The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has responded to the government’s consultation on changes to vape packaging and marketing by expressing concern about the impact of certain key proposals.
In particular, the Fed’s national president Hemanshu Patel highlighted misgivings about the cost and disruption of placing vapes behind a display screen – similar to that in place for cigarettes and tobacco.
Retailers back youth vaping measures
In a letter to health secretary Yvette Cooper summarising the Fed’s response, Patel said: “Our members are local and responsible retailers. We also know our customers well and fully acknowledge concern about youth vaping.
“To that end, we already back measures to prevent children accessing vapes by proscribing under-18 access and through initiatives like Challenge 25.
“We have also been vocal supporters of recent government work to boost local authority trading standards with extra resources, as we feel this is important for enforcing effective age restrictions and for clamping down on the black market rogue trade.”
Concerns over shutter blinds and plain packaging
“However, as our consultation response has said, we have concerns that placing vapes behind a shutter blind will limit consumer awareness and create obstacles for our shops, alongside unease about the introduction of plain vape packaging.”
Patel also expressed concern about the scope and variety of changes proposed in the large consultation and called for close engagement and sufficient preparation time for independent shops to prepare if the changes are enacted.
Call for closer engagement
He called for closer engagement between the government and independent retail during a period of growing regulatory change and has offered to meet directly with the secretary of state for business Jonathan Reynolds MP, as well as Yvette Cooper, whose department led on the consultation.
