BIG INTERVIEW
MELISSA WISDOM
88 ASIAN TRADER 17 OCTOBER 2025
solve those problems. At Juul, we are
broadly super supportive of any
initiative that helps tackle youth use
or the illicit market. But there’s a
balance that we have to strike.”
Has the elegant re-design of the
new JUUL2 wrapping been a tactic to
front-run any oncoming regulation?
“There is clearly a place for asking
what packaging should look like,”
she answers. “What naming
conventions should look like. As I say,
we try to lead the category by saying, ‘Do you
know what? We’ve got plainer packaging. It’s
clear. It’s got clear descriptors. It’s appealing
enough, but it is absolutely not appealing to
youth use’. And we do a ton of stuff to make
sure that that is not the case. So that could be
working with retailers to enforce Challenge
25 – we’ve got a very comprehensive
underage prevention programme where we
do things like mystery shop, we work with
retailers on results.”
What about industry-wide measures,
perhaps a licencing regime to throttle illegal
supply at point of sale?
“On the face of it, we would be very
supportive of that program. We all agree
about the need to combat illicit,” Melissa
answers, “and that a free-for-all Wild West is
not in the interest of public health or our
children. That said, the vast majority of
retailers are responsible retailers, so this is
nothing to fear. But again, it’s getting that
balance right. We can’t make the category a
barrier to access for adult smokers. We need to
make sure it’s an effective revenue stream
and operatable for our convenience partners
who we need dearly in our supply chains.
Well-disposed?
Melissa’s thinking about how to stop
products at the point of manufacture reveals
a brilliant turn of lawyer-like analysis.
“If you or I refresh the MHRA [Medicines
and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency]
webpage,” she explains, “we might see 900
things authorized this week, and some of
those things would have everything we’ve
described as bad: a bright pink Game Boy
screen for a product called FizzyKola or
something.
“I think there should be a robust set of
standards that is evidence-based, based in
science, demanding, ‘Is this a product that
will help an adult smoker switch from
cigarettes to a vape? Does it have the right
level of nicotine delivery? You and I could
name a list of what that criteria could be. Is it
marketed responsibly? What is it called?
What does the packaging look like?”
Making it harder for the cowboys to get
away with supplying inappropriate and
socially dangerous items would be a good way
to clean up the market.
“It’s very easy to start thinking about all the
things that might need to be done in a game of
whack-a-mole. But it’s much easier and logical
to start with defining these products. How do
they enter the marketplace? How are they
marketed? I would start there.
“I don’t really want to use the word
‘barrier’,” she says, “but thinking about the
standard or the threshold required to enter
the category, what a great way to do it!”
The Big Thing the government imposed
this year, in an attempt to get its intellectual
milk teeth into the problems surrounding
vape (including the pollution issue), was of
course the ban on disposables.
Melissa’s criticism of that measure is both
nuanced and perceptive.
“The disposable ban has got an excellent
sentiment and is clearly trying to tackle
youth use, and there is a huge point on the
environment in there, too. But the practical
reality that I see on the ground or see in the
data every day, is that the category has
adapted,” she says.
“You now have products that consumers
continue to treat as disposables, and we could
debate why that is. They look very similar.
They’ve got the same brand name; they’re the
same price. As for the dexterity of how I can
actually use that as a reusable device, for
example, and how easy is it to physically
remove the pod while not breaking a nail –
question mark. Or, can I find the pods on the
shelf that match that device or are there
supply chain problems – question mark.
“When you step back and look at industry
data, as I do every week, and ask what is the
pod-to-device-ratio of a device, I see that it’s
not very different from when it was a
disposable.”
That revelation demands a “Wow” at least
– it’s the antidote to industry figures getting
callouses from slapping themselves
on the back about how the sector has
cleansed itself of sin.
“I think there are still products for
sale that are not in the spirit of the
law, should I say, even though they
might be to the letter of the law. But I
am encouraged by what the govern
ment might do next. The Tobacco and
Vapes bill gives a clear set of powers
- but they will only be useful if
they’re brought to bear and used on a
dynamic basis. So, let’s watch this space and
see what happens.
Favourite channel
Towards the end of the interview, I sneak in a
question about how Juul Labs regards the
convenience channel. I suspect some execs of
favouring their mega accounts with the
multiples while giving lip-service to indie
retailers – so how does Melissa see the
channel?
“I’ve sold into every channel,” she says.
“I’ve worked every channel, and in the alcohol
industry, where wholesale into convenience
is huge. It’s also a hugely important sector for
vapes. You can never get there without the
convenience channel.”
Agreement!
“Now that we’ve got this small, perfectly
formed flavour launch, I think we’ve become
much more relevant in that channel.
Convenience is a big part of the life of the
High Street. I come from the pub sector and
it’s not that dissimilar. But I think one of the
coolest things is that it’s largely business
owners in their own communities.
“How amazing is it that you can have adult
smokers in your neighbourhood who will
come to you and say, ‘What do you think?
Which one should I buy?’
“I also think that for the convenience
sector, Juul is a very interesting proposition,
and there’s three things I’d say. One, we have
the loyalist consumer, so if they can’t find
JUUL2 they are very unlikely to substitute.
They’re very likely to go and find it. Second,
they buy more frequently because of our pod
size. We are not a big puff and that is helpful for
footfall because they haven’t bought a big puff
once a week. Three, we also know that they’ve
got some of the highest basket spend, so they’re
very likely to cross-shop other things, perhaps
an energy drink or a bacon sandwich, depending
on what your offering is in your store.”
“As we become more relevant and grow in
the marketplace, we will be doing more
activities – POS kits, promotions, trade and
education programs. We’ve got national reach
across the wholesale network, and we’re
working with a few selected partners on
deeper plans, in-depot days and so on. We’re
going nationwide.”
So, in other words ...
“We’re back!”
Convenience is a hugely important
sector for vapes. You can’t get there
without the convenience channel.