Since the prior year, the footprint of outlets selling electronic cigarettes has grown by roughly one third, reflecting a clear shift in retail dynamics. This pattern is drawn from the 2GIS cartographic dataset, which tracks business locations across major markets and highlights the momentum in vaping product retail.
In March 2023, the cohort of such storefronts in more than a million cities across Russia reached about 16.9 thousand points of sale. Among the regions, Volgograd stood out with a remarkable year-over-year surge, as the number of shops selling electronic cigarettes rose by 56 percent. Ufa followed closely with a roughly 50 percent expansion in this sector. In Moscow, the capital, the count rose by around one-third, bringing the total to approximately 4.1 thousand stores in the city proper.
Analysts attribute this acceleration to a combination of rising consumer interest in vaping products and relatively looser regulatory constraints as compared with traditional tobacco retailing. Industry participants note that a sizable portion of sellers in the electronic cigarette segment operate with limited excise taxation and that authorities are still navigating the legality and classification of these products. Pricing and margins in this field frequently rest with individual business decisions, creating a landscape where profit opportunities can outpace formal oversight.
In the policy arena, Vyacheslav Volodin, then the Speaker of the State Duma, instructed the relevant committees in the lower house to prepare proposals regarding a potential nationwide ban on electronic cigarettes. The debate underscores a tension between consumer demand, market growth, and the perceived need for tighter regulation.
From the fiscal perspective, the Ministry of Finance has warned that a blanket prohibition could lead to significant budgetary losses and spur a shift toward illicit trade. Officials argue that a ban might drive consumers to unregulated channels while eroding state revenue and reducing the effectiveness of tax administration. This stance reflects a broader concern that regulatory measures must balance public health objectives with economic and enforcement realities across the country and its regions.