A homeware and hardware shop will open in Dundee city centre on Friday – and is offering free vapes for its first customers.
Home Choice, which also has stores in Perthshire, is moving into the former Pound Shop premises in Murraygate.
To promote its opening, owner Hussain Ahmed is giving away free Crystal Bar vapes to the first 100 customers who spend £10 or more in store.
He said the rise in popularity of vaping was behind the decision.
Mr Ahmed said: “A lot of people are using them nowadays, so why not.
“It maybe isn’t the most appropriate, but we think 70-80% of our customers are using them. I thought if the public is using them, and everyone knows about vaping, why not?”
He said staff will make sure the vapes are not handed out to anyone under the age of 18.
“All the staff are trained to ID people, so we’ll monitor it,” he said.
Dundee shop offer ‘absolutely horrific’
However, the decision has been slammed by Dundee-based climate activist and influencer Laura Young.
She has been fighting to ban disposable vapes.
Laura said: “It is absolutely horrific.
“Something that is supposed to be a medical smoking cessation tool is now being used as a gimmick freebie for people to come to a hardware store.
“It has absolutely no business selling them. It’s wrong that they are selling them, never mind giving them out for free.
“I think it swerves a lot of regulations because you could never imagine giving out free cigarettes or alcohol.
“I hope people remember that this is not a harmless thing.”
She said the decision was particularly disappointing given Dundee City Council’s decision earlier this year to back a ban on the sale of disposable vapes.
Laura added: “It is absolutely irresponsible. I’ve got a sick feeling in my stomach that they are giving them away like sweets.
“It also shows how cheap and nasty these vapes are.”
‘We’re hoping for the best’, says shop owner
Meanwhile, Mr Ahmed is looking forward to the opening of his new store, which has created three new jobs.
He said he decided to open the Murraygate shop despite several businesses moving out of the city centre.
He added: “People have said Dundee is dying slowly, but we’ve taken a jump. It is a new project for us and we’re hoping for the best.
“Our shops are built for people coming in and they know we’ll have the item. If they can’t find it anywhere else, they’ll come to us. We don’t aim to be first.
“There’s not a lot of competition for us here, so I’m not too worried.”
