Nicoventures has secured a raft of new listings for its Vype electronic cigarettes as it launches a £3.6m campaign.

The company, a division of British American Tobacco, said Vype was set to go into Sainsbury’s superstores and forecourts, Tesco and Shell forecourts, Tesco Express, McColl’s and Spar stores. Nicoventures also said discussions were ongoing with major retailers including retail pharmacies.

The Experience the Breakthrough campaign kicks off this week and will run until the end of December covering outdoor, press and digital.

The electronic cigarettes come in both disposable and rechargeable formats - the latter called Vype Reload. Vype disposable has an rsp of £5.99 while Reload starter kits will be available at £14.99.

Nicoventures head of UK & Ireland Nigel Hardy said that as the category started to mature, retailers were taking a more professional approach by making strategic investments in the category in-store rather than simply stocking the products that offered the best deals. “This category is screaming out for leadership,” added Hardy.