Upmarket grocer Waitrose has been accused of 'virtue signalling and 'woke hypocrisy' after announcing it would no longer sell disposable vapes from January 1.
The supermarket chain, which is part of the John Lewis partnership and has a Royal Warrant, announced the ban amid fears that vaping was attracting young people who had not previously smoked and for the environment.
At the time, a Waitrose spokesperson told Grocery Gazette: "While sales of cigarettes have fallen significantly in recent years, the market for disposable vapes is new and growing rapidly – including amongst young non-smokers. These devices also have a damaging impact on the environment so it’s not something we want to be part of.”
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The popularity of products such as e-cigarettes has soared over the past year, with vaping in Great Britain reaching record levels. About 4.3 million people are regular vapers, according to a recent report. Data released last year by the NHS showed that vaping and the use of e-cigarettes has risen among school children aged 11 to 15 years old, with the number of school pupils using e-cigarettes in 2021 rising to 9%, up from 6% in 2018. The research showed that girls are far more likely than boys to use e-cigarettes
Waitrose commercial director Charlotte Di Cello said the supermarket chain was motivated by “doing the right thing” and attributed the rise of people vaping “fuelled by the popularity among those who haven’t previously smoked”. She said: “We had already decided it wasn’t right to stock the fashionable bright-coloured devices which are seeing rapid growth, so this decision is the final jigsaw piece in our clear decision not to be part of the single-use vaping market..”
However, the boss of e-cigarette seller Vaping.com branded the decision as “virtue signalling”, saying that if Waitrose wanted to protect people and the environment, it would have stopped selling cigarettes altogether.
Co-CEO Neil McLarene said: “Waitrose will be happy with some cheap headlines following their decision to stop selling disposable vapes. But the virtue signalling move reeks of hypocrisy since they’re happy to keep selling cigarettes. The supermarket should take cigarettes – the most littered item on the planet – off the shelves instead of carping on about vapes.
“If they stop selling cigarettes then they can make a real difference to public health and the planet. But if all they want is cheap headlines, then woke commentary from the PR department seems to do the job.”
However one of Vaping.com's rivals, Blo Bar support's Waitrose's move, despite describing it as a “bold stance” from the retailer.
A spokesperson for Blo Bar said that by removing the spontaneity of picking up a disposable vape when customers are doing their weekly shop, it means people can make “more conscious decisions about vaping”. “Single-use vapes should solely be used as a convenient option for ex-cigarette users who want to quit," they said. "However, with fears that the bold and colourful designs are appealing to the wrong audience, Waitrose banning the sale of disposable vapes over the counter is a step in the right direction for protecting young people from vaping, and those who have never used cigarettes before.”
“As an alternative to impulse buying, disposable vape users can purchase vapes more mindfully when buying from an online retailer instead. Plus, there are still age verification processes in place to protect those below the legal vaping age from purchasing such products,” they added.
The Waitrose spokesperson said: “We sell tobacco products in line with law but also provide alternatives to help users give up.
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