Word Vape Show Insights｜ Divergent Brand-Overseas Routes: UK Brands Target the Middle East, Southeast Asian Brands Land in Africa, and US Hits Struggling for Exports?

【By 2Firsts, Dubai】The World Vape Show was held in Dubai from June 18th to 20th. As the official media partner, 2Firsts delved into the exhibition and found that global brands have different strategies for expanding internationally.

British Brands are Shifting Their Focus to the Middle East

Under the dual pressure of the ban on disposable e-cigarettes and tightening regulations, several leading brands in the UK are accelerating their pace of expanding overseas, with a particular focus on the Middle East market.

Among them, the brand Sikary under SKE has recently invested a substantial amount of resources into the Middle East market, focusing on promoting their no-fog product ZERO, with a swift response. Another highly recognized brand in the UK, HAYATI, has also chosen the Middle East as its key breakthrough point, accelerating channel development and brand exposure.

This type of action reflects the high level of alertness of British brands to domestic policy risks, as well as the urgent mentality to compete for international market share before policy windows tighten. The Middle East is becoming the preferred target for overseas expansion of these brands due to its higher consumption power, unsaturated market structure, and relatively relaxed regulatory environment.

It can be foreseen that in the near future, brands from the UK will continue to increase their competitiveness in overseas markets, with the Middle East also becoming a key battleground under the "policy spillover effect".

Brand Global Expansion Paths are Diverging

In addition, the 2Firsts found after exchanging with multiple brand merchants, a common trend is: almost all brands are no longer satisfied with consolidating existing markets, but actively seeking new growth curves, exploring "the next blue ocean.

Brands from different market backgrounds exhibit distinct differentiation in their international expansion paths：

·British brands, known in the UK but not based there, often consider the Middle East as their preferred market for expansion. The high spending power and policy environment in the Middle East provide them with ideal opportunities for continued growth.

·Southeast Asian local brands clearly prefer the African market as a priority development area. These brands excel in entering Africa through price and channel advantages, seizing the initiative.

·American brands" (non-American brands that are well-known in the United States) tend to see Canada as their preferred "second base." However, compared to brands in other regions, American brands appear more cautious and even somewhat lost in their further global expansion. While some brands are also trying to enter markets in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and other regions, their overall expansion strategy is still immature, lacking a clear path forward.

Overall, various brands share the same goal of "going global", but due to differences in the local market environment, product structure, distribution model, etc., their global expansion strategies are gradually diverging. Moving forward, whoever can establish a strong presence in emerging markets may determine the competitive landscape of the next phase.

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