VB Distribution is helping retailers through the switch with early visibility of incoming stamped stock, starting with Hayati® Pro Ultra+ 25K and Hayati® Pro Max+ 6K, which it expects to enter its UK supply chain from mid-October. It is also supporting retailers with existing stock and publishing practical guidance through its Retailers Knowledge Hub.
The first arrivals are expected to include Hayati® Pro Ultra+ 25K and Hayati® Pro Max+ 6K, supplied with the relevant Vaping Duty Stamps as the industry begins transitioning towards the UK’s new duty-paid market.
Vaping Products Duty officially takes effect today, 1 October 2026, at £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid. The introduction represents one of the biggest structural changes the UK vape category has faced in recent years.
While much of the conversation leading up to the deadline has focused on approvals, duty stamps and industry readiness, VB Distribution has focused on what comes next: getting compliant product into the UK supply chain and maintaining continuity of supply for wholesalers and retailers. The business has been preparing its supply chain, compliance processes, warehousing operations and manufacturer relationships for the introduction of VPD, including arrangements for duty-stamped products entering the UK market.
Natalia Gosciniak, CEO of VB Distribution, said:
“Being approved or being ready on paper is only the first part of VPD. The real test starts now. Can you actually get stamped product into the country? Can you move it through the supply chain correctly? Can you keep products available while retailers manage the transition between legacy and VPD stock?
That is what retailers and wholesalers ultimately care about. We have spent a lot of time preparing for the operational side of VPD, and we are now moving into the next phase, bringing physical duty-stamped product into the market.
Our first Hayati® Pro Ultra+ 25K and Hayati® Pro Max+ 6K stamped stock is expected from mid-October, with further ranges following.”
VB Distribution is also reminding retailers that the UK market will not move entirely to stamped products overnight. Eligible unstamped vaping products manufactured or imported before 1 October 2026 can continue moving through the market during the transitional sell-through period, which runs until 31 March 2027. This means retailers may temporarily see legacy unstamped stock and newer duty-stamped stock trading alongside one another. The company believes this makes communication between suppliers, wholesalers and retailers particularly important during the next six months.
Gosciniak added:
“The transition needs to be managed commercially as well as compliantly. Retailers will have existing stock to sell through, new VPD stock beginning to arrive and potentially different pricing between the two.
The worst thing the industry can do is create panic. Retailers need visibility, what stock is available, when stamped stock is arriving, what they are buying and what documentation sits behind it.”
With VPD now live, VB Distribution expects attention across the market to move towards availability, pricing, stock rotation and continuity of supply. The company’s priority through the transition will be to give wholesalers and retailers clearer visibility of incoming VPD stock, while continuing to support customers managing eligible legacy inventory.
It will also use its Retailers Knowledge Hub to publish practical guidance throughout the transition, covering duty stamps, existing stock, pricing, documentation, bonded warehousing and other questions being raised by UK retailers. The Hub is available on VB Distribution’s LinkedIn page.
VB Retailers Knowledge Hub: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/retailer-knowledge-hub-7511413400967659521/
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