Government should step up legislation advice to retailers

Only 40% of retailers surveyed by the Tobacco Retailers’ Alliance remember receiving any legislation advice from the Government in relation to EUTPD2 law.

A further 68% had no contact with their local trading standards department about the tobacco switchover in May.

Retailer and TRA national spokesperson Suleman Khonat said the Government should do more to support retailers with future legislative changes and local trading standards should ‘step up’ efforts to engage with independent retailers.

He said the lack of advice “helps to explain why there were a number of early reports of some retailers still selling old stock”.

An investigation by Retail Express the week after the EUTPD2 deadline found 70% of retailers were still selling non-compliant stock.