Vape stores have become core elements of British high streets, offering ex-smokers and the vaping community a place to test new vape juice flavours, explore different technology and find the perfect vape for them.
But with new vape stores cropping up around us what seems like all the time, which vape shop can claim the title of being the best vape shop in the UK?
Determining the best vape shop in the UK can be a subjective matter, as different customers may have different criteria for what makes a shop great. However, a number of factors exist that can help distinguish a great vape shop from a mediocre one; knowledgeable and friendly staff, a diverse and up-to-date inventory of products, fair pricing, and a commitment to safety and education, to name a few.
Luckily, there are some vape stores that truly encapsulate the community of vaping, bringing vaping knowledge and expertise to a space where vapers old and new can feel at home.
Vaping 101 in Aberdeen brings this experience and is absolutely worth a visit (even if it is so far up North!). While some vape shops can appear like clinical chemistry labs and others lean too heavily into the aesthetic of a wellness centre, Aberdeen’s Vaping 101 brings a neo-Victorian, steampunk edge to its contemporary store. But Vaping101 is more than just its looks. Stocked full with every piece of cutting-edge vaping technology and every e-liquid imaginable, it truly is a destination for vapers everywhere. Providing the perfect retreat for those looking to quit smoking or switch to a less harmful alternative, their knowledgeable staff have been on hand offering advice and guidance on the latest products and trends since the store’s opening in 2019, and continue to go from strength to strength.
We spoke to the owner, Tony Stuart to find out a little bit more about this amazing vape shop.
“As a hugely passionate vaper myself, who has spent many years helping others in vaping before and whilst running a business, I felt it was important to give something back.
I had ideas in my mind—all related to vaping—over the years, such as the Steampunk features and the Patina (Copper erosion) wallpaper. Fortunately, I happened upon a lovely guy who I consider to be a genuine genius. He runs Luxous, a company that manufactures and fits out nightclubs, restaurants, oil companies, anything. Allan, the owner, told me he could make anything I could imagine – a bold claim, and one I took with a pinch of salt.
I was wrong, he can literally make anything you want. Every single item in the store is handmade by Luxous, from the booth seating, luxurious thrones, the tropical rainforest theme in the lounge, bar stools, shelving, cage displays, copper bar counter, lighting, everything! We even made all the tables out of Corian, with the Vaping 101 logo lasered onto them. These logos incorporate wireless phone chargers, which you simply place your phone on top of. There are tablets positioned on every table and USB sockets, perfect to pop in and write that dissertation or get that work report finalised.
This really was as I wanted, a place for vapers to enjoy. Come in, have a coffee, a vape, make use of the Gigabit fibre, charge your phone, relax in our lounge, or sit in the main shop and watch the world go by.
Sadly, with vaping, advertising is so severely restricted, and it took approximately one year for word to get around and for the store to become the busy environment it deserved to be. Whilst this was never about money and instead about my passion and vision, that first year was stomach churning. Given that it’s the largest vape store in the UK in the third most expensive city in Britain, I am sure you can imagine it is not cheap. I’m not sure if we have even made any money in the store—I’m pretty sure that we at least cover costs now—but we bask in the euphoric feeling of helping smokers change their lives, as we have done with our own. Our staff are fantastic, with vast vaping knowledge and experience, always happy to help anyone coming into the store.
Over the four years that the store has been open, we have won ECigclick’s “Best Brick & Mortar Store in the UK” in 2022 and 2021, and been voted runner up twice the two years prior.
Our online store has been voted the “Best Online Store in the UK” and we have been runner up on four other occasions. We were also voted “Best in the UK for Rebuildable Supplies”. I only just found out yesterday, we have been nominated and put through to the voting round in the Vapouround Global Award 2023, in two categories – Vapouround Global Award 2023 Public Choice Awards as Best Online Vape Retailer & Best UK Retailer.
This means more than anything to us – people appreciating what we do, and actually taking the time to vote for us is absolutely priceless. It’s truly appreciated, and we can’t thank our customers enough.
We offer an unrivalled choice of products, the best prices in the UK (which we offer a guarantee on), and the same prices as our more well-known online store.”
We would love to hear your views, do you think this is the best vape store in the UK?
Disclaimer: This sponsored content was written by Vaping 101
