Cigarette sales may soon be a thing of the past at Walmart.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting the chain is ending sales of cigarettes in some of its U.S. stores. The paper says cigarettes are being removed in some stores in California, New Mexico, Florida, and Arkansas.
A Walmart spokeswoman told the Journal the chain is removing tobacco products from select locations where the retailer has decided to use space more efficiently. The Journal’s report said the spokeswoman declined to say how many locations will continue to sell cigarettes, but she said Walmart isn’t halting all tobacco sales.
The Journal quoted data that shows U.S. cigarette sales totaled about $95 billion in 2021, with most purchases occurring at gas stations and convenience stores. The data also noted Walmart supercenters and other mixed retailers accounted for 14% of U.S. cigarette sales volume in 2020.
The paper noted some retailers stopped selling tobacco products years ago, including Target and CVS Pharmacy.
To read the Wall Street Journal article, click here. (Subscription may be required.)
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