Exposing tobacco companies' retail presence and highlighting regulatory options

Although much is already known about the strategies that tobacco companies use to generate profits (and consequently compromise health), and options for retail regulation, industry tactics within the retail environment have not been comprehensively collated. Tobacco companies' billions of dollars of investments in retail play a vital role in normalizing tobacco products in everyday life because they are an everyday sight. These investments include for example retailer incentives, instore advertising and display stands. Companies continue to promote their tobacco products indirectly through retailer-related activities in many countries because they are often not included in governments' tobacco marketing restrictions. In light of this, in this monitoring letter, we highlight some of the industry's tactics to control the retail environment and discuss potential solutions to counter its strategic presence in retail.