Big three dominate as Italy’s vape store market bounces back

After a slump in 2014, the Italian e-cigarette market is on the up again with a large and growing number of vape stores operating around the country, according to an ECigIntelligence report.

The Italian bricks-and-mortar market is dominated by three major chains, each of which has grown significantly in the last year. Between them they account for more than a third of the country’s vape stores.

The three chains all operate a franchise business model with similar-looking stores, clean and modern styling, with seating areas.

The largest concentration of vape stores is in the north of the country. Although all three chains have stores throughout the country, each chain has a geographical region in which it is dominant.

In addition to their Italian stores, all three chains boast a significant number of stores outside Italy. These are predominantly in Spain while one chain has a presence in the US.

What This Means: High taxes and a fragmented market have caused many smaller stores to close. This has enabled three main players to assume a dominant position in the Italian vape store market.

– ECigIntelligence staff

ECigIntelligence

This article was written by one of ECigIntelligence’s international correspondents. We currently employ more than 40 reporters around the world to cover individual vaping markets. For a full list, please see our Who We Are page.