From 6th April 2012, the law on displaying tobacco products in major stores (ie those with a floor area exceeding 280 sq metres and to which the Sunday Trading Act 1994 prohibit trading beyond 6 hours on Sundays) changed, except for specialist and bulk tobacconists. The new legislation means tobacco products must be stored out of public sight and can only be revealed temporarily for the purposes of:
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responding to a request from a customer to buy or see tobacco products
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assessing stock levels
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re-stocking
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undertaking staff training
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cleaning/maintaining/refurbishing the storage unit
Even then, not more than 1.5 metres of the tobacco display can be revealed and only for the minimum time necessary to perform the task.
The new legislation also covers tobacco signs, price lists and labels for tobacco products.
In addition to the above, it is now illegal to show, as well as sell, tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18 who asks to see or buy tobacco, so it is essential that staff ask to see ID before they show any of the tobacco products.
The same provisions are due to be applied to all other shops and businesses (such as pubs and clubs), as well as specialist and bulk tobacconists, from 6th April 2015.
We have created some guidance on these changes in the law which are available below, but if you need any further advice or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.