U.S. Market Research | Revisiting the Los Angeles Vaping Market: FLUM Far Ahead, GEEK BAR Shows Stro

  TPE24 is about to open, and Two Supremes has sent personnel to explore the U.S. offline vaping market. The U.S. FDA's regulation of vaping devices is becoming increasingly strict. How do overseas vaping products enter California? Which vaping devices have gained consumer favor? What characteristics do the products have?

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[Two Supremes reports from Los Angeles] TPE24 is about to open, and Two Supremes has sent personnel to explore the U.S. offline vaping market. The U.S. FDA's regulation of vaping devices is becoming increasingly strict. How do overseas vaping products enter California? Which vaping devices have gained consumer favor? What characteristics do the products have?

"Establishing a Company in the U.S."

On January 24, Two Supremes visited a distributor's store, which had a complete range of vaping brands and products. The distributor stated that importing vaping devices now requires a U.S. tobacco operating license and a U.S. business account; otherwise, goods may be detained by customs. He indicated that the best solution for Chinese vaping brands to continue selling in the U.S. market is to establish a brand company in the U.S., then export products from China and sell them through these distributors.

 Store products | Source: Two Supremes

Two Supremes learned that California's tobacco operating licenses are divided into three levels:

• Retail license, annual fee of $200;

• Wholesale license, annual fee of $260;

• Distributor license, annual fee of $4,000.

From the products in his store, flavored tobacco products still dominate the market. On-site, Two Supremes observed that a retailer purchased 6 boxes of FLUM's Pebble series vaping devices, 5 boxes of GEEK BAR Pulse vaping devices with side screens, some rolling papers, and 16 boxes of zyn oral tobacco, all of which are flavored products. This indicates that there is still demand for flavored products in the market.

However, the flavor ban implemented in California has led to a 20% drop in his store's sales. When asked if he had tried online channels, the retailer stated he had not.

In another distributor's store, staff told Two Supremes that the flavor ban had caused their sales to drop by about 30%, but they still sell other tobacco-related products, such as hookahs, rolling papers, and lighters.

The distributor pointed out that the flavor ban regulation is mainly enforced at the retail level and does not significantly impact the wholesale side. At the same time, they do not consider adopting online sales channels, believing that selling tobacco products online carries significant risks.

FLUM and GEEK BAR are quite popular

Staff from both stores coincidentally stated that FLUM is their best-selling vaping brand in 2023, more specifically, FLUM's Pebble series.

 FLUM | Source: Two Supremes

Staff from the first store told Two Supremes that the selection criteria for their products are primarily quality and flavor, "believing that the key to the long-term popularity of vaping products is quality and flavor, not design." They cited FLUM Pebble as an example, which is a product without a curved screen or display, but due to its excellent quality and flavor, it has become their best-selling product in 2023.

Staff from the second store believe that while FLUM's Pebble series remains popular, they also see potential in the GEEK BAR Pulse product with a side screen, which is placed prominently in the store, and they believe it will be the best-selling brand in 2024.

Two Supremes' exploration of the U.S. offline market will continue, focusing on new trends and developments in the U.S. vaping industry. After the TPE24 exhibition concludes, Two Supremes will hold a TPE exhibition and in-depth sharing session on the U.S. market on February 6. 2FIRSTS Global Executive Editor Hou Yuhan and the U.S. team will share the latest discoveries from the exhibition and delve into product trends, policy directions, and more. #p#分页标题#e#