Vype becomes Vuse in BAT overhaul

British American Tobacco’s bestselling vape brand Vype is to be ‘integrated’ into its global Vuse brand, the firm has announced.

The company says the move will “allow a more cohesive focus on innovation, customer satisfaction and sustainability projects”.

Vuse is the biggest closed system vaping offered in the UK with a market-leading share of overall sales (44.2 percent) according to Nielsen data. The latest investment in Vuse is part of a global focus on ‘new categories’ and is part of BAT’s transformation journey to build A Better Tomorrow with a commitment to reducing the health impact of its global business.

While the changes will lead to an update of the brand’s portfolio, BAT says new models will be ‘backwards compatible’ meaning vapers can use Vuse pods on Vype devices, and vice versa. Meanwhile, new flavours and more innovative designs will also be launched as part of the changes.

Khurram Durrani, head of trade for BAT UK says: “In a fast-growing market, Vype has exceeded our expectations. It’s the fastest-growing closed system brand in the UK, with year-on-year growth of 44 percent overall (and 36 percent in the independent and symbols category) in 2021. It also boasts a market-leading share of sales overall (44 percent) and in independent and symbol stores (38 percent), as of early April (Nielsen). And last year, more than two-thirds of the 686,000 regular vapour consumers used a Vype product. (Kantar).

“Last year we invested nearly half a billion pounds in reduced risk categories, including vaping, because they are the future of our business. The UK is our biggest market outside of the US, so we are refreshing the brand and are doubling down on serving our customers even better. More than a new name, or fresh look and feel that makes it easier to spot Vuse in store and online, this is about sustainable growth, globally. It’s about giving consumers Vype’s great taste and quality, with more device innovations and flavours.”