Complex Flavour Trends For E-Cigarettes In The International Market
November 25, 2023
In recent years, there have been a wide variety of novel flavours of e-cigarettes on the international market - chocolate popcorn flavour, cinnamon sundae flavour, pineapple coconut flavour, vanilla rum flavour, daffodil ice cream flavour, chicken curry flavour, bubble milk tea flavour, and even salty liquorice flavour. Many flavoured e-cigarettes were withdrawn from the market after a short-lived popularity, like a flash in the pan. Various newly introduced regulations and bans have made the e-cigarette market situation more and more intricate.
Fruity flavours predominate, many flavours co-exist
Some specially flavoured e-cigarettes still exist, but more classic flavours such as fruity dominate most of the market. Alan Byrne-Carter, managing director of NGPTrends UK, said, "Fruit flavoured e-cigarettes have always been popular. Over the past few years, fruit-flavoured e-cigarettes have made the transition from a single fruit flavour of cherry or grape to a more distinctive blend of fruit flavours. The same is true of menthol-flavoured e-cigarettes, which have evolved into more sophisticated flavours and are often combined with fruity flavours such as Green Ice Menthol and Strawberry Menthol."
In Europe, particularly Western Europe, market demand for traditional tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes appears to be declining. Carter attributes this to the fact that "e-cigarette consumers have quit smoking and don't want to relapse." Another important reason could be that e-cigarettes lack true tobacco flavour, and almost all e-liquids fail to faithfully recreate tobacco flavour because e-cigarettes don't burn real tobacco, they just heat up and evaporate the liquid that is infused with the tobacco aroma.
Consumers and Regulations Determine Market Trends
E-cigarette flavour trends are inextricably linked to consumer preferences everywhere. A flavour that is very popular in North America may not be popular in the Middle East. Also, each region has its own regulatory statutes that dictate which flavours are allowed and which are not.
Some European countries have already implemented bans on certain flavoured e-cigarettes, such as restricting e-cigarette products containing sugar or sweeteners, and sooner or later these restrictions will be extended to the entire EU. This will affect the trend of e-cigarettes and will probably bring back the popularity of tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes, which are currently on the wane in the Western European market.
This is already happening in the United States. The FDA now requires e-cigarette companies to focus on tobacco flavours. Carter said, "We're hoping for a richer tobacco-flavoured e-cigarette in the US market."
Canada, America's neighbouring country, is not as strict on e-cigarettes, so it is often the place where new flavoured e-cigarettes are tested and promoted, something that is not possible in the US. Carter revealed, "Femo International has recently been testing certain new products in Canada. We expect Femo International to launch VEEVONE, an upgraded version of the VEEV e-cigarette device in Canada, which includes flavours such as mango, blueberry, strawberry, apple and watermelon."
Flavour and fragrance companies launch a variety of new flavours
To explore e-cigarette flavour trends, observe the latest developments from flavour and fragrance companies.
Founded in 1931, Hertz Flavours & Fragrances of Germany is well known in the tobacco industry. The company considered Europe and the United States as its main markets, while expanding its business in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia. Today, Hertz Flavours & Fragrances is no longer just a supplier of flavours for traditional cigarettes, but has begun to build up its own range of e-cigarette liquids.
At InterTabac 2022, the German company is launching a range of new flavours for its e-liquids, such as Ice Candy, White Coffee, Lemon Cheesecake, Coconut Caramel and Banana Cookie. Vivian Wenzel, sales manager for e-cigarette flavours at Hertz Flavours & Fragrances, said that customers were very interested in these products.
At InterTabac 2023, the company is launching another range of products. Although fruity e-cigarettes currently dominate the market, there seems to be a growing demand for more complex and exotic e-cigarette flavours.
The momentum for disposable e-cigarettes seems to be slowly waning, with the rise of e-cigarettes that can be infused with e-liquid," notes Wenzel. This could lead to a renaissance of complex flavoured products. Markets vary from region to region and only by becoming familiar with local flavours of sweets, fruits, beverages and desserts can we create flavours that resonate with consumers."
Like Carter, Wenzel mentioned that some EU countries, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, have banned flavoured e-cigarettes other than tobacco flavours.
Venzel said, "While there have been calls for this EU-wide ban, it has not yet materialised. We are all anxiously awaiting EUTPD3 (the third edition of the EU Tobacco Products Directive regulatory framework), which will regulate the ingredients of e-cigarette liquids that are allowed to be sold. Young people always follow trends and like to try new things. If something they want is banned, they may prefer it."
Eastern European consumers like sweet flavours
BimarProject, based in Minsk, Belarus, was founded in 2012 and is now focussed on selling e-cigarette products in the Eastern European market.
Andrei Zavalli, co-founder of BimarProject, said the most popular e-cigarette flavours currently available in the Eastern European market are bubblegum, blueberry, cola, grape and icy banana. He says: "We see a clear trend that sweet flavours are becoming more and more important among all e-cigarette flavours, while menthol flavours, which used to be the best-selling flavours, have now dropped to second or even third place."
Zavalli expects e-cigarettes with exotic flavours and a wide range of composite flavours to be popular in the Eastern European market in 2024, a trend that has already begun to emerge this year. In addition, he has noticed a growing interest in confectionery flavours among Eastern European consumers.
While classic tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes are popular in the US market, they have been left out in the cold in Eastern Europe. In the Eastern European market, sales of single tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes have clearly started to decline and have been replaced by fruit-flavoured e-cigarettes," notes Zavalli. Young people are the main consumers of e-cigarettes, and most of them do not like the flavour of cigarettes, but prefer to pursue more innovative aromas." In Russia and Belarus, there is currently no excise tax on e-cigarette products, but Zavalli believes it is only a matter of time before the tax is imposed. He predicts that sales of e-cigarettes will grow further in Eastern Europe.
Shenzhen Niimoo Innovative Technology Co., Ltd