F E AT U R E
“I noticed an imbalance when I started vaping
two years ago. There was one shop I knew of
with one female member of staff, but it was
mainly guys behind the counter.”
Emma - Nuclear Vapours
has gone by and devices have moved
on, I have found the industry boom to
be very male dominated as the products
become more and more techy; all of the
modifications and building, speaks to
a very masculine love of gadgetry, and
the culture of cloud-chasing speaks to
testosterone fuelled competiveness. I
decided that I had to find and promote
female friendly products and stores as
I believe that if I felt excluded, so must
other women.
Pip: I entered the vaping industry in 2013
when I began mixing liquid to help my
husband quit smoking. After months’ of
research, I was able to create e-liquids
that helped him quit smoking for good.
I never intended to create a company,
but when local people tried the e-liquid
at vape meets, it became apparent
to me that I could help others quit
smoking by providing the e-liquids to the
world. Suicide Bunny now has a global
presence in over 80 countries, and I am
honoured to be contacted by vapers
around the world who tell me how much
our products have helped them. Initially, I
was amazed by the industry; I felt it was
progressing and evolving so quickly. It is
really amazing to be a part of an industry
that continues to make such a huge
impact on society.
Vapouround: There have typically
been more males in the vaping industry.
Have you ever noticed a gender ratio
imbalan ce? If you were outnumbered by
males, how did that make you feel?
Emma: I noticed an imbalance when I
started vaping two years ago. There
was one shop I knew of with one female
member of staff, but it was mainly guys
behind the counter. But things are
definitely changing. We have an equal
balance in our shop, and this was also
pretty evident at the Birmingham expo.
It seemed almost every stall was staffed
by both men and women – who weren’t
there just to be a pretty face, they
actually knew about the products and
were passionate about them. There were
a lot of female visitors too, which was
great to see!
Lisa: I think there is a gender imbalance
in the review, product and retail worlds
although anecdotal evidence suggests
that up to 70% of vapers are female. I
do feel out of place in some of the shops
and find that many of the products are
marketed at men; many of the more
advanced devices are just too bulky for
the female market! There does seem
to be a move towards a more femalecentric market but that seems to consist
of making smaller pink devices; not a
problem for me but it’s not to everyone’s
taste. I have felt excluded, but that has
not put me off vaping. It has made me
more determined to promote the female
point of view.
Pip: The only time I really ever noticed
this has been in meetings. When
it is time to get down to business, I
sometimes notice that males will try to
take advantage of me, talk down to me,
or think that my husband, Scott, is really
the owner. This never works for long, as
VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE WINTER EDITION 59