Imperial Brands warns Iran war may weigh on costs and consumer demand Business One of Britain’s biggest tobacco companies is bracing for a potential slowdown in consumer demand sparked by the conflict in the Middle East as it hikes prices to offset cigarette declines in the first half of the year. FTSE 100 member Imperial Brands stood by its revenue and profit forecasts for the year, but noted [...]
Can vapes save Imperial Brands? Business Twenty years ago, tobacco companies were among the top performers on the London Stock Exchange, driven by consistent cigarette demand and aggressive global expansion. But the attitude towards smoking has since shifted, with the numbers of smokers in the UK dropping off the back of campaigns, the rise of vaping and public health policies. In [...]
Labour’s tobacco bill risks empowering black market, warns shadow minister Politics The Labour government’s proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill could hand a significant boost to criminal gangs and fuel the growing black market in illicit goods across the UK, the shadow policing minister has warned. Matt Vickers MP has told City AM that the legislation, aimed at curbing smoking and youth vaping, fails to address the [...]
Totally Wicked: Vapes giant sold to Chinese investor June 26, 2025 Family-owned vapes retailer Totally Wicked has been sold to a Chinese investor, it has been revealed. The Lancashire-headquartered company, which was founded in 2008 by Jason Cropper, has been acquired by Wittyace UK Holding. The business is controlled by Chinese national Ying Wang and is registered in Cambridge. It is ultimately owned by Wittyace Hk Holding [...]
Is the disposable vapes ban going to make any difference in the UK? May 30, 2025 In 2021, vapes went from a small-scale smoking alternative to dominate the UK’s nicotine market. Now, about half of the vape market is set to become illegal when the government’s disposable vape ban comes into force on Sunday. It’s part of the government’s plan to create a “smoke-free” generation, which will see disposable vapes banned, [...]
London’s beloved corner shops can’t survive more red tape April 15, 2025 Red tape, business rates and vape bans are at risk of pushing corner shops to the brink, writes Andrew Boff.
Record profit for Totally Wicked ahead of single-use vapes ban as sales double in two years January 2, 2025 Profit at Totally Wicked has surged to a new record level ahead of the sale of single-use disposable vapes being banned in England and Wales later this year. The Lancashire-headquartered has reported a pre-tax profit of £8.1m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2024, up from the £3.3m it posted for the prior year. [...]
Typhoo is bought out of administration – but is the brand weak tea? December 5, 2024 YouGov’s chief executive Steve Hatch takes a closer look at the data behind the biggest stories in business. This week, Typhoo was bought out of administration for £10m by the Mancunian vape-maker Supreme. The tea-maker had been in financial trouble in recent years, and the new owners have pledged to outsource manufacturing and reduce overheads. But in [...]
Vaping crack down will do more harm than good November 26, 2024 The government rightly U-turned on banning smoking in pub gardens, it should do the same for plans to restrict products that help smokers quit, says Richard Holden MP The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will have its second reading in the House of Commons today. It’s a bill with laudable intentions. Very few people would argue [...]
Ministers urged to deploy biometric age verification to address underage vaping November 22, 2024 Ministers have been urged to deploy a biometric age verification solution to address the issue of underage vaping. The company IKE Tech says it has developed a technological solution to mandate continuous age verification on vapes. It comes as the government is set to bring the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament which proposes to [...]