When I first got into this industry several years ago, there wasn’t really a question about bottle sizes when it came to e-liquids. Everything was typically found in 30mL bottles, be it glass or plastic, it was just never a question.
Fast forward to today and you can find e-liquids anywhere from 10mL all the way up to 200mL without getting into special orders. This diversity in bottle formats has created somewhat of a controversial problem from both retail store owners and consumers alike. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages across the board, so which is really the ‘best’ format in terms of value? Value not just in cost/mL, because that is almost always more efficient in larger bottles. I’m talking value to the customer and to the retail store owners.
One of the largest objections I see from retail store owners about larger bottles is that they feel they will see their customer less frequently or make less margin on the product itself. From a business perspective, I can appreciate some of these concerns. I can understand why some businesses would choose to avoid the larger bottles. When it really comes down to it though, it doesn’t really matter what the retail owner wants to sell, it matters what the consumer wants to buy.
I’ve seen countless business owners build their business on the concept that they sell what they want the customer to purchase. This isn’t just a vaping phenomenon; it happens across all retail industries. If a business wants to be successful, they simply have to find out what is needed and wanted by the public and fill that need.
This brings me to the second part of the topic: what does the customer want to buy? The answer isn’t as simple as “large bottles”. Each demographic is different, some with only minor changes and others with drastic ones. A product that we sell thousands of bottles out of one location could be the only store in the country that buys said product from us. Their stores customer demographic is simply different.
With all of that said, it’s fair to say that the cost/mL is almost always better in larger volume. So what is right for you? With a product from a brand like Dripper’s Paradise or Big Boy Vape Co, 140mL is a steal for its price, but what if you don’t like the flavour you purchased? Suddenly your value goes right down the drain with the e-liquid you don’t enjoy vaping. If that flavour is great for you, then you can enjoy your cost savings with every purchase. (Personally, I think they’re flavours are great, but that’s my opinion)
So this question really doesn’t hinge on the value of the bottle size, but it comes right down to taste being subjective and in many cases, unknown. Making a larger bottle purchase carries great rewards if you like the flavour, but great risks if you don’t. Smaller bottles now carry the advantage where the price of a 30mL bottle of Gold Seal is much less of a commitment with a larger bottle option if you enjoyed the flavour. This answer really does vary from individual to individual. If you like most flavours, you should probably stick to the larger bottles with a lower cost/mL. If you’re a picky vaper, sticking to smaller bottles lowers the risk of wasting money, but in some cases limits some amazing flavours that you might love but never try because they’re only available 100mL+.
If you prefer to shop by bottle size, I would encourage you to try out our filter tool on the main page. Just under our banner to the right of the “E-Liquid Brands” section is a filter that allows you to sort brands by their bottle sizes as well as origin and nicotine type.
Cheers,
Tim Howey
General Manager
True North Vapor