I really have no idea, I have no real interaction with vapers in real life. Either vapers, vape shops, none of it. Far as I know the neighbor's gf who lives out of state and shows up once in a great while switched to vaping, I helped her out some with where to find some deals. I think she buys most of her stuff locally to her. The neighbor across the way and their son (early 20's now) have vaped on and off but keep going back to smokes. They treat vaping like complicated do-hickey smoking of the future or something.
In my 4.5yrs of vaping it's all been online. This forum's helped a great deal, I was totally on my own. But I'm the sort of person who digs for info, whether it's repairing stuff, carpentry, auto, electrical, computers. I'll watch 8 reviews on something and dig through another 20 articles or whatever before I purchase. An ex of mine on the other hand just a couple years younger than I am, she couldn't understand how patient (or obsessed) I was hunting info down. She'd get bored after 5-10min tops and be like screw it I don't need it or the purple one looks cool.
So many people seem not to care even enough to compare two products by their box specs. And the younger crowds from what I've noticed blow through money. Even those with min wage jobs will be like cool a burger. Doesn't matter if it's $5 or $15. It's only money. They either have it or don't. No real concept of value or budgeting. Like if you have $100 to your name maybe skip the $15 burger for the $2 burger until money's better. They just want easy and with that mindset I don't think they care to know how to make their own juice. They often don't cook their own meals, they just can't be assed with it. Even to know for critical times like having to be self reliant. If full serve gas goes down they're fucked. And they don't care.
Just don't think they care to know how to build coils or make juice, they'll find someplace or some way to get it easier no matter the cost. On social media vape groups I've noticed a rise in people being new mixers or builders. Not like you'd think but I wonder how many vapers know a damn thing other than it don't work or a light flashed, plug it in. I get used to people being more educated and on top of stuff because of the forums and groups I'm in, forget that's such a small minority compared to the masses. Who all they hear are antz ads and crap.
And while I love vaping and am willing to put in the work, lots of people aren't. Even 'easy' kits, pods and things, compared to smoking it's a pain in the ass. That's how the lazy generation feel about it. It's the difference between picking up a $5 cup of coffee from a drive thru vs omg, having to get a maker and put a pod in it and wait for it. And that's the equivalent to pod vapes, switching coils, adding juice, recharging. To many it's like nope, too much. My dad's like that, it's too high tech for him. Much less the concept of getting coffee beans, grinding them, cleaning a reusable basket, brewing your own cup. People these days if they can't tell Alexa to do it, fuck it.
The number of vapers vs non vapers is already pretty small. Whittle it down to those who bother reading forums, articles, research, educating themselves and it becomes what, like all 30 of us here on the forum? lol. I mean I joke, but seriously it's a small disproportionate amount of an already small minority. That's paying attention, on top of the pmta's and such. Sad but it's the reality of it. I'm sure many shops don't know what's going on. They just saw this new vape thing is selling so let's do that. Let's carry that if we can flip it for a buck. Also doesn't shock me vape shop employees might know jack. I've been to plenty of places, home building centers, electronics stores where employees knew fuck all. Trying to read the side of the box (hell I can do that). Pc repair shops googling the issue. My latest venture to the auto parts store, it's not a repair shop I get it. But they offer battery charging system tests. First guy couldn't figure it out. 10min later here comes the store manager, he's gonna get it fixed. Oh umm.. yea umm.. well see cause it's a side post battery.. you umm.. have to like trick the machine.. uhh.. What the fuck does that have to do with it? Clueless. In the end wasted over 30min and they printed it out. A blank 'charging system' report came out like an empty receipt and they were both like 'dude, bummer'. It's like living in Idiocracy. "Wheres your taTOO, how come you have no taTOO?!". People think toilet paper sold out like mad during the pandemic, I could've made a small fortune selling them 'instructions' to go with it.