A few places come to mind when it comes to buying cigarettes. You might be thinking of going to a gas station, a wholesaler near you, or even a 7-Eleven to purchase them.
Target is not an uncommon place to want to buy cigarettes. After all, they are one of the largest retailers here in the US. They’re known for having everything from household essentials to musical instruments and even gift cards.
Recently, many major retailers have cut down on the sale of tobacco products. Target has been affected by this. Do they sell cigarettes? We’ll give you the most up-to-date information.
Does Target Sell Cigarettes?
Unfortunately, Target does not sell cigarettes anymore. Target stores nationwide have stopped selling cigarettes since 1996. This is also the same for any form of tobacco product.
It might come as a shock since Target usually has a wide range and variety of goods. They are the first large retail store to do so, making headlines and shocking the smoking community.
Other stores such as Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS have also started to cut down on their tobacco sales.
Does Target Sell Tobacco Products?
It’s not just cigarettes that Target has stopped selling. Any form of tobacco products such as cigars and rolling tobacco are prohibited from being sold at Target.
You might want to purchase tobacco as a form of nicotine supply. The good news is that they do sell nicotine-related products!
Things like nicotine patches, nicotine gum, and nicotine lozenges are available to the public.
But why doesn’t Target sell any tobacco products? Isn’t there a high volume of smokers that Target could benefit from?
Why Doesn’t Target Sell Tobacco Products?
Target has stopped selling tobacco products in order to reduce its overall costs. It has been difficult for Target to ensure that tobacco products aren’t being sold to minors.
Around 1996, many research papers on the health risks that are caused by tobacco products sent many major retailers and tobacco manufacturers into a frenzy.
It is not explicitly stated why it costs Target more to keep tobacco products away from minors, but one can assume that it is also linked with protecting their reputation with the public.
What Cigarette Supplies Does Target Sell?
Even though Target does not sell actual cigarettes or any form of tobacco, you can still purchase a few cigarette supplies from them.
These supplies include but are not limited to cigarette lighters, car cigarette lighters, and an assortment of ashtrays.
It’s important to remember that Target does not sell rolling papers and cigarette filters, even though they are publicly considered to be cigarette supplies.
Now that we’ve covered most of what Target sells and doesn’t sell in terms of cigarette and tobacco products, where can you buy cigarettes?
Where Can I Buy Cigarettes?
There are several places that are commonly found where you can buy your cigarettes from. These places include:
- Walmart
- Walgreens
- Dollar General
- 7-Eleven
- Family Dollar
- Costco
- Rite-Aid
- Kroger
Some places like Walmart even offer the option of delivering these cigarettes to you.
Pharmacies used to be a good place to purchase cigarettes since nearly every one of them had them. Since 2015, this is no longer the case, and cigarettes can only be found in certain non-pharmaceutical stores.
Does Target Sell E-Cigarettes?
No, Target also does not sell any form of e-cigarette. This includes vapes, portable cigarette heaters, or E-Liquids.
You might not know this, but ECigarettes are categorized under tobacco products, even though they do not contain any actual tobacco.
The smoking industry has seen a decline in sales in stores over the past few decades. The same trend is prevalent in vaporizers and e-cigarettes.
If you’re looking to buy a vaporizer or an e-cigarette, it is best to look for a store that specializes in that type of product.
Conclusion
In the past, cigarettes and tobacco products were readily accessible. You could find them literally anywhere you went, and smoking indoors was even allowed!
Since then, times have changed, and you can no longer get cigarettes as quickly as you could back then. Major retailers such as Target and Walgreens have stopped selling tobacco products entirely.
These include cigars, rolling tobacco, vaporizers, and e-cigarettes. However, they do sell healthier alternatives to smoking, such as nicotine patches and gum.
What do you think about stores slowing down the sales of tobacco? Is it a smart business decision on their end? Let us know in the comments below!