Vape Superstore and 1account - implementing a frictionless customer journey for the safe purchase of vaping products

Vape Superstore wanted an age verification solution that was less intrusive to the online shopping journey and involved less hands-on involvement from staff, so they could spend more time working on the things that mattered most to their customers.

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Established in 2015, Vape Superstore is a leading UK retailer of vaping supplies, offering one of the most comprehensive ranges online.

They have grown to become a go-to online store for vaping products in the UK, servicing orders from across the country and setting up two bricks and mortar stores in central London.

Vape Superstore’s website is a top destination for vapers, with over 450,000 visitors to their site each month.

The challenge

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vape Superstore saw exponential traffic growth to their website as more people moved to online shopping. While this led to an increase in orders, it also brought with it a number of challenges.

Their existing age verification solution involved a great deal of manual intervention and left room for improvement within the customer journey. They wanted to find a solution that reduced order processing times and disruption to the customer transaction process, while improving verification pass rates.

As a leading retailer in the vaping sector, it was also paramount that Vape Superstore be an exemplar of best practice, both in terms of customer service and preventing access to underage consumers.

“Our legal and moral duty as a provider of age-restricted products is something we take extremely seriously. With 1account we’re able to provide products to the right customers exactly when they need them most, without compromising our values as a responsible retailer.”

Edward Swain Managing Director, Vape Superstore

The solution

Vape Superstore had already done their homework and tested multiple age verification providers to see how they fared. After seeing 1account’s award-winning solution in action, it was clear that it would be able to streamline their customer experience, without sacrificing performance or security.

Having assigned a dedicated account manager, 1account proceeded to roll out its age verification software to Vape Superstore’s Shopify site. With integrations to top e-commerce platforms – and detailed support materials and on-hand help – installation was extremely quick and simple, with no interruption to their service.

Following integration, 1account’s tech team helped with further testing to optimise Vape Superstore’s customer journey, making bespoke changes along the way to help meet their specific business needs.

“Following a timely approach from Damian at 1account, we were not only impressed with their high verification pass rates, but also their technology-driven approach to age verification.”

Edward Swain Managing Director, Vape Superstore

Results

By using 1account’s technology, Vape Superstore can be sure they are complying with industry regulations, while also quickly and efficiently onboarding customers with real-time age verification. This has given a significant uplift to acquisition, increasing their age verification pass rate by 18%, up to 92%.

By using more data sources than anyone else, 1account outperforms its competitors to ensure that every legitimate shopper can make a purchase, without the hurdles of clunky, manual age checks. And while this success rate is impressive, it also demonstrates that there is still a small percentage of underage opportunists who, without 1account, could have slipped through the net.

The future for Vape Superstore is looking bright. They have seen year-on-year growth and sales are strong. As the popularity of disposable vaping products increases, there is a greater focus within the industry to ensure prospective consumers are of legal age. We will continue to work closely with Vape Superstore to constantly improve our technologies, and to help them realise their vision of stamping out access to vaping products for underage users.

“We feel like we have a true partner in 1account, a company that is willing to collaborate with us to solve problems, and these types of partnerships are invaluable to a growing business. Our approval rates continue to be high, and we are constantly working together to improve them even more.”

Edward Swain Managing Director, Vape Superstore