What Price Range of Vaping Devices Can Build Consumer Habits?

What price range of vaping devices can build consumer habits? Compared to the past, as long as it is not a low-end vaping device, the experience is generally good! Especially with today's high-power vaping devices, the technology is quite mature, with no burnt taste, large vapor production, and generally good flavor. So why are there still so many people who do not accept vaping?
 
Some of my friends and family know that I work in the vaping industry. When we hang out together and they see me vaping, they think it's very advanced and ask me to give them a vaping device. To pique their interest, before gifting them a device, I usually introduce vaping and mention that this type of device sells for a high price abroad, often over a thousand yuan when converted! At first, they find vaping quite fascinating and treat it like a treasure, excited to try it. However, after a while, they stop using it and leave it aside, returning to smoking cigarettes, feeling that smoking is more satisfying! They completely ignore vaping!

When I visit friends' homes, I often see dusty vaping devices abandoned in corners, which is quite disheartening! Initially, I thought it was due to the e-liquid being unsatisfactory, but later, after trying improved e-liquids from other manufacturers, it still didn't change the situation! I began to think that my friends' attitudes towards vaping are quite representative across the country and not just isolated cases. So how can we make smokers more accepting of vaping?

Nowadays, many people are opening physical stores everywhere. Opening a physical store involves fixed costs such as rent, utilities, and labor. If customer acceptance and return rates are low, the advertising costs will be very high, making it difficult to make a profit! Making money is harder than climbing to the sky!

Recently, I was chatting with Mr. Zhuang from the Electronic Cigarette Home, and we discussed the issues of consumer return rates and stickiness. Mr. Zhuang has opened physical stores in 16 cities across provinces such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Henan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Liaoning, and he has some unique insights into consumers! We had an in-depth conversation.

Mr. Zhuang said, "After selling vaping devices for so long, I have found that products in the mid-to-high price range, particularly those priced between 500-1000 yuan, have better user stickiness, with over 60% of users returning to purchase e-liquid; for those in the 300-500 yuan range, it's about 40%, and for those below 300 yuan, the return rate is less than 10%."

Mr. Zhuang further stated, "The vaping devices in our store are generally priced between 500-800 yuan. According to our sales data, those that perform well can achieve a return rate of over 60%; devices priced at a few dozen yuan have almost no return rate; those priced at one or two hundred yuan have a few percent return rate. Selling vaping devices below 300 yuan makes it very difficult to cultivate consumer stickiness!"

This issue was previously mentioned by a physical store owner. This store owner said that he only sells high-priced vaping devices and does not sell low-priced ones. When asked why, he explained that it was due to product quality. He said that low-priced products generally have poor quality and experience, which can drive customers away! Good quality products are usually priced higher and have higher return rates! Initially, I thought this was the only reason, but later I realized that the high or low return rates are due to multiple factors, not just product quality! It relates to product, price, service, and purchasing convenience, among other factors!

Mr. Zhuang pointed out the relationship between price and habit formation. He said, "Accepting vaping requires a process. When you first start vaping, the flavor is different from that of cigarettes, and it may be hard to accept. If the price is too low, after trying it, if they are not satisfied, they won't take it seriously and will leave it aside, thus not using it anymore. If the price is higher, they may feel it's a waste to throw it away if they don't like it, and they are more likely to continue using it! Forming a habit takes 18 days; if you use it continuously for over 18 days, you will accept vaping!"

It turns out that price has this effect! Regarding habit formation, I have previously read similar books. There is a saying that it takes 21 days to form a habit! Research has found that 95% of people take between 18 to 254 days to form a habit.
 
The formation of habits generally goes through three stages.

The first stage: about 1-7 days. This stage is characterized by "deliberate, unnatural." You need to remind yourself to change very deliberately, and you will feel somewhat unnatural and uncomfortable.

The second stage: about 7-21 days. Don't give up on the efforts of the first stage; continue to repeat and enter the second stage. This stage is characterized by "deliberate, natural." You will feel more natural and comfortable, but if you are not careful, you may revert to your old habits. Therefore, you still need to remind yourself to change deliberately.

The third stage: about 21-90 days. This stage is characterized by "unconscious, natural," which is essentially the habit. This stage is referred to as the "stabilization period of the habit." Once you enter this stage, a person has completed their self-transformation, and this habit has become an organic part of their life, serving them naturally and continuously.

Why is it so difficult to break a habit? It's simply because your consciousness is in conflict; the formation of any habit is because you receive immediate pleasure when doing it, and this pleasure has an irresistible allure, making it hard to resist.

The main consumer demographic for vaping is aged 35-40, with an average daily smoking volume of 18.3 cigarettes, mostly moderate to heavy smokers (smoking more than 15 cigarettes daily). Because they are long-time smokers, they become interested in vaping after discovering it is healthier! However, since cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive, and due to differences in flavor, quitting is even harder!

Mr. Zhuang said, "After customers buy vaping devices, we encourage them to use them regularly. As long as they vape continuously for three days, when they switch back to cigarettes, they will feel that cigarettes taste different. If they vape continuously for 18 days and adapt to the flavor of vaping, they will no longer want to smoke cigarettes and will find vaping tastes better than cigarettes; at that point, they will fall in love with vaping!"

Indeed, vaping products can generally last a year with a single purchase. Selling vaping devices alone is a one-time business and won't yield much profit! E-liquids are consumables; only when customers frequently use vaping devices will they consume e-liquids, and only then will sellers make money! Therefore, it is crucial to encourage customers who have purchased vaping devices to use them regularly to consume e-liquids. Many vaping sellers do not understand the principle of habit formation and fail to inform customers that they need to use them regularly to adapt to the flavor. After trying it, customers may stop using vaping devices due to initial flavor discomfort, resulting in a significant loss of market! It's truly a pity!