BRISTOL, Vt. (WCAX) – Are vapes the next big target of grab-and-go thefts? A Bristol store robbed earlier this week is among a growing number of businesses targeted in a similar way.
For some, the Bristol Country Store is a landmark stop along Route 116. “It’s been here forever so it’s definitely pretty popular in this area,” said the store’s Nichole Bachand.
It’s got all of the essentials for a quick stop — gas, snacks, lotto, alcohol, and vapes. The store says Tuesday morning thieves broke their door and stole several cases of those vapes. “Dozens and dozens upon dozens of vapes in the four cases,” Bachand said. She says it came to around $5,000 worth of Loon vape products. “That’s all they took, so it’s obviously… they had their mind set on the vape.”
And it’s not the only case like this. Earlier this month, thieves brazenly targeted a store in St. George, ramming a van through the front door and making off with a large number of the same brand of vape pens.
“It was approximately $15,000 worth of vape pens ‚so it was a pretty significant haul of vape pens,” said Vermont State Police Sgt. Brandon Doll. He says he wouldn’t call it a trend yet, but that they are a product that can easily sold or traded locally or online to make a quick profit. “It’s the cigarettes of today. Ten years ago people used to do the same exact thing for cigarettes. And why? Because people want them, they are highly sought after and they are expensive.”
Back in Bristol, they still have a temporary door in place because the store has been robbed three times in the last nine months Bachand points to the rise in drug use and says the store is looking to boost its security. “It’s sad to see that that’s what this little town is coming to right now,” she said.