According to relevant information, the Russian electronic cigarette market may reach 280 million US dollars in 2016.
Of the country's 147 million citizens, there are about 1.5 million vapers. There are also 55 million smokers that provide a large stockpile of personnel for future vaping expansion.
Even if other economic research institutes don't have such a hype for Russia, the e-cigarette market will thrive in the country. In Russia, there are about 1000 vape stores and 200 online stores selling vaping products. Russian vapers also love "vape cafés," a sort of bar-like vape shop where people can sit and try their hardware or juice. According to vapemap.ru, vape cafés could be close to 240.
In an interview with Courrier de Russie, Igor Samborski expressed some thoughts on the success of e-cigarettes in his country. Igor, who contributed to the development of vaping in Russia, believes that part of his success can be explained by a high smoking rate of about 39 percent. Another part of the success is due to the popularity of hookahs, a product very similar to e-cigarettes.
The point of sale of e-cigarettes has also benefited from the adoption of open-system, cartridge-style e-cigarettes with atomizers by vapers in Russia, at the price of disposable e-cigarettes. The lack of specific regulations is another trigger for the market's expansion in the context of strict tobacco control politics.
