TRENTON, N.J. — Convenience stores in New Jersey that sell tobacco products must sell at least one smoking cession product, according to a new law. But at least one retailer, QuickChek, Whitehouse Station, N.J., said it has tried carrying these products before, and they don’t sell.
- QuickChek Corp. is No. 49 on CSP’s 2021 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who was sworn in Tuesday for a second term, signed several bills into law Tuesday including A6020/S4114, which was first introduced back in November. The legislation will take effect 60 days after its signing.
Under the new law, any entity other than a cigar shop that sells any tobacco product must maintain a stock of and offer for sale at least one type of nicotine replacement therapy drug, device or combination product that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for cessation of tobacco use.
The cessation product or products need to be behind the sales counter and retailers need to provide printed notice within the store that nicotine replacement products are available for sale. Retailers must also display the logo, phone number and website of the NJ Smoking Quitline.
The legislators who backed the law said they must do everything possible to create policies and systems that promote wellness in the Garden State, especially in areas that have lost ground over the COVID-19 pandemic.
QuickChek’s counsel Suzanne DelVecchio told CSP, however, that the retailer does not believe that government mandates are successful at achieving stated goals.
“Government is rarely in a position to determine what is best for business, including the products that are sold in convenience stores,” she said.
QuickChek, which has more than 150 stores in New Jersey and New York, has carried smoking cessation products in the past, and it stopped carrying them because customers weren’t interested, DelVecchio said.
“We work very hard to stock those items that customers want, considering that we have limited space, as compared to a grocery or big-box store,” she said. “We long ago realized that we cannot sell everything and, therefore, focus on convenience items for our customers.”
QuickChek is already working to comply with the law, though, and DelVecchio said she doesn’t anticipate that the c-store’s tobacco customers will be put off by it carrying this product.