Retail tobacco outlets: variation by usage segment

Despite a variety of long-standing anti-smoking measures in most countries, smoking remains a source of considerable economic and health costs. Off line retail outlets account for the overwhelming majority of tobacco supply in developed countries, yet the effect of different retail outlets on tobacco consumption is relatively under-researched. In particular, there has been almost no empirical research on whether different types of retail outlet have different effects on tobacco consumption by different types of smokers. This paper reports on two large studies examining the purchase behaviour of independent samples of smokers. The results show important differences in tobacco purchase size across different retailers, and varying purchase patterns by different smoker types. Implications for public health and tobacco control are discussed.