Trend reversal: Shisha Heaven says goodbye to the hookah

Since 2015, oriental shisha has become increasingly popular in Switzerland and shisha bars and stores have sprouted up like mushrooms. In the coronavirus years, demand shifted to specialized online stores, from which Shisha Heaven was able to benefit greatly. Even before the waves of the pandemic had subsided, disposable vapes from brands such as Elfbar and Aroma King came onto the market and heralded the vape boom. In the years that followed, demand shifted more and more from classic hookahs to electronic vape products. Today, hookahs and shisha tobacco lead a niche existence, which has been further fueled by heavy taxation and complex handling.

Interview with Fabian Blättler (CFO Digital Heaven)

Why are you taking shishas out of the range?

The main reason for the decision is primarily the declining demand. However, there are also low brands, high taxation (hookah tobacco) and the costly handling of the products. Hookah tobacco has a limited shelf life, which makes bulk purchases difficult, and hookahs are large and susceptible to damage during transportation and use. All these factors combined make classic hookahs and hookah tobacco a challenging e-commerce product.

 

How will the decision affect your business success?

We are already one of the largest vape stores in Switzerland and do not expect our sales figures to collapse as a result of the decision. Hookah products have only accounted for a small percentage of our turnover for some time now. In future, we will focus even more on tobacco cigarette substitutes with a lower risk potential.

 

Shisha Heaven without shishas, is that possible?

The decision to say goodbye to shisha was emotionally difficult for us, as we started our company with this product. However, demand clearly shows that we are already perceived as a specialized vape store. And since the term e-shisha is often used as a synonym for vape in the vernacular, we can continue to exist with our name even after the reorientation.

 

Is the shisha coming back?

We always keep our ears and eyes open and regularly test new innovative products. A lot has happened in recent years with the Ooka and Xkah, but in our opinion the products are not yet fully developed. If new hookah products come onto the market that combine simplicity and a perfect taste experience, we will be happy to offer them again in our store.