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Trade News Archive 2008 December November October September August July June May April March February January
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12th December 2008
Tobacco ruling could adversely affect small shops
Government plans to force retailers to sell tobacco products under the counter could prove disastrous for small shops.
That is the opinion of Debbie Corris, who runs an independent tobacconist in Tankerton, Whitstable.
Speaking to local portal thisiskent.co.uk, Ms Corris said that plans to make vending machines work by way of "age tokens" could cause various problems.
Firstly, she noted that adapting existing machines for the new system could prove too costly for retailers, so they may just get rid of them, and secondly if the token system fails completely then the machines could be banned.
She said: "The token system will be too costly for most small business owners.
"They aren't going to pay £100 or more to have the machines adapted, they will just get rid of them.
"Local shops like ours are at the sharp end of this credit crunch and being forced to hide our tobacco out of sight will be the last straw for many. It would cost us thousands just to refurbish the shop."
Alan Johnson, the health secretary, has suggested a ban on the open display of tobacco in a bid to prevent young people from smoking.
(c) 2008
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