When I visited the Berlin market, I found that some kiosks were selling e-cigarettes, and they were all purchased directly from Dongxuan Supermarket in Berlin.
This “supermarket” is similar to China’s Huaqiangbei Wholesale Market.
As an important e-cigarette consumer market in Germany, Berlin occupies a considerable proportion of the country’s more than 80 million people. Moreover, Berlin, Germany has also seen many distribution stores opened by E-ZIGARETTEN, the second largest e-cigarette dealer in Germany.
- Which brands have a high shelf rate in Berlin?
CVIC visited some e-cigarette stores in Berlin and found that brands such as ELF BAR, GEEK VAPE, voopoo, UWELL, Aspire, MKGvape,and HQD have relatively high shelf rates.
As you can see from the counter, there are many different categories. For example, open equipment, disposable equipment, and reloading equipment are all available, and the categories are very rich.
The store design in Berlin is relatively simple, with basically glass shelves and some wooden cabinets separated from top to bottom. Each grid displays a different brand or equipment, somewhat similar to a “wine cabinet rack”. Then many electronic cigarette products are put on the cabinets, which look very unique and well-organized. There are also some main e-cigarette instructions on the door.
(Street scene in Berlin)
There are many street shops in Berlin. The shops with white and beige facades do not have the model of high-rise commercial stores, but you can see elements of European classical literature and art and medieval Jewish architecture.
2. There are many e-cigarette vending machines in Berlin.
Before arriving in Berlin, I had heard that many vending machines in Europe sell e-cigarettes. However, FREvapes personally visited the Berlin market this time and found that many vending machines in Berlin are selling e-cigarettes.
Some vending machines in Berlin sell ALT and other brands with a clearly marked price of 8.99 euros. It says “Buy your Vape right here” on the door. The machine has a coin entrance, and some are also designed with identity verification, so you can purchase as long as you insert coins. These vending machines are hung on the walls of Berlin street shops and have a cover above them to keep out the rain.
(E-cigarette vending machines in Berlin)
Data also shows that Germany is the country with the largest distribution of tobacco vending machines, with hundreds of thousands of them, more than half of which sell e-cigarettes.
3. There are many types of canteens, including e-cigarettes.
On the streets of Berlin, many kiosks are also selling e-cigarettes.
Moreover, the goods in these canteens come from the largest Vietnamese supermarket wholesale market in Berlin. Data shows that Vietnamese supermarkets have more than 40 branches in Germany, collecting various products from Vietnam and other Asian countries, including e-cigarettes. The first “Vietnamese Supermarket” opened in Berlin, Germany in 2009. The “go asia Supermarkt supermarket” is also the largest Asian supermarket chain in Germany.
The categories are generally disposable and reloadable.
The packaging has a very strict compliance design, such as a label that only allows consumption by people over 18 years old.
And the German market is indeed very standardized. For example, e-cigarettes are generally clearly priced, and equipment packaging has tax label requirements.
The brands generally sold in canteens include ELF BAR, HQD, SKE and other brands.
For example, you can see on the container that the price of ELF BAR is 8 euros, a one-time package of 600 mouths, and it is also placed in a conspicuous position.
(brand on shelf)
These products also have a variety of flavors, such as cola, orange, watermelon, grape, apple ice, etc.
The other side of the canteen is also filled with some open equipment and reloaders, such as common brands such as VOOPOO, GEEK VAPE, aspire, and VAPORESSO. Smaller reloading equipment costs 20-30 euros, and larger equipment costs 75 euros.
(Large equipment and reloading on shelves)
VAPORESSO and VOOPOO both exhibited ammunition reloading equipment. The VOOPOO reloading equipment also states that it is rechargeable and has a large-capacity battery and other settings. GEEK VPE and aspire mainly exhibited smoking equipment.
4. Innovative reloading equipment is sold in Berlin.
Recyclable innovative swaps appear on the Berlin market.
For example, in a Berlin canteen I saw 2-pack reloading cartridges, such as this Jucce BAR brand. They are all 2ML settings, each bullet holds 600 shots, which adds up to 1,200 shots for a disposable device for reloading.
This phenomenon can also be seen. In terms of the number of mouths, 600 is the main number. But we have also seen some 1200-port products, and these 1200-port products are essentially disposable and reloading devices. For example, FLER BAR and other brands, each cigarette cartridge is 600 puffs, and 2 cigarette pods are 1,200 puffs.
(1200-shot fusion one-time new reload)
It was also found that reloading has obvious cost-effective advantages. For example, the price of two cigarette cartridges is only 10 euros, but a disposable cigarette cartridge costs 9 euros for 600 puffs. In this way, the flexible price ratio of replacement is revealed, and consumers may prefer to consume cartridges in their choice.
Reloading equipment pays attention to functions such as battery and rechargeability. On the shelves, I also saw Aspire devices clearly stating the battery capacity, as well as descriptions of new features such as rechargeable interfaces and smart displays.
For example, the Italian brand KIWI, which is the best-selling electronic cigarette dealer in Germany, has innovative vibration technology for reloading. Features such as no need for frequent charging, no need for manual oil filling, and a very simple outer packaging design have won favor in the market. The second-generation KIWI2 series of electronic cigarettes it is developing is also targeting high-end consumers, with a price of up to 99 euros.
At the same time, we also found from these stores in Berlin that there seems to be less e-liquid, and most of them are reloading.
At present, the German e-cigarette market is highly regulated, resulting in a relatively harsh market environment. At the same time, each region in Germany has its own top tobacco product brand, which makes it difficult for other products to enter the market competition. We must take advantage of the opportunity to find new players in the reloading market. Breakthrough.
Overall, during this store visit in Berlin, we saw that e-cigarettes are very common in the Berlin market. Many shop owners operate e-cigarettes as small businesses, and the mode of operation is not necessarily an e-cigarette store, but may be a canteen, gas station, or supermarket. etc. forms. Moreover, the layout of the stores tends to be chic and high-end, and the selection of equipment is also diversified. However, apart from some particularly prominent brands, other brands are rarely seen. In the Berlin market, the categories sold in stores generally have a certain quantity, which is critical for Chinese companies to choose channels to enter the Berlin market.
