UK vape specialist retailer VPZ announced a multi-million-pound investment program to expand domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply-chain controls, and create hundreds of jobs across its retail and logistics network, according to Convenience Store. The plan includes adding a fifth production line at its UK facility, opening 40 new stores in 2026, and establishing a bonded warehouse at its Edinburgh headquarters to support compliance, enforcement, and preparation for the planned vape tax in October. VPZ said the investment is aimed at improving resilience, supporting regulatory requirements, and distinguishing compliant retailers from illegal operators amid record seizures of illicit vapes by authorities.
Tag: expansion
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IKT Announces New Distribution Structures for Asian Expansion
International Korea Tobacco (IKT) announced that it has launched aggressive expansion domestically as well as within Indonesia. In both markets, the company has established distribution structures through partnerships with state-owned enterprises, reflecting a high-barrier but strategically positioned market entry. IKT said it contributes more than 20 years of tobacco R&D and manufacturing experience with an annual capacity of 250 million packs.
In Indonesia, IKT has partnered with the local distributor Mir Six Global to launch the machine-made white cigarette (SPM) products Pointful Blue and Pointful Flow, initiating distribution through approximately 100 Bright Store outlets, the convenience store chain owned by Pertamina Retail, while simultaneously pursuing an expansion into nationwide minimarket chains. This collaboration is regarded as a tobacco distribution partnership aimed at positioning Indonesia as a strategic logistics hub within Southeast Asia, leveraging a Java-centered distribution structure to enhance logistics efficiency and scalability.
Domestically, IKT signed a distribution agreement with the Korea Supermarket Cooperative Federation, an affiliate of the Korea Federation of SMEs, to supply Pointful Korea cigarettes across South Korea’s small supermarket and convenience store network. The rollout will distribute the brand to more than 50,000 retail outlets nationwide, aiming to revitalize local retail channels and create new profit opportunities for small businesses.
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New Indonesian Factory Fuels KT&G’s Expansion
KT&G told Hankooki.com today (November 12) that its Indonesian factory is scheduled to be completed within the month and should begin full-scale operations in February 2026. The 190,000-square-meter facility, which will produce cigarettes and capsule products for export across Southeast Asia and beyond, is expected to boost KT&G’s annual production capacity in Indonesia to 35 billion cigarettes, making it the company’s largest overseas manufacturing base.
The move follows the launch of KT&G’s Kazakhstan plant in April, which can produce 4.5 billion cigarettes annually and serves as a key export hub for the Eurasian market. With both sites operational, KT&G aims to produce over half of its total output overseas in the medium to long term, improving global supply efficiency.
The company also plans to expand into new markets like Jordan and Bangladesh, while growing its next-generation product (NGP) segment and nicotine pouch business through a strategic partnership and joint acquisition with Altria.
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Ispire Announces Huge Malaysian Expansion
Ispire Technology Inc. announced that it has received the interim license from the Malaysian Government for the manufacturing of nicotine products. The company said, “This is the first and only nicotine manufacturing license issued in Malaysia approved by both the Federal and State authorities and cements Ispire’s position as the only company with full authorization for export, import, and production.” The approval of the interim license also allows the company to begin manufacturing nicotine products in Malaysia immediately, as well as officially begin marketing its nicotine manufacturing capabilities externally.
“Receiving the interim license for our Malaysian manufacturing operations is a significant milestone for Ispire as we progress towards positioning the company as a leading international provider of vaping hardware,” said Michael Wang, co-Chief Executive Officer of Ispire. “We can now officially begin manufacturing and marketing our nicotine products in Malaysia, with our Malaysian facility soon featuring 80 production lines, growing its capacity from the current six lines. Once the final license is approved in the coming months as we anticipate, our regulatory requirements in Malaysia will be complete and Ispire will have the first federal nicotine manufacturing license in the country. By diversifying our production base, we are strategically de-risking our production strategy and mitigating the concern of geopolitical factors increasing our pricing.”