Kroger Ends the Sale of E-Cigarettes

The Kroger Co. will no longer sell e-cigarettes, according to a company release sent to Progressive Grocer. 

"Kroger is discontinuing the sale of electronic nicotine delivery products, or e-cigarettes, at all store and fuel center locations, due to the mounting questions and increasingly complex regulatory environment associated with these products. The company will exit this category after selling through its current inventory," the company representative wrote. 

Kroger isn't the first grocer to make similar moves in the past month as federal regulatory and health concerns swirl regarding the products. In September, Walmart revealed that it would stop selling e-cigarettes, while last week, St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets said it would no longer sell any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaping products. 

Employing nearly half a million associates who serve more than 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,761 retail food stores under a variety of banners, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 2 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.