Exploring retailer abandonment of tobacco sales

Audience: tobacco control advocates and researchers

Key Points: Tobacco outlet density is linked to a greater likelihood of youth and adult smoking. In the past decade, over 900 pharmacies and 4 grocery store chains in California have voluntarily stopped selling tobacco products. No previous studies have examined the reasons for this emerging phenomenon. We sought to learn what motivated retailers to discontinue tobacco sales and what employees and customers thought about their decision.

We conducted qualitative case studies of seven retailers, utilizing owner and employee interviews, consumer focus groups, and unobtrusive observations. For independent pharmacies, the only reason given for the decision to end tobacco sales was that tobacco caused disease and death. Grocers listed health among several factors, including regulatory pressures and wanting to be seen as “making a difference.” Few stores advertised their discontinuation of tobacco sales and media coverage was limited. As a result, store customers in focus groups were usually unaware of the change. Nonetheless, they were largely supportive, viewing it as promoting public health.  Retailers’ decision to voluntarily end tobacco sales disrupts the normalization of smoking created by ubiquitous availability of cigarettes, but will be most effective only if the public is aware of it. In the absence of retailer publicity, tobacco control advocates should consider ways to reward such businesses for their responsibility and create ongoing support for these efforts.

Educational Experience: Presentation and discussion

Benefits: Identifying ways to encourage retailers to end tobacco sales