NTUC FairPrice pilots cigarette machine to comply with tobacco display ban, Health News & Top Stories

SINGAPORE – Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice on Wednesday (March 16) unveiled a cigarette vending machine designed to comply with a new law that will ban retailers from displaying tobacco products from next year.

The machine, which will be tested at NTUC FairPrice Xpress at the Peace Center for three months, is designed to replace cigarette displays behind the counter.

Customers specify the brand and type of cigarette they want at the checkout, after which the cashier prints a receipt and scans it at the machine, which dispenses the pack of cigarettes. Each machine can hold up to 80 varieties of cigarettes and 20 packs of each variety.

If successful, the machine will be launched in phases in select NTUC FairPrice and Cheers convenience stores.

The goal for the first phase is 20 to 30 machines in FairPrice and Cheers outlets by the end of the year. Outlets without machines will have their cigarette displays covered with sliding doors to comply with the new regulations.

The machine also tracks inventory and reduces labor for employees who must stock cigarettes between shifts.

FairPrice CEO Seah Kian Peng said, “FairPrice supports the government’s efforts to protect the health of Singaporeans. This pilot system is an industry first in Singapore that effectively facilitates tobacco sales without actively promoting the products it contains.

On Monday, Parliament approved a ban on point-of-sale displays of tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, beedis (hand-rolled cigarettes) and “ang hoon”, or tobacco leaves. in bulk.

The new measures aim to prevent impulse buying, especially among young people.

Duty-free shops at Changi Airport will be exempt from the new rules, and specialty tobacco stores will also be allowed to display their products, as long as they are not visible from outside the stores.