TPE24: Review of Trends in Products and Distributors

On January 31st, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the largest tobacco exhibition in North America, TPE24, officially opened its doors. The event will span three days, from January 31st to February 2nd.

TPE is one of the largest tobacco expos in the United States and throughout the Americas region. It serves as a significant indicator for the e-cigarette market in the United States and globally. The products exhibited at TPE represent the demands of a wide range of consumers.

Based on observations of the popularity and customer flow at the TPE24 exhibition:

According to 2FIRSTS statistics, this exhibition is expected to attract nearly 700 companies to participate, with over 200 companies involved in the vape industry. Among them, there are more than 100 brand manufacturers and over 30 distributors.

Based on the current situation, it is evident that there is a noticeable decrease in attendance on the opening day of TPE24 compared to previous years. A visitor even expressed that the crowd on the first day is even lower than the crowd on the last day of past exhibitions when participants were dismantling their booths.

According to reports, the main reason for the decrease in attendance at this year's exhibition is the stricter visiting process for TPE24 compared to previous years. Visitors are now required to provide business proofs and it is not open to individual consumers.

From the products exhibited at TPE24, it can be seen that this exhibition serves as the flagship event of the global e-cigarette industry, attracting renowned e-cigarette brands from around the world. Some of the brand names showcased include FEELM, SKE, Innokin, Lost Vape, Flum, Uwell, Ald, MrFog, Smok, Vaporesso, Voopoo, Vozol, Elux, and Smiss, among others.

Related reading: A review of the featured brands by TPE24 exhibitors. (Click on the black font to read the original article)

Dealers and brand merchants jointly exhibited at the TPE exhibition, focusing on three themes: "full-screen display, fast-charging, and large-puff."

FEELM's booth at the exhibition showcased its two latest technological solutions. One product featured a sleek design with a "volcano" shape in its oil tank, equipped with FEELM's latest single ceramic high-explosive technology. It also had an electronic screen that displayed real-time changes in oil levels and supported various power switches, with a capacity of over 18,000 puffs.

FEELM, the company that introduced the Power Alpha fast charging solution in TPE last year, has now launched an upgraded version. The Power Alpha 2.0 now supports an even higher number of ports for non-charging purposes, with a maximum capacity of over 15,000 puffs. This is 2.5 times more than the previous year's version.

SKE booth unveiled two new products, the 15,000-puff transparent-tank and the 15,000-puff dual-coil disposable product, prioritizing unique design to address flavor concerns. Both products come equipped with a small screen. It has been reported that SKE plans to release a full-screen touch product in March.

During the pre-show forum at TPE, Henry Sicignan, the president of American e-cigarette company Charlie's Holdings Inc., unveiled their newly distributed product, Spree Bar. This disposable product features a rechargeable battery and a pod capacity of 6000 puffs.

The active ingredient in Spree Bars is a substance called "Metatine", not nicotine. Metatine's unique feature is that it is not regulated by the US FDA, allowing the product to have greater flexibility in the market.

The e-cigarette policy has always been an influential factor affecting the industry's development. However, each policy implementation brings about an upgrade and transformation of the industry, leading to a rapid turnover of e-cigarette products in the American market. It is widely accepted in the industry that a new batch of products will be launched every 3-6 months.

Currently, the market is witnessing a trend of "bigger cigarettes becoming smaller, and smaller cigarettes becoming bigger." However, this statement fails to accurately summarize the current changes in e-cigarette products. Distributors and brand owners have expressed their opinions on the future development of e-cigarettes.

According to FEELM employees, while screens may attract consumers, the essence of the product - its texture and taste - are still important factors in getting consumers to repurchase. Screens serve more as an added bonus rather than the primary draw.

FEELM states that the current changes in their products are actually moving towards "ultimate refinement." They aim to address the pain points of each individual consumer by offering countless different products and innovative solutions. For example, they have already addressed the issue of e-liquid visibility by introducing transparent oil tanks and electronic screens, and there may be even more solutions in development. Their strategy to tackle these challenges continues to focus on strengthening research and development efforts and accumulating technological resources, in order to provide consumers and customers with products that are both compliant and offer a superior experience.

Henry S, Sales Director of SKE, pointed out that the American market has a wide range of differences, with consumer tastes and habits varying by region, necessitating thorough and long-term research. The most crucial factors are product taste and design, with taste being the primary reason for user retention, while appearance attracts new consumers.

Although it is known that all the products come equipped with screens, Henry S believes that whether there is a screen or not is not the key issue. SKE hopes to impress consumers by offering better taste, competitive prices, and differentiated designs. The introduction of a full-screen display is merely a strategy to expand their product line and attract more consumers.

Henry S emphasized that the US market has wide variations and different consumer habits in each state. Their main customer base is mainly located in the northeastern part of the US, as well as in cities like Chicago and Boston. Eastern US consumers prefer high nicotine concentration, while the western region tends to favor lower concentration. Henry S speculates that this preference in the eastern region could be due to the early entry of a leading brand (Breeze) into the market, causing consumers to be more accustomed to Breeze products. Additionally, in terms of flavors, northern consumers are less interested in cool sensations, while southern consumers enjoy them. This could potentially be closely related to climate conditions. Therefore, Henry S believes that cultivating the US market requires long-term and in-depth research.

Henry S stated that consumers value taste and design the most. He believes that taste is the main reason for user loyalty, while visual design attracts the favor of new consumers. SKE has made significant investments in researching new products and designs, overcoming the challenge of oil leakage from transparent oil tanks.

2FIRSTS had a discussion on-site with Ali Mawdha, Senior Sales Manager of US distributor DemandVape, at the exhibition.

Ma Uda emphasized China's leading position in e-cigarette innovation. DemandVape, the company's distributor, represents brands including SPACEMAN, SMOK, and RABBEATS. Among them, OFF-STAMP 9000 and GEEKBAR have gained much popularity in the American market.

He also emphasized the importance of environmentally friendly modular design and predicted that the market trend would shift towards more environmentally friendly products. He revealed that the company is expanding its international business, with a focus on the South American market. Regarding FDA regulation, Mauda expressed that the company is actively cooperating and looks forward to a more fair approval process.

In addition to e-cigarette brands, the presence of various brands showcasing nicotine pouches and caffeine pouch products at the exhibition has caught the attention of the attendees. Alongside the nicotine pouch products, exhibitors have also introduced caffeine pouches, injecting more industry innovation and diversification into the TPE exhibition.