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Cigarette Discrimination?

Thursday, 13 February 2014 at 09:16

A Sweaburg convenience store owner claims Imperial Tobacco is giving discounts to larger retailers

A local convenience store owner is speaking out on discrimination he feels is taking place by a major cigarette manufacturer. 

Owner of Ritu's Convenience and Food Mart in Sweaburg, Bob Pate contacted Heart FM claiming Imperial Tobacco was giving out discounts on cigarettes to larger convenience stores of anywhere from $2-10 per carton. 

Pate says his profit on a package of cigarettes is just 20 cents, but because he doesn't get the discount, he worries customers think he is increasing the cost of cigarettes at his store. 

"People come here to get the cigarettes but they not only buy the cigarette, they buy the lottery ticket, they buy the milk, they buy the candy, they buy the pop, everything. Everything goes like one chain to other chain to other chain. They are doing this stuff so big retailers are selling the cigarettes cheaper than me like 50-60 cents so people are definitely going to drive over there and we are losing our business."

"If they are not going to give me the discount, not only me but all the small retailers, I'm talking on behalf of all the small business people, we all should get the same respect and same value and same discount and if not, I am definitely going to file my case against them to the Superior Court if I have to."

Pate says if the Prime Minister wants small businesses to survive, he should be doing something now to prevent Imperial Tobacco from continuing their discount practice.

Pate says he owns a store in Simcoe which gets the discount, but his Sweaburg store does not. 

"When I asked them they said, well number one, you are not selling enough cigarettes. I said what do you mean by that? Do you want me to go to everybody's house and I will tell everybody, hey buddy start smoking, here is the smokes? I cannot do that!"

Imperial Tobacco has not yet responded to a request for an interview. 

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