UK Study Finds Vape Display Restrictions Cut Product Appeal, With Little Switching to Cigarettes

Restricting the display of vapes and nicotine pouches in shops could significantly reduce their appeal to consumers, according to new UK research that could inform the government's plans to tighten rules on how nicotine products are presented at retail.

The study, by researchers at the University of Stirling's Institute for Social Marketing and Health, found that both adults and adolescents rated conventional branded displays more favourably than displays featuring standardised white packaging or products concealed from view, Vape Business reported.

The research, published on medRxiv on Sept. 29, examined responses from two online surveys conducted between April and June 2026: 2,851 current and former adult nicotine users and 2,123 young people aged 11 to 17. Participants were shown four images of retail displays — a large display of branded vapes and nicotine pouches, a conventional display positioned alongside covered tobacco products, a display with standardised white packaging, and a display in which the products were fully covered. The researchers assessed responses across 10 measures, including attractiveness, eye-catching appeal, perceived harm, ease of purchase and whether the display made vaping seem socially acceptable.

Among adults, nearly three-quarters (74.6%) gave an overall favourable rating to the large display of branded products, compared with 69.6% for the conventional display alongside covered tobacco. The corresponding figures among adolescents were 67.4% and 54.9%. The larger branded display also conveyed a strong impression of how common vaping was: almost three-quarters of adults (73.9%) and adolescents (74.4%) said it made them think that lots of people vape.

The effect of restricting displays was substantial. With standardised white packaging, only 26.2% of adults and 15.9% of adolescents gave an overall favourable rating; with products fully covered, these figures fell further to 9.5% of adults and 4.6% of adolescents.

The study also examined susceptibility among young people. Among adolescents who had never vaped, 40.3% were classified as susceptible to trying it, and those who rated the large branded display favourably were 2.73 times as likely to be classified as susceptible as those who rated it neutrally or unfavourably, after adjustments for demographic and behavioural factors. For the conventional display alongside covered tobacco, the adjusted odds were 1.89 times higher. No statistically significant association was found between susceptibility and favourable ratings of either restricted display. The authors cautioned that the cross-sectional design cannot establish that favourable reactions cause susceptibility.

For retailers, one finding stood out: restricting displays did not substantially change the stated product choices of most adult nicotine users. With standardised packaging, 83% of adult nicotine users remained consistent with their original product choice; with fully covered displays, 73%. Eleven percent said they would choose none of the products from the standardised-packaging display, rising to 18% for the fully covered display. A small proportion indicated they would switch to cigarettes or tobacco — 4% and 6% respectively — but the researchers noted these respondents were overwhelmingly already smokers or dual users, with only eight and twenty non-smoking respondents in the two scenarios.

The authors said the findings suggest display restrictions could reduce positive messaging around vaping at the point of sale, including perceptions of attractiveness, social acceptance and accessibility, but that further work is needed on real-world responses. They also acknowledged the implications for retailers who have invested in backwall displays, citing Scottish tobacco display-ban research that found initial retailer concerns about transaction effects were largely unfounded after the ban took effect. The research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research through the Public Health Policy Research Unit.

[Reference]
- Vape Business (original report) — https://www.vapebusiness.biz/vape-display-restrictions-product-appeal/
- Asian Trader (secondary coverage) — https://www.asiantrader.biz/study-consumer-support-covered-vape-displays