Waitrose has announced its decision to not sell single use vaping products
We’d already made a decision not to enter the burgeoning market for brightly coloured, fashionable, single use vaping devices. But now we’ve also delisted to imitation cigarettes containing lithium, which we’ve historically sold under the Ten Motives label.
The single use vape market has seen rapid growth in the last year – with an increasing number of young non-smoking vapers attracted by the colour and sweet, soft drink and dessert based flavours.
While we have robust controls under our Challenge 25 Policy, we are concerned about the risk these products pose by appealing to younger people – as well the environmental impact.
Our move comes as reports suggest that the market growth is being fuelled by the popularity among those who haven’t previously smoked.
The move also comes amid growing environmental concerns about sinble use vaping devices, containing both plastics and valuable lithium ending up in landfill. Collectively they are thought to account for about 10 tonnes of this metal – which could be used in car batteries going to landfill each year.
Charlotte Di Cello, Commercial Director for Waitrose, said: “We are a retailer driven by doing the right thing, so selling single use vapes is not something we could justify given the impact on both the environment and the health of young people.”
“We had already decided it wasn’t right to stock the fashionable bright coloured devices which are seeing rapid growth – so this decision is the final jigsaw piece in our clear decision not to be part of the single use vaping market.”
