The number of vape shops has rapidly grown, decked out in rainbow colors and neon signs. They’re easy to spot – sometimes right next to your smoothie shop or maybe in that empty storefront you always wished you could turn into something useful.

Many of these establishments also offer a wide range of products and accessories, including mods, tanks and refillables, all designed to deliver the latest technology in the fast-growing e-cigarette market. They’re a popular choice for consumers seeking a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.

Finding the Best Vape Shop Near You: A Complete Guide

These shops also have the unique challenge of providing educational and informational materials on vapor products, vaping safety guidelines and maintenance. To do so, staff must be knowledgeable on the thousands of product combinations available for users in the vapor industry. This often requires extensive training that can include e-learning programs or peer-to-peer mentoring.

While the prevalence of these stores is increasing, they remain a niche business and their market is highly regulated. Consequently, they’re likely to stay a popular choice for customers seeking the latest vapor products and accessories.

To better understand the location and neighborhood demographics of these shops, we analyzed online Yelp and Google data for vape stores and convenience stores in the Boston, Minneapolis, San Diego, Seattle, and Oklahoma City metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Results indicated that vape shops are located more frequently than convenience stores. We also found a relationship between neighborhood household income and the odds of having a Vape Shop in an MSA, although these differences were idiosyncratic to individual tracts.…