If the traditional vape fixture has been about selling a product, Guna Sud's approach is about building an entire destination around the category.
At Racetrack, Sud has responded well to changing customer behaviour and legislation by turning next-generation nicotine into one of the most developed parts of the store's offer.
Following the disposable vape ban, the business substantially expanded its range of refillable pod systems, starter kits, nicotine salts and devices, while also developing its nicotine pouch offer. Today, the store carries approximately 2,100 SKUs across more than 40 brands, including vaping products, refillable devices, nicotine salts, CBD products and around 200 nicotine pouch SKUs.
The strategy has been to make the category easier to understand as well as easier to shop. Entry-level offers include a vape kit and nicotine salt bundle for £5, while customers buying a device receive a free nicotine salt to encourage trial.
Sud's relationship with suppliers has also helped Racetrack move quickly on innovation. Partnerships with brands including Elf Bar, Gold Bar and PIXL have enabled the retailer to bring new products to market, with Racetrack among the first UK retailers to launch PIXL Salts. Supported by exclusive app promotions and in-store activations, the range has since become its best-selling nicotine salt line.
The investment extends well beyond the products themselves. The store has created a dedicated smokeless alternatives destination next to the tills and beer cave, centred on a 10-metre vape wall with large digital screens displaying promotions, launches and educational messaging. Products are arranged to create a logical customer journey, moving from entry-level products through refillable kits, pod systems, nicotine salts and specialist lines.
Then there is the Snus Daddy nicotine pouch display: a bespoke 2-metre chilled unit with integrated lighting and digital screens, described in the nomination as a UK-first concept. The display has helped drive more than 30% growth in nicotine pouch sales.
Crucially, the proposition is backed by product knowledge. Staff receive monthly training, product updates and supplier-led education, with at least one dedicated vape expert on shift. Following the disposable vape ban, the team helped customers understand the changes and move towards compliant alternatives, explaining refillable devices, nicotine salts and pouches alongside their cost and performance benefits.
That consultative approach appears to be translating into sales. Device sales have risen from around two to three a day to an average of 11, while overall sales recovered from an initial decline of around 5% following the disposable vape ban to exceed pre-ban levels. Promotional activity, meanwhile, has increased sales by up to 35%.
The retailer has also built a custom RaceTrack & Tubbees app, using push notifications, loyalty rewards, exclusive offers, competitions and product launches to keep customers engaged beyond the shop floor. A 30-day device warranty adds another layer of service.
The result is a convenience retailer treating next-gen nicotine not as an add-on category, but as a specialist proposition in its own right – combining range, theatre, technology and trained advice.