According to Circana’s survey data, in 2024, unauthorized disposable flavored vape sales in the United States were about $2.4 billion, accounting for 35% of total vape sales. Previously top-selling ESCOBAR and ELFBAR fell to the top 10 in the FDA crackdown, while Geek Bar Pulse became the most popular brand with sales of $582.8 million, the data showed.
Reuters: $2.4 billion in U.S. sales of illegally flavored disposable vapes
According to personal retail data reviewed by Reuters on February 24, unauthorized condiment disposable vape sales in the United States amounted to about $2.4 billion in 2024. Accounting for 35 percent of total vape sales in convenience stores and supermarkets.
According to market research firm Circana. The market share of illegal vapes in 2024 has declined significantly compared to $3.2 billion in 2023 and $2.8 billion in 2022. Circana said it could not confirm or comment because the information was not publicly available.
Geek Bar Pulse has become the most popular brand
Circana’s data tracks about 11,000 unauthorized flavored disposable vape products. The products are distributed across hundreds of brands, with flavors ranging from “cookie and cloud” to “magic cotton candy.” This shows the scale of illegal vapes in the U.S. market, which is flooded with unauthorized goods.
Circana told Reuters that they estimate the market value to be $6.8 billion in 2024. The entire vape market it tracks includes licensed commodities and non-disposable vapes, meaning flavored disposable vapes account for about 35 percent of the market tracked by Circana. The company’s data only tracks sales through specific channels, such as convenience stores, and does not include sales from online sales, individual stores, and specialty vape retail outlets.
According to the data, sales of flavored disposable vapes have contracted by 25% since 2023. Industry sources said Circana’s 2024 figures are preliminary and its figures for single-use vapes have been revised upwards in the past. British American Tobacco (BAT) and Altria (Altria) say the vape market is expanding in the United States. Billy Gifford, CEO of Altria, said at a conference on Feb. 19 that the vape market in the United States is expected to grow by 30 percent in 2024 and is driven entirely by illegal products.
The data show that the FDA’s crackdown is beginning to pay off. Previous best-selling brands ESCOBAR and ELFBAR have fallen out of the top 10 best-selling devices in 2024 after the FDA blocked their imports in 2023. However, other brands have taken their place.
