In attempt to improve the optics of its marketing campaigns, Juul removed many of it’s non-disgusting flavors of pods from gas station shelves. Of course, whenever there’s a hole in the market, someone’s going to try and fill it.
That’s exactly what happened with decent flavors, several companies came in with compatible pods in flavors other than “dead ass” (also known as tobacco and menthol.)
Naturally prohibitionists see this as another cynical ploy to corrupt the angelic youth of our nation. Juul likely sees some missed market opportunities.
Or maybe they see the compatible products as giving them a black eye because they still labor under the delusion that prohibitionists will let adult former smokers be and have a useful alternative to smoking.
Juul said its concern was less about losing market share than about further damaging its reputation at a time when the company is trying to convince the public that it really does not want minors to vape, and that it is working to prevent them from doing so.
‘Juul-alikes’ Are Filling Shelves With Sweet, Teen-Friendly Nicotine Flavors – The New York Times
Either way, it makes for a bootleggers and baptists sort of situation with both going after the clone pods.