Chill Brands surges on WHSmith vape deal

Chill Brands surged on Monday as it announced the sale of its Chill ZERO nicotine-free vapour products into WHSmith stores.

The products will enter an initial 150 of WHSmith's 1,700 stores. These are UK travel stores located in airports, train stations and other high traffic hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick and Kings Cross Station.

Chill said they benefit from an estimated combined daily footfall of more than 500,000 passengers per day.

In addition, the company has secured initial orders from UK retailers worth in excess of £350,000 since the local launch of Chill ZERO in August. This includes sales made to more than 200 independent stores. The agreement has been facilitated by The Vaping Group and Phoenix 2 Retail, one of the UK's largest distributors of vaping products.

Chief executive Callum Sommerton said: "We are delighted that WHSmith will be the first major UK retailer to stock our Chill ZERO range of nicotine-free vapes. This deal will see our products go on sale in major transport hubs throughout the country, providing exposure to hundreds of thousands of potential customers every day.

"This significant milestone marks the beginning of an exciting journey for the Company and is a clear sign of things to come. We are committed to further expanding our presence in the market, developing more strategic partnerships, and continuing to deliver innovative products to consumers seeking quality alternatives to tobacco and nicotine."

At 0915 BST, Chill shares were up 8.5% at 5.98p.