Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice is the first to pilot a new cigarette sales machine which does not display any cigarette products or labels, to adhere to new laws which ban cigarette retailers from displaying tobacco products from next year.
The machine was rolled out at the FairPrice Xpress outlet at Peace Centre on Wednesday (March 16) and not only securely stores tobacco products, it also automatically tracks inventory, eliminating the need for manual stock-taking daily. The outlet is also the first FairPrice store to remove all tobacco product displays.
In order to buy cigarettes, customers specify the brand and type of cigarette they want to the cashier, who then prints out a ticket and scans it at the machine, which dispenses the cigarette pack, reported The Straits Times.
Each machine can carry up to 80 varieties of cigarettes, and 20 types of each variety.
The pilot is expected to last three months, after which, FairPrice will assess the feasibility to extend the system to its various outlets covering both convenience and supermarket stores located islandwide.
On Monday, Parliament approved a ban on the point-of-sale display of all tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, beedies (thin cigarettes wrapped in leaf) and ang hoon (loose tobacco leaves) from early next year.
The ban on the display of such products is meant to prevent impulse buys, especially among young people who have not yet picked up smoking.
sujint@sph.com.sg
