Albert Heijn, the Netherlands’ largest supermarket chain, has announced it will cease all tobacco sales starting January 1, 2024. This proactive move comes ahead of a looming national ban and reflects the company’s commitment to fostering a smoke-free generation.
The Dutch government has been systematically tightening restrictions on smoking products for years. A nationwide ban prohibiting all supermarkets from selling cigarettes and tobacco is legally mandated to take effect on July 1, 2024. By choosing to withdraw these products on January 1, Albert Heijn is accelerating the transition.
“Albert Heijn supports the movement towards a smoke-free generation,” the company stated in a press release. “To achieve a lasting behavioral change… it’s important that all selling parties and other involved actors, big and small, work together.”
The Netherlands’ Progressive Crackdown on Smoking
The Dutch retail landscape has been shifting away from tobacco for several years. Albert Heijn’s exit follows other major brands that pioneered the movement:
- Kruidvat (2018): The drugstore chain became the first major Dutch retailer to voluntarily stop selling cigarettes.
- Lidl (2018): The discount supermarket chain phased out tobacco sales shortly after Kruidvat, citing declining profitability.
- Display Bans (2023): Dutch supermarkets were legally ordered to hide all tobacco products from public view to reduce impulse purchases.
- Total Grocery Ban (2024): From July 2024, no grocery stores or supermarkets in the country will be permitted to sell any smoking products.
These retail bans complement broader legislative efforts by successive Dutch Cabinets, which have already banned smoking in bars, restaurants, and on train platforms.
In tandem with the tobacco phase-out, Albert Heijn also confirmed it will stop selling knives in its supermarkets by the end of next week. This decision comes in response to a rise in teenage stabbing incidents and preempts upcoming Ministry of Justice legislation that will ban the sale of knives to minors nationwide.
