What's working for us?

We thought we'd share some insights on what's working for us. You don't need to be sending marketing out every week, or have fancy banners on your website to sell products. You can support your customers easily with these few strategic and compliant in-store moves that boost visibility, start conversations, and increase sales — all while staying within NZ’s vaping advertising regulations.

It’s important to stay informed about the regulations here.

Boost your store’s performance with smarter layout strategies. From counter placement to eye-level displays, these proven tips help turn foot traffic into higher-margin sales — no extra spend required.

🔝 Front-of-Counter = Front-of-Mind
Place your easiest-to-sell, highest-margin hardware and disposables right by the counter. Products like G3 Lite and Simply Salts here spark quick conversations and more impulse purchases.

Tip: Use clear signage and keep this area refreshed weekly to catch regulars’ eyes.

You can only provide product names (brand, variant) and price in-store in a non-promotional format. Avoid highlighting specific products as "premium".

👁️ Eye Level = Buy Level
Premium products deserve premium placement. Think newest pod systems and top-shelf e-juice lines. Placing these at eye level boosts visibility — and your average basket size.

Think of it as your “Ferrari shelf.”

🔁 Create a ‘Switching Zone’
Set up a mini section for smokers looking to make the switch. 

Feature:

- Starter kits (e.g., Vorteke Maxx)
- Affordable e-liquids
- Harm-reduction info signage. Information can be factual and found on the Ministry of Health website, remember to stay informed: here.
- This dedicated area builds trust and helps staff guide new customers more easily.

- Remember: Signage must follow strict formats: black text on white background, Helvetica no larger than 70pt, etc. (e.g., “VAPING PRODUCTS AVAILABLE HERE”).

🧠 Use Familiarity to Build Confidence
Group by flavour profiles (Fruity / Menthol / Tobacco) and keep popular SKUs consistently placed. This makes browsing easier and helps prompt helpful staff conversations.

🔄 Weekly Rotation = Fresh Focus

Pick one high-margin or new product to spotlight each week using a shelf or counter display. This keeps your store dynamic and visually engaging — drawing the customer’s eye and sparking curiosity. Since staff can no longer initiate product conversations, smart positioning like this gives customers a reason to ask about the product, opening the door for compliant, helpful dialogue.

🧘 Quiet Zones = Educational Goldmines
Use slower areas of your store to feature:

Slow-moving but high-margin products
Educational content (e.g., Ministry of Health resources)
Customers linger longer here — it’s the perfect place to educate and convert browsers into buyers.

Educational zones in low-traffic areas are fine, especially when they include MoH-approved harm reduction messaging.

💁🏼 Staff Training
Encourage staff to be confident in answering questions with factual, harm-reduction messaging approved by the Ministry of Health. For example:

“If you smoke, switching completely to vaping is a much less harmful option.”

Staff cannot initiate product conversations, but they can respond to questions factually and helpfully. For more information on compliant communication, refer to MoH’s guidance on the advertising of vaping products.

🤝 Let’s Build Your Perfect Store Layout
Here at Vape Traders we’re here to support your store’s performance, not only with products but with proven strategies that move them. Want help tailoring your layout to increase sales? Reach out, we’d love to walk through it with you.

Information was accurate at the time of publish, however it is important to keep informed on the new vaping regulations.