One British city has a staggering 54 vape shops on just two streets.
Cheetham Hill in Manchester, once home to Marks & Spencer’s first ever shop, has now been called the centre of vapes – with buyers coming from Ireland and Newcastle just to purchase the devices.
Harris Street, a stone’s throw from Strangeways prison, is home to 30 consecutive vape shops, with next door Overbridge Road home to 24.
There are little other stores in the streets, other than American candy shops – with the stores forming their own retail enclave.
Stewart Powis, 63, a retired serviceman said: “You know what they are doing down there – money laundering.
“They’re always going to say they are not. They’ve replaced all of the clothing shops.”
One local business owner told the Daily Mail: “I don’t bother going down there. There’s nothing to do. Why would I?”
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Chief Inspector Andy Torkington previously said: “You’d drive round there and think: ‘Why do you need another vape shop?’
“But the reality is that a box of legitimate vapes similar to what you’d fit 24 packs of crisps in has a £1,500 mark-up on it, from the wholesale price to what you would end up selling to the retailer.
“You only have to look at the cars of some of the people to work out the finances that are involved.
“And, of course, if you can sell the illegal ones, the mark-up is even greater.”
He said the vast majority of vape shops in the area are entirely legitimate, but some do engage with illicit activities.
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PICTURED: Overbridge Road in Cheetham Hill, where a dozen vape shops are located in this enclave alone
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“Some do it, not all of them do it, some solely do it, some part do it,” the Chief Inspector added.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed said the build-up of vape shops on high streets was “ridiculous”, adding that people were “sick to death” of them.
He said: “We are seeing a proliferation of a certain type of shop on too many high streets.
“There are two streets in Manchester which between them have 51 vape shops… that is absolutely bizarre.
“That is not going to bring people to the high street, you need a diversity of shops.”
Liberal Democrat councillor John Leech, leader of the opposition on Manchester City Council, blamed the Government for the state of the high street.
He said: “They’ve chosen to relax planning rules so authorities do not have the strength to reject the proliferation of vape shops.
“A shop that might have been a green grocer in the past might have been replaced by a similar one. But now it can be replaced by anything.”
Visitors are treated to an entire business park selling e-cigarettes
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But locals in Cheetham Hill defended their businesses and the vape shop epidemic.
A drop-shipping business owner who frequently buys vapes in the area said: “You get people coming over from Ireland and Newcastle for the vapes.
“If you want the best prices you come here. If you’re buying online from wholesalers they are marking it up. This is as good as it can be to get good prices.
“It’s the centre for it. It’s like the Canary Wharf of vapes.”
A worker of 16 years at Uncles Vape Co added: “This is the hub where everyone buys vape liquid from. Not from London or Scotland but here. Every customer knows this street.”