Vape5 E-Shisha
Disrupting the e-shisha market through direct B2B distribution
The Opportunity
During the speaker rental days, the e-shisha hype was just beginning. We noticed something odd: €10 for a small disposable device seemed excessive. We saw an opportunity to bring better pricing to the market by importing directly and building our own distribution network. This was our first taste of B2B sales at scale.
Market Timing
Caught the e-shisha trend at its peak
Direct Sales
Personal visits to gas stations and shops
Import Business
Direct sourcing from Chinese manufacturers
The Journey
Our initial plan was ambitious: create our own e-shisha brand with competitive pricing. However, we quickly discovered that tobacco and nicotine products are heavily regulated. After extensive research and consulting with experts, we realized that creating our own product wasn't feasible without significant expertise, experience, and capital.
Regulatory Reality Check
Discovered the complex legal landscape of nicotine products. Realized creating our own brand would require extensive compliance, testing, and capital we didn't have.
Pivot to Distribution
Connected with a Chinese manufacturer and pivoted to distribution. Built relationships to import existing products and focus on what we did best: sales and marketing.
Door-to-Door Sales
Personal approach: visited gas stations, supermarkets, and lottery shops. Face-to-face sales pitches, product demonstrations, and immediate decisions. Built a network of 50-80 customers through pure hustle.
Scaling Challenges
The personal touch that won us customers became our bottleneck. High travel costs, time-intensive customer service, and manual operations limited growth. Bigger players with better systems started taking our customers.
What I Learned
Vape5 taught me crucial lessons about B2B sales, distribution, and the importance of scalable business models. While we achieved moderate success, the experience highlighted what it takes to build a sustainable distribution business.
Think Bigger, Act Faster
We were too slow and thought too small. In fast-moving markets, you need to scale quickly or get left behind. Our cautious approach cost us market share to more aggressive competitors.
Digital First
Should have built a website and focused on phone sales instead of driving to every customer. Digital tools would have multiplied our reach and reduced operational costs dramatically.
Product Portfolio Matters
We should have expanded beyond e-shishas to become a full convenience store supplier. Candy, beverages, and other high-margin items would have increased order values and customer retention.
Focus vs. Diversification
When we partnered to offer more products, we lost focus on our core high-margin items. Balance is crucial - diversify for stability but maintain focus on what drives profits.
The Legacy
Vape5 may have ended, but its lessons live on in every business I've built since. It taught me the importance of scalable systems, the power of direct sales, and the need to move fast in emerging markets. Most importantly, it showed me that sometimes the best opportunities aren't in creating products, but in distributing them better than anyone else.
The hustle of visiting 50-80 shops, the thrill of closing deals face-to-face, and the challenge of competing with larger players - these experiences shaped my entrepreneurial mindset and prepared me for the digital ventures that followed.
Building a Distribution Business?
I've learned what works and what doesn't in B2B distribution. Whether you're starting fresh or scaling up, I'm happy to share insights from the trenches.
Let's Discuss Distribution