During Covid 19, the OCSA conducted a tobacco survey document in June 2020 during the voluntary closure of the 100’s of illegal (untaxed) tobacco outlets throughout Ontario. The study is an in house study by the OCSA and was reviewed and assisted on the final layout by our government relations firm.
OCSA members have constantly brought up the contraband tobacco issue knowing it continues to damage in store sales of legal tobacco as well as the additional sales of impulse items.
Our study is without influence from any tobacco company and is purely the result of convenience store retailers responding to our survey questions and comments. This creates a strong and credible discussion on the affects the illegal market has on family run stores in Ontario.
This report will now be shared with the Minister of Finance, Minister of Health, Minister of Economic Development and Minister of Small Business as well as the tobacco strategy group charged with reviewing the entire tobacco category and business for the government.
Contraband tobacco hurts all in store sales of all products and we see the need to find solutions that ends or minimizes this ongoing illegal activity throughout Ontario.
To read the complete survey, click on the following link OCSA Tobacco Survey Results
