10 Years Of LiQuid
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The Story So Far
We've been on quite the journey here at LiQuid from humble beginnings to one fo the most popular online vape stores in the UK. As a part of NextGEN360 Ltd, one of the UK's largest vaping manufacturers, onepoundeliquid.com was launched to provide UK vapers with premium quality products at an affordable price, committed to the philosophy of helping people to quit smoking without breaking the bank or having to rely on questionable products imported from China - which at one time was the only option for UK vapers.
There was an increasing demand in the UK for vaping products that were produced domestically to quality standards people could trust - A demand we continue to fulfill to this day!
It is because of our parent companies NextGEN360 and WGG that LiQuid is able to offer such high quality at low cost to you - we have always had total control of the full manufacturing process in-house (Learn more here), and as LiQuid is our flagship brand, we have always ensured customers like you have access to the very best we have to offer. Not only this, but we are committed to being a part of a responsible vaping industry that acts with the best interests of peoples' health and the environemtn at the heart of our operations, which you can learn more about in our Corporate Social Responsibility Policy.
In 2024 we celebrate LiQuid's 10th birthday and we are proud to share our story so you can see just how far we've come and get to know a bit about us along the way - after all, you should only buy vaping products from a reputable, trusted source - and that's exactly what we're all about: The best quality products at the best possible price!
2014
Our story began as a small, independent, family-run business. Spurred on by our founder and MD Ben's desire to help his mother quit smoking, he gathered a team and launched an e-liquid manufacturing business to become one of the first to develop premium vaping products right here in the UK!
We provided e-liquid contract manufacturing solutions for an expanding portfolio of businesses, but also a budget-conscious online retail platform for vapers through our earliest brand: LiQuid.
We honed our craft and quickly became industry-leaders in e-liquid manufacturing, defining best practice and setting the standard for quality vape juice in the UK.
2016
After two successful years our business had gone from strength to strength - our customers loved our dependable quality, variety, and of course the famous LiQuid price-point of only £1 per 10ml bottle!
We had quickly outgrown our original premises in Marple, Cheshire, and so we expanded into a brand new unit in Stockport, South Manchester, changing our name from FreshCig to Blend & Bottle - allowing us to streamline and revolutionise our operations so we could deliver even more quality products to our ever-expanding customer base. It was here we gained our ISO 9001 certification and began working towards GMP standards, proving our stellar quality and efficiency.
Thanks to our unique production facility and operational experience we were more than ready when the UK Government announced the TPD regulations which would change the vaping industry forever and see many brands less focussed on quality and safety disappear.
2017
2017 was a busy year for all of us here at LiQuid!
Our success hadn't gone unnoticed, and neither had our quality - We were approached by Thornton & Ross, a subsidiary of global Pharmaceutical giant STADA AG. They wanted to buy into an arm of the growing vaping sector in light of it's staggering power to help people quit smoking, and recognised our commitment to quality and safety in vaping was unlike any other UK brand, in-line with their own ethos of providing premium heathcare products to their customers.
A deal was struck and we became a part of the global STADA family. With our founders still at the helm of day-to-day operations, we successfully navigated and exceeded TPD safety regualtions and continued to go from strength to strength, launching LiQuid's sister brand EDGE Vaping in the same year, which would have a unique focus on traditional retail and smoking cessation support.
Despite having a plan to remain in our Stockport site for 5 years, we quickly outgrew it once again and relocated to an even larger site in Bredbury, South Manchester, which would allow us to serve even more customers and help them on their vaping journeys, chaging our parent company name once again from Blend & Bottle to BSMW Ltd - the initials of our founding family members.
Disaster struck in October however when an electrical fault started a fire that almost destroyed our whole business! - but not to be deterred our teams banded together and rebuilt our HQ from the ground up!
We took the opportunity to create a fully bespoke state-of the-art GMP Class-D manufacturing clean facility and an expansive ISO 17025 accredited analytical laboratory taking our operations to even greater heights, rising from the ashes of BSMW to become NextGEN360 - with the LiQuid brand still going strong!
2020
After nearly 3 incredible years of growth in our rebuilt facility we had LiQuid was flying high as one of the go-to brands in budget-friendly vaping, with customers now reaching beyond the UK to Ireland and France, and our £1 e liquids were being shipped around the world, sparking our tagline "Made in Britain, Loved Worldwide".
The chaging UK political landscape however made things rather complicated with Brexit taking effect in January 2020. With rising internaitonal shipping costs and cross-border sales becoming nearly impossible, we sadly had to focus our efforts on the UK alone, leaving more than a few people without their favourite flavours overseas. Thanks to our loyal UK LiQuid community however we continued to do a roaring trade and doubled-down on our efforts to provide the best online vape retail experience possible to our valued customers.
In March of the same year COVID-19 had gripped the globe, and we entered the first lockdown which had a profound impact on so many of us here in the UK and around the world. In order to comply with social distancing and the many other rules enforced for public safety at the time we had to operate a skeleton crew with many of our teams furloughed or working from home. Thankfully we were still able to operate our LiQuid website so our customers could still get their vaping products delivered to their doors, and we thank those customers for their loyalty during what was a very difficult time for everyone.
Towards the end of 2020 however things changed again within our business as our founders left the business leading STADA to replace many of the team members who had built NextGEN360 and it's brands EDGE and LiQuid. Business continued as normal for our customers but this was a challenging time as new team members got to grips with the vaping industry with the help of a few who remained from the original LiQuid team.
2021
The founders who left NextGEN360 went on in 2021 to create a new company WIlson George Group (WGG) who operated e-liquid manufacturing and retail, as well as raw material production including flavourings, PG, VG and nicotine. The latter being the one piece of the vaping industry process we had not brought in-house at NextGEN360.
This was also the year that saw disposable vaping begin it's rise to popularity, but we stuck to our guns as producers of 10ml bottled e-liquids, and didn't get involved in the hype because we recognised the damage these products posed to the environment as well as the nation's youth! We continued to focus our efforts on providing solutions for adult smokers looking for an alternative as well as current vapers looking for the best experience on their journeys.
2023
After 2.5 years under new management with STADA, 2023 saw our founders return after finding much success as WGG, and in a reversal of the events of 2017 they purchased NextGEN360 from STADA bringing LiQuid home once again to those who created it and made it great!
Since becoming a part of WGG, we have doubled down on our efforts to provide even more amazing products to our customers, expanding our ranges to include our new £2 range of bar salt e-liquids, alongside leading third party brands like Lost Mary and Elf Bar who have released similar 10ml bottled products. We began restoring flavours to our original £1 range that had been cut under STADA and introduced a fanatstic range of vape kits from leading brands like Aspire, VooPoo, Vaporesso, OXVA and more!
2024
Now in 2024 we are set for an amazing year of growth as we continue striving to serve our customers in the best ways possible; providing better quality products than ever before for the same great prices, whilst also offering more choice and diversity to ensure the LiQuid community can get access to the oproducts they love without breaking the bank.
With disposable vapes set to be banned by 2025, we represent a one-stop-shop of products and knowledge to help single-use vapers to find the best alternatives and discover that premium quality vaping can be convenient and doesn't have to cost the Earth.
Thanks to being a part of WGG, LiQuid customers can benefit from the fact that we have total control over every aspect of our products, from raw materials, to R&D, manufacturing and bottling, quality testing and MHRA registration - it's all handled in-house by our dedictated teams - controlling costs, constantly improving quality and ensuring we can pass those savings and benefits on to you!
With subsciption services and loyalty points available, more products than ever to choose from, and unmatched customer service and support, there has never been a better time to be a LiQuid customer!
We are also set to launch our first ever non-vaping product range in the form of LiQuid Nicotine Pouches - a vapour, smoke and tobacco-free alternative nicotine product (learn more in our blog) that has seen incredible popularity around the world and is now gaining traction here in the UK. Ideal as a companion product or simply an alternative to vaping, nicotine pouches offer a discreet way to manage cravings even in places where vaping is not permitted, and our LiQuid nic pouches promise to beat out other brands in both price and quality! Yet another reason why 2024 is an exciting time to be a LiQuid customer!
If you haven't joined us already, we'd love to welcome you to the LiQuid community! No matter your journey, we are here to supoport you!
