The UK saw a sharp rise in vape sales as the final day before a new tax took effect. Retailers recorded more than double their usual volume on September 30, the day before the Vaping Products Duty began on October 1. Vape Club, a major online seller, logged a 100% sales increase, with some top products seeing demand jump by as much as 125% compared to average daily levels.
Google Trends data showed searches for “vape tax” soaring by 456% over the past week. The duty came into force on 1 October, and Vape Club warned the new duty will be a serious setback for public health.
Dan Marchant, director of Vape Club and a founder of the UK Vaping Industry Association, called the tax a “serious setback for public health.” He noted that while the policy was expected, businesses had stockpiled pre-tax inventory. Current rules allow retailers to sell products made or imported before 1 October until the end of March 2027 without applying the new duty. Marchant acknowledged smaller brands might struggle, as many lacked the resources to produce six months’ worth of stock in advance.
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“We cannot guarantee that every product will last the full six months, and some smaller brands just haven’t had the resources or the cashflow to produce six months of stock in advance.” “But we’re going to do our best to keep as many products at the current pricing for as long as we can.”
Marchant criticized the government’s inconsistent policies, recalling that “The Government banned disposables and told everyone to switch to refillable kits instead – so people did.” He added: “The Government asked consumers to change their behaviour for public health reasons, and now they’re punishing them financially for having done exactly that. It’s policy whiplash.”
