A Birmingham electronic cigarette company has agreed a multi-million pound deal with Sainsbury’s to stock its products at hundreds of stores across the UK.

Nicolites will be stocked in the health and beauty section of the supermarket and is already available at a large number of retailers including Tesco, Asda, Superdrug, Co-op, WH Smith, Martin McColl and more than 10,000 independent pharmacies and convenience stores.

E-cigarettes are designed to look and feel like real cigarettes, but are battery-powered products containing liquid nicotine, which is inhaled as a vapour. They contain no tobacco and do not burn, therefore do not expose users to tar and other carcinogens found in normal tobacco cigarettes.

Nicolites’ managing director Nikhil Nathwani said: “We are very excited to see our products stocked in more than 450 Sainsbury’s superstores. We are projecting sales of around £3 million at Sainsbury’s stores in the first year alone.

“I am of course very pleased that Sainsbury’s has recognised the enormous sales potential presented by e-cigarettes, and particularly Nicolites as we are widely accepted as the leading brand in a very competitive market place.

“Our sales have grown enormously in the past year as more and more people learn about the very real benefits that electronic cigarettes offer over tobacco and we have exciting plans to introduce more products and grow the business further.”