Second Avenue, Tobacco and Vape

Second Avenue, Tobacco and Vape sits under new management these days, and the word around Hickory is that the change has been for the better. Locals will tell you this is where they head instead of the gas station, sometimes daily, for the simple reasons of fair prices and a staff that treats people right. Ask anyone who shops here and you'll hear about the range: vapes, mods, coils, disposables, e-liquid and vape juice, cigarettes and loose tobacco, cigars, hookah and shisha, plus a wall of glass with water pipes and tobacco pipes.

Rolling papers, CBD and hemp, and kratom round it out. It's run as a family operation, a father and son team. Regulars have a soft spot for the dynamic: the dad is old school, the get-in-get-out type, while the son has a knack for handling whatever kind of crowd rolls through the door.

When they don't have what you're after, we've heard they'll point you to a nearby store or arrange to have it brought in, which is the sort of thing that keeps people loyal. One regular summed it up plainly, saying they care about their customers and aren't greedy. That said, locals are a little split on a couple of things.

A few have grumbled about prices not always being marked on the shelf and shifting from one week to the next, and there have been the odd complaints about product knowledge on specific vape models. Worth a quick word with the staff at the counter to confirm what you need before you buy. For a smoke shop in Hickory carrying this much under one roof, from cigars and kratom to a solid vape selection, Second Avenue has earned itself a decent local following and a fair amount of repeat business.