Stop & Shop to End Tobacco Sales in All Locations

Stop & Shop has announced that it will discontinue the sale of cigarettes and all tobacco products across its 360 stores. The grocery retailer, with locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, plans to implement this change by August 31 as part of its broader “commitment to community wellness.”

“Our responsibility as a grocer goes far beyond our aisles,” said Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid. “We are committed to taking bold steps to help our associates, customers, and communities work towards better health outcomes. This decision to eliminate tobacco sales is one more way we’re supporting the health and well-being of the neighborhoods we serve.”

In support of this initiative, Stop & Shop is hosting two cigarette-buyback events on August 28 in communities with higher rates of smoking-related health issues. The first 100 customers who trade in an unopened pack or carton of cigarettes will receive a Stop & Shop gift card, along with a bag filled with healthy snacks, mints, smoking-cessation materials from the American Cancer Society, and a $10 coupon for Nicorette.

These buyback events will take place at Stop & Shop’s Grove Hall location in Boston, at 460 Blue Hill Ave., and at the Staten Island store located at 1351 Forest Ave.