Stop & Shop to halt selling tobacco products on Saturday

 Stop & Shop announced Monday that it plans to stop selling tobacco products at all of its stores.

Stop & Shop announced Monday that it plans to stop selling tobacco products at all of its stores. FILE PHOTO

By Staff Report

Published: 08-26-2024 4:10 PM

Saying that its responsibility as a grocer “goes far beyond our aisles,” Stop & Shop will stop selling all cigarettes and tobacco products at its 360 stores on Saturday, including stores in Northampton, Hadley, Belchertown and two in Holyoke.

The company, which operates stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, is promoting the move as part of its “commitment to community wellness.” In addition to halting sales, the grocer will host cigarette buyback events to encourage customers to quit smoking.

“We are committed to taking bold steps to help our associates, customers, and communities work towards better health outcomes,” Gordon Reid, Stop & Shop president, said in a statement. “From our team of registered dietitians that serve our customers at no cost to our trained and trusted pharmacy associates, Stop & Shop aims to support the health and well-being of the neighborhoods we serve — and this exit from tobacco is one more way we’re accomplishing that goal.”

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