Shopify has issued a directive to merchants using its web-hosting platform, telling them to pull all vape products from their online stores — a move the Ottawa-based company confirmed on Friday following a Reuters report.
The e-commerce infrastructure provider, which supports millions of online businesses worldwide, had been signaling this shift since June after facing pressure from a coalition of U.S. state and city law enforcement authorities. The coalition had raised concerns about widespread sales of illegal vape products through websites operating on Shopify’s platform.
The company’s updated policy goes further than initially anticipated, covering all vape-related products rather than just those deemed illegal.
A notice dated June 24 stated: “Due to changes in legal restrictions on the sale of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), Shopify no longer supports the sale of these products.” Merchants were instructed to remove all e-cigarette products by July 8 or face product suspension or complete store termination.
While Shopify verified the notice was genuine, the company declined to elaborate further. Earlier in June, Shopify had told Reuters that it does not permit illegal activity and that its enforcement decisions are guided by its review of legal requirements across different jurisdictions.
The policy change comes in response to pressure from attorneys general in California, Illinois, and Arizona, along with authorities in the City of New York, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. That same coalition has also pushed for similar policy changes at other companies, including Mastercard.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who co-led the coalition alongside the City of New York, praised the decision. “This change will help significantly reduce the sale of illegal nicotine products. We will continue to hold companies accountable and protect public health,” Bonta said.
A spokesperson for Bonta confirmed to Reuters that Shopify’s ban is being applied on a global scale.
