What Matters Most When Opening a Vape Store? Insights from This BOLAN Shop

Products without effectiveness will lead to losses; they won't do it, and I won't either.

Past experience in serving brand agents has led Jia Xilian, the Henan agent for the Bolan brand, to admit that the product is the core dimension that sales should focus on and grasp. Sales strategies and activities are secondary; if the product is subpar, even if one relies solely on words to promote it, customers will only buy once and will definitely not repurchase. "In that case, this brand agency is likely to fail."

Jia Xilian first learned about Bolan through social media. Seeing a friend's post, Jia Xilian instinctively wanted to learn more about this brand's products based on her years of experience as an agent. She discovered that this type of e-cigarette product significantly reduces harm compared to traditional cigarettes, greatly decreasing the smoking volume of smokers, making it easier for them to switch from smoking and quit. Currently, such electronic cigarette products are more popular in developed countries like Japan, Europe, and the United States.

Further market research excited Jia Xilian even more—there is immense market potential for electronic cigarettes in China. She found that the domestic electronic cigarette market has just undergone a deep adjustment period and is still in a restructuring phase. Consumers are still in the stage of recognizing and accepting electronic cigarette products, without forming deep loyalty or connections to any specific brand. The market's product positioning and pricing are uneven, lacking unified guidance from relevant brands... However, electronic cigarette products have unique usage experiences and advantages compared to traditional cigarettes, so in the near future, domestic electronic cigarette brands and products are bound to experience a small explosion and growth period. To put it more mundanely, being an electronic cigarette agent can be profitable in the short term.

Jia Xilian has always been confident in her vision. When she got home that night, she couldn't wait to tell her husband, who has been smoking for 20 years, about this and proposed switching to this field. However, she was met with strong opposition from her husband, who poured cold water on her enthusiasm.

"You bought me an e-cigarette to quit smoking five years ago. Did it work?"

Hearing is not as good as seeing

Jia Xilian then recalled that the e-cigarette she had gifted her husband five years ago was not well received, and the user experience was very poor.

But after some thought, Jia Xilian's mind returned to the right track. E-cigarettes are not the problem; if there is a problem, it must lie with the product.

Jia Xilian understood that her afternoon market research would not be flawed; the market potential for e-cigarettes has improved significantly compared to five years ago, and Bolan's atomized products have official promotion and friends' usage experiences to back them up. Perhaps they are indeed different from the products five years ago?

Unwilling to give up, Jia Xilian and her husband agreed to visit Bolan's factory in Shenzhen to personally experience the products.

"We agreed that if we find that the e-cigarette products can indeed replace traditional cigarettes or help quit smoking, we would consider entering this industry; if not, we would just treat it as a trip."

Now, every time Jia Xilian recalls the days spent in Shenzhen for the factory visit, she feels a sense of satisfaction. "I think the luckiest and bravest thing I did was to insist on going to Bolan for the inspection despite my husband's doubts; otherwise, my career wouldn't have progressed, and my husband wouldn't have started to quit smoking."

At Bolan's smart factory, Jia Xilian and her husband witnessed Bolan's strong production and R&D capabilities, seeing various production lines and busy workers, which reassured Jia Xilian. "My intuition told me that the products produced by Bolan must be reliable."

Subsequently, the staff provided Jia Xilian's husband with a Bolan zirconium gem atomized product for experience. After a simple puff, he gave a thumbs up.

It seems that the rigid impression of e-cigarettes from five years ago has finally dissipated today.

"Actually, my husband didn't have much to say on-site, but after we returned to the hotel, he excitedly told me that this e-cigarette indeed provided a fantastic experience compared to traditional cigarettes, and he felt it could completely replace smoking and help quit smoking."
Jia Xilian, being rational, decided to expand the sample size of the experience to further solidify her belief in becoming an agent. She purchased ten sets of electronic cigarette products from Bolan and gifted them to her smoking friends for them to try. "If they all think it's good and worth buying, I believe I will have the confidence to make all the smokers in Henan love this product."

A week later, Jia Xilian received her satisfactory answer—100% satisfaction rate from the ten sets of products used.

Jia Xilian and her husband immediately decided to secure the agency rights for Bolan.

"Having been this cautious, if we don't sign now, I feel like I will regret it for a lifetime."

A 5-square-meter small store generated over ten thousand in revenue in just four days; this is just the beginning.

"Good products really speak for themselves."

This phrase was learned by Jia Xilian during her inspection experience at Bolan. Her Bolan specialty store achieved over ten thousand in revenue just four days after opening, and the product's reputation is solid.

"It's surprising; I haven't even had the chance to promote much yet." Jia Xilian is very happy with her small store's performance, "The smoking friends I gifted experiences to helped promote and introduce my store, and customers who purchased products actively shared with their friends, making me feel like I really did something right."

Through word-of-mouth, Jia Xilian earned her first income in the electronic cigarette field. Although it is still small, it has given her immense confidence in her business.

Through frequent communication with customers, Jia Xilian gradually summarized the core factors for customers choosing Bolan—"Relieving cravings, relatively healthier than traditional cigarettes, no lingering smell on the mouth or body after use, no secondhand smoke disturbing others, no open flames or ash, more hygienic, more convenient, more cost-effective, and more fashionable to use."

At the same time, compared to other electronic cigarettes on the market, Bolan's zirconium gem atomized product offers a unique experience in terms of packaging, product materials, craftsmanship, electronic functions, and inhalation experience.

With increased promotional efforts, Jia Xilian gained more confidence in boosting her store's revenue.

"In the month since joining the Bolan business, the Bolan headquarters arranged professional and comprehensive business training for us and provided a complete set of promotional materials. As for marketing channels, Bolan headquarters has thought of everything we could and couldn't think of; we just need to follow their requirements and do our job diligently."

Building the electronic cigarette business from scratch, Jia Xilian admits that besides having good products, Bolan headquarters has provided immense support.

Having previously worked as a clothing agent, Jia Xilian inevitably compares the two agency experiences. What impresses her the most is Bolan headquarters' meticulous market training and support.

"Many brand agents basically just give me the products and expect me to sell them myself. But Bolan is different; from the day I signed the contract, a regional manager contacted me by phone, sent me an 'Experience Store Operation Manual' and some learning materials, requiring me to study diligently according to the operation training videos and learning materials. They maintain a frequency of phone calls every three days to assess and guide me on how to establish this brand locally, which feels very detailed and gives me the impression of being part of a family that supports each other. When selecting a store location, to avoid me making a wrong choice, they communicate with me daily, and they even require me to record videos of potential locations for analysis and joint decision-making."

Jia Xilian reflects that she is truly not fighting alone.

Now, Jia Xilian's small store is thriving. Beyond the profits, she has gained experiences that she finds more meaningful and valuable.

"My husband is slowly starting to quit smoking; after switching to e-cigarettes, the smell of smoke on him has decreased, and his health has improved. Many friends who purchased products are experiencing the same. I didn't expect that a simple electronic cigarette sale could change some people's lives and help them improve; I think this is a very warm thing."

It is both a career and a public service. Compared to being a clothing agent, Jia Xilian increasingly feels the value of her life.

"This is an industry filled with love and public welfare; I will dedicate my life to the Bolan business."

This article is adapted from an online post; the content is considered an exception by the author and is for reference only. The electronic cigarette industry is indeed a relatively good industry, but investment should be cautious, especially with some small brands.