Ahead of a major business seminar co-hosted by SLR, Blu and Imperial Tobacco on the future of the ecigs market and forthcoming EUTPD regulations, Blu has said the new European legislation will be good news for retailers and the fast growing UK electronic cigarette category.
The regulation affects the marketing, production and sale of e-cigarettes and will impact the UK retail landscape within which they are sold.
The legislation comes in three stages with the first two stages putting the onus on the suppliers to comply. Retailers themselves only have to be compliant in what they sell by May 2017 so there’s no need to panic just yet.
Here are the key dates and what happens at each stage:
- 20th May 2016 – The introduction of advertising and promotion restrictions
- 20th Nov 2016 – The production of all non-compliant stock must cease (affecting size, ingredients, consistency of dose and packaging with health warnings)
- 20th May 2017 – The sale of non-compliant stock is no longer allowed
Marc Michelsen, SVP Communications and Public Affairs at Blu, explained: “Traditional Tobacco is already a highly regulated industry, so many retailers may have heard the news of legislation reaching the e-cigarette category with dismay. However, at Blu we welcome most of the changes – and we think retailers should too. We believe the legislation will improve the quality of products available in the market, leading to increased consumer trust and confidence in buying e-cigs.
“E-cigarettes offer retailers excellent profit margins so our message is simple… know how to recognize EUTPD compliant products, get your range right, understand the category so you can talk to your customers about it, and make the most of the sales opportunity on offer.”
Retailers should be aware that, despite the new legislation coming into play, they will still be able to:
- Continue to sell e-cigarettes and accessories
- Actively display e-cigarettes and accessories – and these don’t need to be behind the counter
- Promote e-cigarettes and accessories
- Advertise in consumer and retail brochures
- Put up posters in and around their stores
- Have display units for products
- Advertise and sell on retailer websites
Blu will be working closely with retailers throughout the next 12 months and beyond to ensure they are informed and well prepared to meet the required EUTPD deadline by providing legislation guides, offering information on how to clear non-compliant stock and making sure that Blu has products in the market that are fully compliant at key times.
The ‘E Cigs & the EUTPD – the challenges and the opportunities’ seminar will take place in Glasgow next month. For further information contact Cara Begley on cbegley@55north.com or 0141 222 5381.
