Vape Shops Dealing With Supply Shortages

U.S. vape shops have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic as supply chains dwindle and consumers become concerned.

By John Castle

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on industries from travel to entertainment to hospitality, and the vapor industry has not been spared. Since the first international cases of Covid-19—the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and that first appeared in patients in late 2019—businesses have faced delays and temporary closures as the virus spread from Wuhan, China, to the rest of the world.

In response to the pandemic, both government and market forces have been locked down tight to prevent further spread of the virus. Public venues have suspended operations, and some have closed entirely until further notice. Major sporting events such as the Tokyo Olympic Games have been postponed until 2021. In the U.S., Major League Baseball may see a season opener much later than normal—if at all—this year. Across the globe, professional football, basketball and hockey leagues may also have to cancel their 2020 seasons. Live concerts are banned. Bars and restaurants are only allowed to have takeout and delivery or are shuttered entirely.

Factories are shuttered as well or in some cases remain open but have been repurposed to manufacture N95 filtration masks and/or ventilators. In Shenzhen, China, many factories remain closed or are producing at less than 100 percent. Some factories have even reportedly moved away from producing vapor products (such as mods, sub-ohm tanks, rebuildable dripping atomizers, rebuildable tank atomizers and atomizer coil heads) to manufacture the much-needed safety supplies for health workers and those infected with the disease.

Some e-liquid makers have changed course too and are now manufacturing hand sanitizer since propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin can be used to produce hand sanitizer as easily as they can be used to produce e-liquid.

The vapor industry is struggling, according to experts. Covid-19 and its effects in the form of government lockdowns as well as manufacturers either temporarily repurposing their production lines or shutting down entirely has resulted in a marked—and in some cases extreme—shortage of the products distributors, retailers and consumers rely on to sustain their vapor businesses.

U.S. vape shops have been hit hard by the pandemic. Supply chains are dwindling. Consumers are worried too. “I’m in West Texas. Only the supply has been affected so far,” said vaper Rick Martinez. Vape shops share those concerns. Vape shop owner Deidra Renee Casey responded, “The only trouble I’ve had is getting my products in.”

“So far, for us, [the problem] is just getting supplies we need, such as coils, mods, tanks and kits,” said Tiffany Smith, owner of 180 Vapors in Sandwich, Illinois. Charlene Fuller, who owns Upstate New York Vapes in Queensbury, New York, said, “No staff are sick, but I have informed them if they get sick and have a fever to stay home (with pay) and call their doc. [We] also amped up cleaning procedures. Sales are steady, but inventory for some things are dwindling.”

David Cervone, owner of The Vapor Lounge Rhode Island (TVLRI), reported, “We’re only having supply chain issues. Most people around us have been educated that the government overwhelmingly spreads misinformation, so they just stay clean and understand the stock issues.”

Perhaps one of the darkest reports of what’s going on with vape shops comes from Felecia Boggess, manager of Mystix Vapes, based in Gillette, Wyoming. “This last month, our sales were booming from the ban on Juul and NJoy pods. It got to the point where we only had eight mods and some other products. We are able to get all the juice that we want but are unable to get any Falcon coils for the NJoy King … or the tanks themselves,” she wrote in an email. “As well as Caliburn Koko [pod] kits, Uwell tanks or coils and TFV … tanks or coils. Which, in my case, is awful because there goes almost half of my sales for the month.”

The longer the pandemic drags on, the more severe the supply shortages are going to get, according to shop owners. Principally, this may be due in part to the large percentage of vapor products that are produced in Shenzhen, China.

Boggess says that last month, Mystix sold close to 70 Uwell Caliburn kits and now has angry people coming in stating that the company sold them a product the consumer can no longer use since it’s hard for users to get any product, such as pods. “Something needs to happen,” she writes.

The supply issues being suffered by vape shops could also prove to be a watershed opportunity for U.S. domestic manufacturers. As disheartening an episode as this is for American distributors and retailers, supply lines as fragile as the existing ones may not be trusted again so easily. Vape shop owners say someone is going to have to step into the gap and start producing more vapor products (such as mods, tanks and atomizer coils) domestically where the supply line is more robust and better protected.