population. Numbers are also up in other key markets, including the U.K, with 2.9 million Britons vaping. Worldwide sales of e-cigarettes from online vape shops are now reported to total $650 million.Numbers like that are creating yet more positive projections for the e-cig industry as 2017 comes to a close. Research and Markets expects the value of the vape industry to reach $61 billion by 2025, with a staggering 20.8% annual growth rate. In short, 2017 was another huge step forward in the expansion and solidity of the entire vaping world.
A political “shift in trajectory” for vape kits and vape shops in 2017
Those positive financial statistics have managed to withstand and defy an unsettled 12 months regarding the political side of e-cigarettes. The political landscape of vaping has shifted time and time again during 2017, with differing directions and view-points everywhere you look. From country to country, state to state, different approaches are being used.For example, Australian lawmakers voted to uphold a ban on e-cigarettes this year, while neighboring New Zealand opted to legalize nicotine e-cigs and use them as a key tool towards making the nation smoke-free by 2025. Accepted in some nations, yet demonized in others, the political side of e-cigs plays a major part in their success or failure. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision last year to severely clamp down on the manufacturing and production of vape kits and all e-cig products set a negative precedent. In 2017, it led to a number of U.S. states introducing disappointing restrictions on e-cigs, most notably New York. Sometimes, though, it went even further than just taking a negative stance. In Indiana, a 2015 law that almost completely nullified the state’s e-cig market became the subject of an FBI probe, amid claims of corruption and foul play.It was far from all bad news in 2017, though. Some politicians showed a willingness to push for the acceptance of e-cigs in America and avoid its “de facto prohibition”. Then, there was Rep. Duncan Hunter, whose use of a vape kit during a Transportation Committee meeting caught our eye — showing the lack of knowledge many lawmakers actually have on the products they’re making laws for.Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a regular perpetrator of misinformation and negativity towards e-cigs, was fired in April. Mercifully, the FDA began to slightly change its tone towards e-cigarettes. In June, the FDA opted to delay some of its pending regulations. Then, at the end of July, it announced a comprehensive “shift in trajectory” on the regulatory process for vape kits and all e-cig products. Not only did the FDA loosen some tight deadlines on vaping manufacturers, it also suggested that e-cigs can be considered part of the solution to solving America’s smoking epidemic, rather than part of the problem.
From VUSE to JUUL: the evolution of e-cigs in 2017
Away from all the suits and statistics, the products that we all know and love have also undergone a transformation in 2017. While recent years played host to the rise of entry-level devices like VUSE cigarettes and a flurry of similar-looking refillable vape pens, things went up a level this year. Pod-based vape pens, taking the accessibility of a regular clearomizer vape kit and combining it with the ultra-modern look of pod mods, took center stage. The JUUL Vaporizer and PHIX Vape kits were the headline acts, but young pretenders have emerged to challenge their dominance. BO Vape and Boulder, are both brands who have created outstanding pod-based vape kits. In 2017, these devices became the e-cigarettes of the iPhone generation: clever technology, ease of use, and true quality, packed into a compact, stylish, ergonomic device. We can’t wait to see what the next break-out star in the vaping market will be in 2018.
2017: The year of a change in perception of e-cigs
Perhaps, though, the most significant event in the e-cig world in 2017 can’t be nailed down to one specific moment. This year more than any other, we have seen vape kits and all vaping products become an accepted part of modern society. More and more positive studieson vaping are revealing the truth about e-cigarettes.Major events such as ‘Stoptober’ in the U.K. are endorsing and promoting the use of e-cigarettes. As trivial as it may seem, even the use of vape kits by celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and in hit TV shows like House of Cards and Billions, helps vaping be considered less of an outlawed niche and more of an accepted pastime. 2017 was an eventful time for vaping, but the overall outlook for e-cigarettes as the year ends appears to be positive. With an innovative and ever-more relevant industry that continues to grow financially and challenge political agendas, we can’t wait to see what 2018 brings.
The Electric Tobacconist stocks e-liquid of varying nicotine levels, including nicotine-free, as well as all your favorite e-cigs from the likes of VUSE, VUSE Pods, JUUL, blu, Vaporesso and Zyn. Spend over $150 with us on any eligible order and get FREE shipping. Please note, Heated Tobacco, Zyn, Hula and the Pixl Vape are currently only available for sale from our UK store and cannot be shipped to the US.
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