Selling vapes under the street-stall economy: three major hurdles to overcome

How to sell e-cigarettes at street stalls? Under the phenomenon of "street vending" becoming a hot topic, on June 9, an e-cigarette public account published an article titled "Self-media person sells e-cigarettes at a stall, earning 80 yuan in half a day," which attracted the attention of many in the industry.

Yesterday, the protagonist of the article, Chen Gulong, specifically wrote an article about selling e-cigarettes at stalls, discussing his experiences.

Here is what he wrote:

Speaking of selling e-cigarettes at stalls, the idea actually started in 2019. I kept encouraging everyone in my e-cigarette group with friends to sell e-cigarettes on the street, right next to smokers.

At that time, the e-cigarette market had already established a pattern, with one company dominating the market. Then, with the online sales ban and the COVID-19 pandemic, e-cigarettes faced a harsh winter. To break through, we had to find new paths, overturn the old order, and create new marketing models.

Thanks to the government for bringing the spring breeze, allowing the people to feel warmth and bringing a sense of liveliness to the world. Thus, I began to look for opportunities, joining the street vending army, trying to revive e-cigarettes.

How to sell e-cigarettes at stalls? There are really three major hurdles to overcome.

The first hurdle is psychological. E-cigarettes are a consumer upgrade, a glamorous operation by brand manufacturers. E-cigarette devices have long become a luxury item for smokers, associated with nightlife models and elite successful individuals. Can one lower oneself to street vending, like a swallow flying into an ordinary family?

The second hurdle is branding. There is only one well-known brand in the market, while others belong to niche categories. Well-known brands are of high quality and sell well, but they have strict price controls and lack bargaining power in a negotiable market environment. Niche brand products are unique, with flexible pricing, and may grow into towering trees in the future, becoming market favorites. However, currently, brand recognition is low, and repeat purchases are hard to guarantee. Which brand do you sell and which do you not?

The third hurdle is where and how to set up the stall. I have tried different scenarios; either near residential areas where people come and go but ignore e-cigarettes, or in noisy market environments where bargaining occurs but good prices are hard to achieve, even down to what stalls you are set up next to.

A few days ago at the night market, a brother selling overseas purchases next to me turned to ask, "What are you selling?" I said e-cigarettes. The stall owner sighed: "I’m afraid of being next to a street vendor." That night, he made 2000 yuan selling overseas products, while I made half of that selling e-cigarettes.

Although it’s a street stall, the display of e-cigarettes also has its tricks. Just laying a cloth on the ground and piling the products haphazardly is basically a garbage stall, with no chance. Setting up a table to neatly arrange the products and adding promotional posters, along with bright lights, instantly elevates the stall's quality.

If there’s a pretty girl to engage customers, the effect will be surprisingly good. I have seen live-streaming internet celebrities at night markets surrounded by crowds, "I just stand there, and people come to ask for prices."

How to sell e-cigarettes at stalls? Selling e-cigarettes at stalls is really tough. Dragging heavy bags to grab a stall, being exposed to the sun, negotiating with people, feeling parched and exhausted, and having to stay until late at night. After counting the meager earnings, one can’t help but sigh, this is not a hardship that just anyone can endure! Even if one is willing to lower their face, they cannot afford this delicate body.