Imperial Tobacco Buys Von Erl and Develops myblu

Big Tobacco takes another dip into the thriving business of vaping, scooping up Von Erl and developing myblu.

Leading Austrian vaping manufacturer Von Erl has been bought out by British cigarette heavyweight Imperial Tobacco, in another firm indication that Big Tobacco is moving towards electronic cigarettes as more people quit smoking — and are using vaping as a way to effectively do so.

According to our information, Imperial will be launching the popular and stylish My. Von Erl pod mod as myblu, and here at Electric Tobacconist, we are getting ready to stock up our online shelves. It's a top vaping brand and we expect that with the backing of Imperial and its deep pockets, it will be further developed and reach even higher levels of function and performance.

"My. Von Erl was a great product, so it's no surprise that a company like Imperial Tobacco showed an interest in taking it over," said Electric Tobacconist CEO Pascal Culverhouse. "The myblu product is likely to be heavily invested in now, meaning an even more reliable product and more reach than ever before.”

Branching Out with MyBlu

The purchase is part of what Imperial calls its "next-generation products" strategy that includes electronic vapour as well as heated tobacco devices. "While our core business remains the manufacture and sale of high-quality cigarette and other tobacco product brands for millions of adult consumers worldwide, [next-generation products] offer us considerable growth opportunities," the company says.

Von Erl, located in the town of Hall in Tirol in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria, began life as a research arm of an Austrian medical technology firm and went on to focus on vaping. It made vaping hardware — e-cigarettes, rebuildable kit and mods — and an extensive range of e-liquids with flavours ranging from Cafe Latte to Mango-Apricot, Ginseng Ginger and more. CEO Guenter Hoefert says continual innovation is key to the company's success, enabling it to achieve ever-higher levels of quality. "This is the only way we can achieve our goal: our name is more than just a brand — it is a symbol," he says.

Imperial Tobacco is part of Imperial Brands PLC, a publicly listed company whose headquarters are in Bristol, England. Other companies in the group include Tabacalera, ITG Brands, Logista and Fontem Ventures — the latter especially focused on vaping and heated tobacco products. The company says it continues "to prioritise e-vapour, by far the largest [next-generation products] category opportunity. We are represented in this category by blu, one of the best e-vapour brands in the world, and we continue to focus on improving the consumer experience," says the firm.

Tobacco Taking a Back-Seat

Indeed, big tobacco companies seem to be falling over themselves trying to get into the burgeoning vaping market. It comes at a time when more people than ever are successfully giving up smoking, many of whom are using electronic cigarettes to do so — a move now backed by a growing number of health authorities, including the National Health Service in Britain. Philip Morris, maker of the world-famous Marlboro and many other well-known brands, even announced to the British public in early January, by way of full-page newspaper ads, that it was trying to give up cigarettes — and concentrate on vaping and heated tobacco products instead. They’re not doing it for the good of their health, of course, but because their once-lucrative market is drying up and they’re desperate to find alternative products in order to survive. These moves from Big Tobacco into the vaping sphere show that the landscape is beginning to change, and that the ever-increasing popularity of e-cigarettes is starting to have an impact on the traditional tobacco business model.

Let’s face it: all of us could do with some positive reinforcement once in a while. As small a gesture as it might be, we always appreciate when someone compliments what we’re wearing, or asks about what accessories we’re using. It’s why watches and mobile phones are more than just functional devices that do a job; they’re fashion items — and as the vaping community continues to expand, the same goes for e-cigarettes. Here at the Electric Tobacconist, we’ve scoured the globe to stock the most popular and desirable vape pens around, but which devices are raising the most eyebrows for their aesthetic awesomeness? If style is essential to your vaping experience, check out these four top pens that everyone is talking about.

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 and blu. Spend over $150 with us on any eligible order and get FREE shipping. Please note, Heated Tobacco and nic pouch products such as Zyn and Velo are currently only available for sale from our UK store and cannot be shipped to the US.