A convenience store in Milwaukie, Oregon, is adopting a “healthy retail” business model by ending tobacco and nicotine sales in its store thanks to a $20,000 public health grant.
The Clackamas County Public Health Division awarded the grant, provided by the Oregon Health Authority, to The Little Blue Store located at 2936 SE Washington St., Milwaukie, Oregon.
Clackamas County said findings from this pilot project will help inform the next steps in the county’s healthy retail work and decrease access to tobacco and nicotine products.
“This pilot project is an exciting way to promote community health while also supporting small business development,” said Clackamas County Public Health Division Director Philip Mason-Joyner.
The Little Blue Store said it has already ended its tobacco sales and is developing a plan to start carrying fresh produce as well as offering Ethiopian cuisine.
“We’re proud members of the community and we don’t want to see the health of our neighbors negatively impacted,” said Hagos Tekle, co-owner of The Little Blue Store.
“Healthy retail” is a model for bringing fresh and healthy food options to convenience stores, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Along with funding, the owners will receive business advising and technical support from Livelihood NW, which fosters business sustainability and growth for historically under-served entrepreneurs within local communities.
“Switching to a healthy retail business model comes with many benefits for stores, including taking advantage of products with higher mark-ups than tobacco, reaching new customers, saving money on tobacco licenses, staying ahead of trending tobacco regulations, differentiating their business from others in the community, reducing crime associated with tobacco sales and supporting a healthy community,” according to a statement from the Clackamas County website.
Convenience stores aren’t the only ones ending tobacco sales in their stores. Quincy, Massachusetts-based grocery retailer Stop & Shop said Monday that it will stop selling all cigarettes and tobacco products at its 360 stores.
The grocery retailer with stores across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey plans to end sales of all tobacco products at all stores by Aug. 31.
“Our responsibility as a grocer goes far beyond our aisles, and we are committed to taking bold steps to help our associates, customers, and communities work toward better health outcomes,” said Gordon Reid, Stop & Shop president.
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