【By 2Firsts】Currently, the e-cigarette industry is facing a "dual drive": on one hand, technology is constantly iterating and products are continuing to innovate; on the other hand, global regulations are becoming increasingly strict, and market competition is intensifying. At the World Vape Show in Dubai, 2Firsts conducted an exclusive interview with Merry, the booth manager of Lost Vape, discussing topics such as new product development, market positioning, and industry challenges, delving deep into their response strategies and future plans.
Following the Trend Towards Large- Screen Displays
According to Merry, at this exhibition Lost Vape has brought a variety of disposable and refillable new products, with the flagship refillable product being a new iteration of the Ursa Nano series. This new product, which was released in June of this year, features a significant change in that it is equipped with a high-definition display screen.
This design decision directly aligns with the current trend of open-system products. She mentioned that both Lost Vape and other major open-system brands are developing products with large screens or even touch screens to meet consumer demands for better interactive experiences and higher-end products.
"This series previously had no screen, or just a small screen, but this product has been upgraded to include a larger screen," Merry said.
In addition to screen upgrades, the new product has also made adjustments in performance. Its accompanying pod has been optimized in atomization core and taste, "Consumer demands are changing, now becoming a pursuit of higher explosiveness and more stable flavor restoration.
In terms of design, the product maintains the design language of Lost Vape products, ensuring visual continuity for the brand.
Core Markets and Emerging Opportunities are Equally Important
When asked about the ongoing trend of increasing market share of disposable e-cigarettes in the Middle East and other emerging markets, Lost Vape, a long-standing open system device brand, views this market change by adopting a dual approach of open systems and disposable products within its overall business strategy, according to Merry. However, open system devices remain the foundation of Lost Vape, and the launch of its disposable brand Orion Bar has become an important addition to its product portfolio.
Lost Vape's main markets currently focus on Southeast Asia and Europe, but they are also expanding into other markets including the United States.
At the same time, the booth also showcased its own brand of e-liquid. Merry explained that currently, the e-liquid is not required to be bundled with the devices, but rather the sales model is determined based on the specific regulations of different markets and consumer demands.
Having Their Own Factory is a "Ballast Stone"
When asked about the brand's long-term competitiveness, Merry pointed out that having its own factories is one of its key advantages. She believes that owning factories brings several core advantages to both the products and the brand.
One advantage is that the company is able to directly control the entire production process, giving it a stronger ability to monitor quality and other issues. For example, in the case of common problems like pod oil leaks in the industry, a company with its own factory can respond more quickly and resolve issues faster compared to outsourced factories.
Another advantage is that the validation and iteration of new designs and technologies is more convenient, allowing for a faster response to market changes.
The third aspect is demonstrated in external cooperation, where factories can provide dealers with stronger cooperation confidence and ensure the stability of the supply chain and traceability of products.
Regulation, Competition, and Changing Consumer Attitudes
As countries and regions worldwide, including the UK, the EU, and Southeast Asia, strengthen their regulations on new tobacco products in recent years, compliance requirements and costs have significantly increased. This is changing the industry's entry rules and competitive environment.
Merry believes that adapting and meeting regulatory requirements in different regions has become a fundamental and costly operational task for all participants in the current e-cigarette industry. "If the overall market becomes smaller and regulations become stricter, the cost of entering the market for brands will be higher, and policy tightening in one country will affect the entire sector.
In the Middle Eastern market, distributors are becoming increasingly cautious in their product selection. Due to the proliferation of disposable e-cigarette products in recent years, some small brands had a surplus of inventory, leading channel partners to now prefer to collaborate with established, reputable brands with strong distribution networks. This poses a significant challenge for new brands.
Furthermore, despite intensifying industry competition, some issues affecting customer experience have yet to be fully overcome, such as oil leakage problems, which continue to be a major challenge plaguing the entire industry. Merry admitted that there is currently no perfect solution within the industry that can completely solve this problem, and all major brands are continuously investing in research and development to improve user experience.
An interesting phenomenon is that consumers of e-cigarettes are transient, with many new users entering the e-cigarette market through simple and convenient disposable products. As time passes, some of these users develop more personalized needs, leading them to "advance" to using open system devices, and even DIY devices, becoming seasoned players in the market.
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