A pedestrian walks by an advertisement for JUUL on the door of a smoke shop in New York.
Scott Mlyn | CNBC
E-cigarette maker Juul Labs is considering opening U.S. retail shops that would only admit adults, a person familiar with the situation told CNBC on Thursday.
Should Juul go through with the plans, it will first open store doors in Texas, the person said, cautioning that no formal decision has yet been made.
Juul also plans to open a store in South Korea, the person said.
The potential plans would give Juul more control over distribution of its products, as regulators have increased their scrutiny of underage sales. Regulators have blamed a teen vaping “epidemic” on Juul. Opening its own stores could allow Juul to monitor sales closely and test technology that could prevent minors from buying its products.
The person requested anonymity because the information is confidential. Juul declined to comment. The Wall Street reported Juul’s retail plans earlier Thursday.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
