Vapor Talk Storefront

[brijmin]

I feel like a walking billboard for Vapor Talk and e-Cigarettes in general. I tell everyone that will hold still for a few seconds about this wonderful site and the all new way of enjoying nicotine without all the junk I hated about smoking.

If i had more then two nickels to rub together, I would ask Chris for a partnership and open a Vapor Talk storefront. I have never been thrilled with the mall kiosk only because they (generally) sell over priced and inferior products with little to no warranty.

The real problem other than capital is operating costs for a storefront. Someone that runs a store would have to charge more for the same products they can get online because of the operating costs are mush cheaper online.

Just rambling...

Just got some new juice from BWB, must go vape my brain's out. Later peeps.

[Jeffb]

Startup costs associated with a storefront along with rent and workman's comp for employees, coupled with trying to keep product in stock are big deterrents I would assume. That being said, I would love to have a VT store out here in SoCal.

[Christopher]

And it's something we've thought about. But indeed the prices would need to be higher, especially if we brought on employees. But it's great so many people are willing to stock there neck out for the site. We can't thank everyone enough for their support

[brijmin]

I still can't help but to think there has to be a business model that could make this work. If these sunglasses and phone case stands stay in business I would think this could work too.

Even if the mall would not let the employee demo the devices, there is pre-recorded video that can be played on a loop. If there is a problem with the nicotine not being sold to anyone under 18, sell 0MG eJuice at the stand only. These are Personal Vaporizers right? It's not that we are trying to sell dope to kids. These are full grown adults that want to kick the SMOKING habit.

Going to an existing tobacco store won't work because they will only care about the profit and not going what's right and good for the consumer.

I bought my first e-cig from a local tobacco shop and that was the most expensive ignorant mistake I could have made. Now that I look back on that, the store employee was even less knowledgeable then average noob. Their goal was to sell me the most expensive (POS) they had on the self. I spend 80 bucks on junk.

Sorry, my ADHD mind kicking in. I need to vape something...

[brijmin]

A little vaping to settle me down.

Here is a plan.

Open a kiosk for only 3 months a year. January - March. Pick the town of your choice. Pick a mall of your choice. You will need 2 employees. One to sell the wares (software and hardware) and the other to hold free demos and answer questions and hand out information and samples of VT wares.

The kiosk should be equipped the following...

• Point of Sale station

• Internet terminal

• 2 or 3 video demo stations playing all the demos and reviews done by phee303 plucked directly from YouTube.

• Knowledge and power of the VT Community.

The main goal should NOT be to sell stuff but to educate and start the roots of vaping. This is like 3 months a year of advertising for Vapor Talk store. Give me 10 minutes with a smoker and I am sure they will become a vaper. The problem with MY demo's is that I can not send them home with any wares. Its not like i am selling anything to them. I am just doing my thing, and answering questions. Just like on the forum, but in real life. I am by no means an expert on all things vaping, but I am leaning more everyday.

Time to de-bridge an atty and vape the night away.

[AimeeG]

You know, brijmin, that sounds cool. I'll man it with you on weekends. Where do you think: Great Lakes Crossing? Somerset?

[brijmin]

I am thinking Great Lakes Crossing. May want to start with a flee market... Booth space is much cheaper. (I think)

AimeeG, you from the Mitten? Or did you look up Fenton to get the name of the local major malls?

[CASEACE79]

This is a great idea but I don't think now is the time to do it. I'd say a yr or 2 before more people even know what an ecig is. They have been getting a lot of press recently but old habits are hard to break. Remember the birth of email. Only used as correspondence between scientists. It was years before the general public accepted it and today we couldn't imagine life without it. At this point I don't think it would be very profitable if profitable at all. But when the stars align just right kiosks can be an opportunity to make serious cash. Here's a very good example. Remember about 8-9 years ago when yoyo's came back and were really popular? It was about a 2 yr window but my boss (very smart business man) who owns two seasonal retail toy and kite stores in a resort area saw such an opportunity and sent one of his employees to yoyo school (no I'm not making this up) to develop a routine to do for the upcoming Xmas season. He had a kiosk at our only mall which was an hr away and only did it for 1 year. He had $100 yoyo's that were flying off the shelf and he couldn't keep them in stock. He ended up making enough in 2 and a half months to put the down payment on his home or roughly $75,000 dollars. So it can be done but it takes the right timing. In this economy with ecigs being in their toddler yrs I don't think now is the time but trust you and I. I'm paying very close attention.

[Uma]

Have you seen TrueLove's video's where he grabs interested smokers off the streets of NY and lets them try out an eCig? The Flea Market idea is great! I've been wanting to sell behind the counter Riva's for travellers and concert goers in my area. We have the store... but learning the proper mumbo jumbo legal whatnots has been stumbling us. Good luck to you!

[juliery]

I am pretty sure that is why they run out of kiosks, MUCH cheaper. I am also sure that even the rent for a kiosk is expensive thus the inferior overpriced products. I don't think most of them give a rat's butt about selling a good product, it is about money, plain and simple. I think that is why you find the best products online, MUCH cheaper way to run an operation. Especially if you can make enough to just hire friends, family, etc...even just as side jobs. Plus all the administrative costs of having someone do payroll and all the tax remittance. My dad operated a trucking company for many years in Chicago....I can't tell you all the crap that can go wrong with running any business. And especially hiring strangers, all they have to do is fake trip and fall and that alone can put you out of business, even with worker's comp insurance. It is SOOOOOOO hard to plan for every possibility. It isn't something that just anyone can do and the start up costs are HIGH, very high. It would be awesome though, to have a vaping shop and hire ONLY vapers, preferably ones that have been vaping awhile that have a general understanding of how the products work. It would be really great to have the best line of all the different types of vaping products, then be able to show the differences. So people can make INFORMED purchasing decisions, what fits their lifestyle and preferences. It is hard when you are presented with only one product, have little to no info, and nothing to compare that one product to. That is why we didn't purchase from a kiosk or impulsively. But to have all that info in one place would be great. Of course you have to pick the right place, that is another issue. Like a strip mall, too difficult to get people in that DON'T already vape.....that would be more for someone who already vapes just wanting supplies. An actual mall would be great because people will wander in just because something looks interesting because it is no big deal to walk back out. Because the product is so small you really would only need the smallest type of space, but even so that costs big bucks since most malls are placed in high traffic and/or higher income areas.

[AimeeG]

I am thinking Great Lakes Crossing. May want to start with a flee market... Booth space is much cheaper. (I think)

AimeeG, you from the Mitten? Or did you look up Fenton to get the name of the local major malls?

Oh, yeah, I use my hand all the time to tell people where I'm from.

Born and raised Downriver. Currently live near the Detroit Zoo.

Are they doing kiosks at GLC? Haven't been there in ages. It's now an outlet mall, if I'm not mistaken. And I've been in Somerset plenty (closer to where I live) and they do not do kiosks, so that was a dumb suggestion.

[brijmin]

Oh, yeah, I use my hand all the time to tell people where I'm from.

Born and raised Downriver. Currently live near the Detroit Zoo.

Are they doing kiosks at GLC? Haven't been there in ages. It's now an outlet mall, if I'm not mistaken. And I've been in Somerset plenty (closer to where I live) and they do not do kiosks, so that was a dumb suggestion.

OMG, another Michigander... Sweet. I would love nothing better then to start a Vapor Talk retail outlet with Chris. To be honest I don't know Chris and I am not affiliated with him in any way, but I know a good person when I "see" one. I really have no extra time to start such a business, but I think it IS a good idea and I like helping people.

Should a time come when I have more time and have a few extra bucks I may get serious about such a venture. Until then I plan on hanging out and helping people.