The chains operating under Denmark’s Salling Group are to withdraw tobacco products from visible displays in store from 1 August, in a bid to prevent young people from taking up smoking.
The group said that at all 600 føtex, Bilka and Netto stores, all tobacco products will be ‘hidden away’ at the checkout, with this process likely to take until the start of October.
The initiative is the first step in an upcoming rollout of an overall ‘health strategy’ from the Salling Group.
Smoking Prevalence
The group made the move after statistics from the Danish health board indicated that the number of 13 to 17 year olds that have taken up smoking has risen in the past five years.
"As the country's largest retail company, we have a responsibility to take the lead,” said Per Bank, CEO of Salling Group. “We can make a real difference for the next generations by focusing on smoking and making it less attractive to start smoking.”
Almost 17% of the Danish population currently smoke, and the number of smokers is falling among older age groups.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
