As someone who worked in the tobacco industry for awhile and who smoked for more than a decade before I finally quit, I personally have to applaud Wegmans. They just announced that as of February 10, 2008 they will stop selling all tobacco products. They have already stopped ordering all tobacco and are only selling the inventory that they have on hand.This has led to many different reactions from their customers. Some are pleased and some feel that their right to make a choice has been denied them. Wegmans feels that they don't want to play a role in this area. "As a company, we respect a person's right to smoke, but we also understand the destructive role smoking plays in health," said Danny Wegman, CEO. Wegmans has already been charging up to 50% more for cigarettes than other stores, primarily since they do not accept promos or advertising from the tobacco companies in their stores. Wegmans operates 71 stores: 49 in New York State, 12 in Pennsylvania, 7 in New Jersey, 2 in Virginia and one in Maryland. Wegmans has $4.1 billion in sales in 2006 and employs over 36,000 people.

Is grocery shopping the new national past time? Sometimes, it can certainly seem that way. With lines around the
block at store openings for 









