European retailer Kruidvat to stop tobacco sales
Xinhua,January 05, 2018 Adjust font size:
BRUSSELS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- European retailer Kruidvat said on Thursday that it will stop selling tobacco products in over 1,000 stores in the next two years.
New or renovated Kruidvat shops will no longer sell tobacco products. Kruidvat will make more than two-thirds of its stores "smoke-free" in less than a year, with the rest following suit in 2019.
"We strive to best help our customers to be and stay healthy by offering them an extensive and affordable assortment. The sale of tobacco is not compatible with this desire, " Gerard van Breen, CEO of A.S. Watson Health & Beauty Benelux, owner of Kruidvat, said in a statement.
"We are the first major distributor to take responsibility by ending tobacco sales in our stores within two years. We want to help protect children from the temptation of smoking. The 'no tobacco' must become the new standard," he added.
The decision will apply to more than 250 Kruidvat stores in Belgium and approximately 930 Kruidvat stores in the Netherlands.
The Foundation Against Cancer in Belgium applauded the decision, saying in a statement that voluntarily giving up the gains of selling tobacco is a courageous decision and it hopes other retail chains to follow this example. Enditem