One Year After China’s E-cigarette “Fruit Flavor Ban”: Industry Reshuffle and Alternatives
Industry reshuffle
Before the ban was implemented, fruit-flavored e-cigarettes were popular in the market with rich flavors, such as strawberry and watermelon, especially attracting young consumers. However, after the ban was implemented, all fruit-flavored e-cigarettes were quickly removed from the shelves, and the national unified e-cigarette transaction management platform only provided national standard tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and smoking utensils with child locks.
This policy directly led to a sharp decline in industry sales. Many e-cigarette brands that mainly focus on fruit-flavored products have suffered heavy losses, and their market share has shrunk sharply. Some small and medium-sized enterprises with weak strength and single products have been unable to quickly transform and adapt to the new regulations, and have to withdraw from the market. According to relevant data, the domestic sales amount of e-cigarettes in 2023 has shrunk significantly compared with 2021, and the industry has undergone a round of deep reshuffle.
However, during the reshuffle, some leading companies have actively adjusted their product strategies with strong R&D strength and financial reserves, accelerated the layout of tobacco-flavored products, and gradually gained a foothold in the new market environment. For example, brands such as RELX quickly launched tobacco-flavored cartridges that meet national standards, gaining a certain advantage in the fierce competition.
Exploration of alternatives
In order to meet consumers' demand for rich flavors, e-cigarette companies are actively exploring alternatives within the compliance framework. Some companies try to create mixed tobacco flavor products with unique flavors by blending different proportions of natural flavors, such as cocoa extract and vanilla bean tincture, based on tobacco flavors. These products retain the original flavor of tobacco and have a light sweet smell, which to a certain extent makes up for the regret caused by the lack of fruit flavor.
Some companies start with natural plant extracts to develop additives with a cool feeling or special aroma for use in tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes. For example, spearmint extract is used to add a fresh herbal aroma to the cartridges to enhance the smoking experience. At the same time, some companies innovate in the design and process of cartridges, and by improving the atomization technology, the tobacco-flavored smoke is more delicate and the taste is more mellow, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the products.
However, whether it is the development of new flavors or the improvement of processes, a lot of money and time are required for experiments and testing to ensure that the products meet the relevant regulatory requirements such as the "Electronic Cigarette Management Measures" and the "Electronic Cigarette" national standards. Before using new alternative ingredients, companies must submit detailed ingredient descriptions, safety assessment reports and other information to relevant departments, and they can only be used in product production after review and approval.
Over the past year, the "fruit flavor ban" of e-cigarettes has promoted the reshuffle and reshaping of the industry. Under the guidance of policies, the industry is moving in a more standardized and healthy direction. Although there are many challenges, companies are actively exploring alternatives, which has brought new possibilities for meeting consumer needs and promoting the sustainable development of the industry.
