Edinburgh-based vaping firm VPZ investing £12m in stores

The business now has more than 150 stores. Picture: contributed.

The business – which is celebrating its seventh anniversary and has been billed as the UK’s biggest vaping retailer – also said it has helped nearly 280,000 people “begin their stop smoking journey”.

The firm, which has more than 150 stores, confirmed that the headline number was reached just days before its anniversary, and said it has doubled down on its commitment to help an additional a quarter of a million smokers finally quit in 2020.

Doug Mutter – director of manufacturing and compliance – said: “We are continuing to outperform the market and believe in high-street growth and investment."

The company celebrated its 'landmark achievement' with staff at the manufacturing HQ in Edinburgh. Picture: contributed.

VPZ, which has ranked as one of the UK’s fastest-growing firms in terms of sales two years running, stated its intentions to continue growing and strengthen its position as the UK’s top vape specialist, “issuing a rallying call to all smokers” that it can help them switch.

Mutter said: “In the space of only seven years, the company has grown from one shop to over 150 across the UK from Inverness to Penzance. To have helped a quarter of a million smokers start their journey to a cigarette-free life in just the past two years shows how effective our service can be.

“Whilst most businesses are abandoning the high street, VPZ is investing in local shops and local people. We are passionate believers in the need for having bricks-and-mortar stores to ensure we are providing direct support and advice through the availability of our staff and our customers value having an expert on hand.”

Mutter continued: “We are continuing to outperform the market and believe in high-street growth and investment.”