At the Dortmund Tobacco Expo, 2Firsts noticed that the well-known e-cigarette brand RELX and VENIX were jointly exhibiting. Subsequently, in-depth discussions were held with Vivian Song, the General Manager of RELX Europe, and Willian, the representative of their partner brand VENIX.
It is understood that VENIX is a Czech brand and a partner of RELX. Vivian stated that VENIX plays a "powerful role" in filling the gap in the disposable e-cigarette market in Europe for RELX, becoming an important pillar for RELX in this area.
RELX: Implementing strategic integration and bundling with two European local brands
Vivian explained that over the past year, RELX has implemented strategic integration and bundling to optimize its business. RELX is open to supporting the growth of its partners and is willing to provide support in the early stages of partner development. In the European market, in addition to collaborating with the Czech brand VENIX, RELX has also launched a joint partnership with the British brand Totally Wicked. She believes that the UK, as a key market for e-cigarettes, holds significant strategic importance, while the Czech market can serve as a base with unique strategic significance and value.
Vivian revealed to 2Firsts that RELX is facing a lack of competitiveness in the disposable e-cigarette market outside of Western Europe, especially in Central and Northern Europe. Therefore, she believes that the collaboration with VENIX is an important supplement to RELX's product line, as it not only enhances the competitiveness of the products but is also crucial for RELX's overall strategic positioning in the European market.
When discussing the current market conditions in Europe, Vivian stated that the policy regulations in Europe are becoming increasingly strict from the industry development trends. According to export data, the sales of disposable products in countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland have significantly decreased, while the sales of refillable products are on the rise. She believes that refillable products are not only more environmentally friendly, but also have higher customer loyalty. Additionally, the market access threshold for disposable products is lower, while refillable products require strong enterprises to invest and continue to innovate iteratively.
Finally, Vivian introduced RELX's market performance: RELX continues to maintain a stable leading position in the Southeast Asian market. At the same time, North Asia is also a market that RELX focuses on and invests in, especially with market shares exceeding 80% in Korea and Mongolia. In the European market, apart from the relatively weaker competitiveness in the UK market, RELX has achieved significant growth in the Italian, Spanish, and French markets.
VENIX: Achieves highest monthly sales of 1.5 million units in Czech Republic, holding a stable market share of 45%
As a partner of RELX, Willian, the brand leader of VENIX, told 2Firsts that he used to be a distributor for RELX in the Czech Republic. Inspired by RELX, he and several partners founded the e-cigarette brand VENIX two years ago, officially becoming a brand merchant in the e-cigarette industry.
According to him, the e-cigarette market in Czech Republic has been growing, and after VENIX entered the market, its peak market share in Czech Republic reached as high as 45%, with a monthly shipment volume of 1.5 million units, making it one of the top brands in the local market.
Willian mentioned that VENIX mainly promotes disposable e-cigarettes in Czech Republic. According to market research data from VENIX, there is now a "return" trend for refillable products in Europe, indicating a shift in consumer attitudes. In terms of market expansion, Willian stated that the company will prioritize neighboring markets in Czech Republic, expanding outward from there. Germany is also a market of great interest to VENIX, and the company plans to steadily increase its market share in Europe.
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