Key Points
- Cheetham Hill hosts 54 vape shops across Harris Street and Overbridge Road.
- The retail shift followed a 2022 police crackdown on counterfeit goods under Operation Vulcan.
- Police seized nearly 400,000 illicit vapes in 2024 alongside large volumes of counterfeit goods.
- Many vape shops reportedly operate as wholesalers supplying retailers across the UK.
- National data show 5.5 million adults in Great Britain vape, exceeding smoker numbers in 2024.
2Firsts, February 18, 2026
According to SWNS / Daily Mirror, Cheetham Hill in Greater Manchester has emerged as one of the most concentrated vape retail zones in the United Kingdom, with 54 e-cigarette shops operating along two neighboring streets.
Reports indicate that Harris Street hosts 30 vape stores, while Overbridge Road has 24. The area lies near Strangeways and was previously known for a large concentration of counterfeit clothing retailers.
In 2022, Greater Manchester Police launched “Operation Vulcan” to combat organized criminal activity linked to counterfeit goods. In 2024, police reported seizing nearly 1,050 tonnes of counterfeit items, shutting down 216 counterfeit shops, making 238 arrests, and confiscating over £500,000 in cash. Authorities also seized almost 400,000 illicit vape products during enforcement operations.
Since those enforcement actions, vape stores have increasingly occupied retail units previously used by counterfeit traders, according to local shop owners. Kamran Akhtar, manager of The Vape Boyz on Harris Street, said many of the area’s vape businesses operate primarily as wholesalers supplying convenience stores and retailers across Scotland, Wales, London, Bristol and Yorkshire.
Some residents have expressed concern about the number of vape shops and questioned the legitimacy of certain operations. Police have previously stated that the vast majority of vape shops in the area are legitimate businesses, though some enforcement activity has occurred.
Manchester trading standards officials said they are aware of the concentration of vape shops and have conducted raids in recent years. Those operations resulted in the seizure of thousands of vape devices and counterfeit e-liquids valued at more than £70,000.
Nationally, vaping prevalence has grown significantly. The Office for National Statistics reports that approximately 5.5 million adults in Great Britain — about 10% of the adult population — vape as of 2025. In 2024, the number of vapers exceeded the number of smokers. Among users, 55% are former smokers and approximately 40% are dual users.
The concentration of vape retailers in Cheetham Hill reflects both localized retail transformation and broader national growth in vaping demand.
(Cover Image Source: SWNS )
