Cigarette Power Walls To Be Gone By Saturday
Posted May 26, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
They’re called power walls — a term you may not be familiar with, but if you’ve ever walked into a convenience store, you’ve surely seen them.
They’re the giant walls of cigarettes that visually assault shoppers and, according to some experts, present a powerful form of advertising that may help sway teens into starting a potentially deadly habit.
But come May 31st, the province is forcing convenience stores to cover them up. The idea is out of sight, out of mind – especially for teenagers.
“It’s one of the most influential forms of advertising,” warns marketing expert Jeffery Gottheil. “So influential that 70 percent of all purchase decisions are made in store. It’s one of the most powerful advertising vehicles there is.”
“We had children naming the brands of cigarettes, and these were from non-smoking households so they weren’t influenced by their parents,” he adds. “We asked them the colours of the cigarettes and they could name the colours, Du Maurier is red, Export A is white and green, and Players is Blue.”
In Canada, the tobacco industry spends $300 million a year to have their products on display. That’s $9,000 per store.
What if a business doesn’t comply?
The initial fine is $400, and after that the store could be hit with fines up to $5,000.
A new audio program will also be implemented, automatically asking purchasers of cigarettes to show identification.
To see some of the complicated rules store owners have to follow regarding the new ‘power wall ban’, click here.
