Juul Considers Brick-And-Mortar Push For eCigarettes

Juul Labs, the company that makes the popular vaporizer, might be set to launch retail stores in the United States.

A source told Reuters that the company has not made a final decision on the stores, which would only admit people aged 21 and over.

The news comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been making plans to get stricter with vaping companies as it tries to stop the use of e-cigarettes among teens. As a result, Juul has pulled popular flavors such as mango and cucumber from retail stores, as well as shut down its social media pages on Instagram and Facebook.

Last month, it also launched a new program to track its devices and figure out how they get into the hands of minors.

The program — Track & Trace — involves tracking the serial numbers on the bottom of the devices used for vaping. Juul has asked parents, teachers and law enforcement officials to visit a page on its website and input the serial number of a confiscated device.

“As part of our efforts to prevent youth use through technological solutions, we are developing a unique product tracking system to better understand how these products are getting into the hands of minors,” the company said at the time. “Ultimately, our aim is to use this information to trace a device confiscated from a minor back through the distribution channel, potentially identifying the specific retail store that sold the product. With that information, we can take appropriate action.”

Right now, the program is limited to Houston, but anyone can input a serial number and start an investigation on a confiscated device.

As for the stores, the company reportedly plans to only sell tobacco, mint and menthol flavors. The first store would open in Texas, with the source noting that Juul is eyeing cities with high smoking rates.