US-registered site operates as local New Zealand business, research shows

New Zealand's largest vape retailer, Shosha, is under investigation by the Ministry of Health for potentially circumventing advertising regulations that ban displaying vaping products on websites and social media since June 2025. Shosha removed product images from its .co.nz domain but directed customers to a newly created .com website registered in the US, where product displays remained visible. The Ministry initially concluded the .com site was hosted in the US and did not deliver regulated products to New Zealand, placing it outside primary enforcement scope. However, research by Lucy Hardie and colleagues from the University of Auckland's School of Population challenges this interpretation. Their analysis found the .com site functions as a direct extension of Shosha's local operations, with a "find in store" tool listing only New Zealand locations and test purchases arriving at local addresses within three days from Auckland. The team also analyzed 67 posts on the shosha.global Instagram account from June 2025 to May 2026, which featured vaping product images in breach of advertising bans, with 46.3% including bilingual Te Reo Māori warning labels, 40.3% referencing New Zealand-specific nicotine concentration restrictions, and 5.9% referencing Matariki, indicating targeting of a New Zealand audience. The Ministry of Health is reviewing its position, acknowledging jurisdictional challenges with overseas-registered companies. The Instagram account was taken down on 6 November 2026, two days after the research release. Shosha did not respond to requests for comment.

(Source：PravdaReport)