The world’s premier vaping retailer, “Totally Wicked”, is the most recent shop that has opened on Holloway road. The business has been running since 2008 and is located around the world but specifically in London there are 14 stores.
The Holloway store is the businesses’ flagship store, as it holds the highest volume of merchandise in London and they provide their customers with: flavoured liquids, vapes, e-cigarettes and starter kits. They sell these items in order to help the public stop smoking, which is causing more severe damage to their health. Despite e-cigarettes containing nicotine (a chemical that makes it addictive), it helps people gradually leave smoking. The staff initially recommend an e-cigarette that contains a high amount of nicotine (depending on how much they smoke), then gradually recommend an e-cigarette containing a low amount of nicotine and finally one with no nicotine at all. E-cigarettes were produced to replace smoking, with minimal harmful chemicals. Public Health England have quoted that it is “95% safer than smoking” and opinion research from YouGov have said that “61% of ex-smokers use e-cigarettes to quit smoking entirely”.
Although the consumers are greatly content, the staff are also tremendously pleased; Jade, a 22 year old employee at totally wicked on Holloway road, has stated: “I love my job and I love helping my customers. It makes me proud when my customers come back to tell me they have completely stopped smoking.”
Totally wicked is sponsored by Stoptober and Cancer Research to help establish and advertise the brand. Cancer Research sponsors the ‘Totally wearing pink’, which is a collection of vapes and have a target of £10,000 to reach (they receive £2.50 for the sale of each pink kit); just a few days in and they are already over 15% towards their target. Stoptober sponsors most of the starter kits, and have also set a 28 day challenge, in which people stop smoking completely; thousands have already succeeded. The brands regularly advertise sales; the current offer in the Holloway Flagship store is the ‘Autumn sale’, which allows up to 50% off.
By Priyanka Kaur
