By Emily Rast, For The Miami Student
Studio Vapes, a chain that sells a wide variety of electronic cigarettes and supplies, will be opening their sixth location March 28 in Oxford. The store, located at 111 West High St., will offer Oxford residents over 175 different flavors of e-juice.
With a large selection of brands and flavors, Studio Vapes has a juice to cater to everyone's taste, according to Ian McLaughlin, one of the owners.
The chain, which has enjoyed success in both the Cincinnati and Southern Indiana areas, is looking to expand their customer base with the new location in Oxford. While Studio Vapes serves a huge demographic, with customers ranging from teenagers following the e-cig trend to senior citizens trying to beat an addiction, they are targeting a new market here.
"We want to focus more on the juice - it's a cultural shift, usually very popular in college towns," McLaughlin said.
With over 10 brands and 175 flavors of e-juice, Studio Vapes provides many options. Basic starting sets cost around $30, but more intricate sets cost up to several hundred dollars and are available for vapor enthusiasts.
The strength of the flavor, as well as the presence of nicotine, is up to the customer, allowing each person to tailor their own experience.
Austin Newman, an employee at the Colerain Avenue location, said this is made possible through the many combinations and setups available for Studio Vape smokers.
These setups allow the user to tweak a number of things about their electronic cigarette, from how much nicotine is in the blend to how big the vapor cloud is. McLaughlin and Newman both agreed this individualized process is extremely important.
"You can get zero nicotine - no addiction," McLaughlin said.
This adjustable nicotine setting is a redeeming factor for e-cigarettes, which are banned on Miami's campus.
"It can be really good for people trying to quit smoking," McLaughlin said.
Christy McDougall, a junior health and kinesiology major, had mixed feelings about Oxford's newest shop.
"I think I would support it for the sole fact that it could potentially help current smokers quit," McDougall said. "My only fear is that non-smokers will pick it up and that could hurt them."
Electronic cigarettes aren't only for formers smokers, though. Studio Vapes advertises electronic cigarettes to recreational smokers as well.
Of their nearly 200 flavors, several stand out as customer favorites.
"Blueberry and blackberry are our most popular flavors," Newman said, of the Colerain Avenue location.
But McLaughlin said Dragonblood, a fruit mix, is the all-time best seller.
Employees work to help each customer find something to suit his or her preferences. The owners encouraged Oxford residents to stop by the new location, even if they have never smoked or used an electronic cigarette before.
"We're very fun with people, very outgoing and informative," McLaughlin said. "If you're curious, stop in."