Politique Internationale — The number of tobacconists has fallen sharply in recent years. How do you explain this trend, and where does the network stand today?
Serdar Kaya — There were 32,000 of us in the early 2000s; today, we have 22,500 colleagues. The closure of the first tobacconists coincided with successive increases in the price of a packet of cigarettes, decided by the authorities in the interests of public health. The darkest period was between 2013 and 2025, coinciding with the introduction of plain packaging: since 2013, we have recorded around 1,000 closures per year. These closures can be attributed to the government’s tax policy, which for years has consisted of raising the price of a packet of cigarettes — and, in doing so, has inadvertently bolstered the black market and illicit trade. In 2003, illicit trade was negligible; today, buying cigarettes on the street, online, or at the border has never been easier. The price gap between France and our Italian and Spanish neighbours is as much as double: a pack costing €6.30 in Spain or Italy sells for €13.50 in France. All this because the French government levies 86% tax on tobacco products, whereas in Italy or Spain the figure is closer to 60%.
Our tobacconists in Ariège, close to Andorra, are bearing the brunt of this price difference. At the end of February, the main road was closed in Ariège: in just one week, they saw a 50% increase in sales volume! This clearly shows that French people are buying their tobacco in Italy, Spain, Andorra and Luxembourg. In Belgium, on the other hand, prices have risen sharply; as a result, a balance has been restored and French consumers are now staying with us. In the Hauts-de-France region, we are, for the first time, in a situation where both volume and value have increased. On the other hand, during the budget discussions, the government dropped the provisions aimed at regulating vaping products. This decision is yet another disappointment for tobacconists, who for years have been calling for a framework to regulate the distribution of sensitive products such as CBD and vaping products. By refusing to regulate, the State is choosing to turn a blind eye.
P. I. — Can tobacconists’ business model still rely primarily on selling tobacco? What proportion of their business do diversification activities account for today?
S. K. — I would first like to point out that the tobacco monopoly is a mission and a duty that the State has entrusted the network of tobacconists with for decades. It is a harmful product, but a legal one, regulated by the Customs authorities. We defend our DNA, which is the DNA of nicotine, because we have been selling tobacco through our French network for over a century – this cultural heritage so beloved by the French. Today, we are one of the few local networks capable of offering such a wide range of services and activities. We are, in a way, the local one-stop shop. Our two strengths are our network and our resilience. What other network welcomes 10 million customers every day and operates across such a wide range of opening hours? Today, tobacco still accounts for between 40% and 80% of turnover, depending on the shop and the region. There is no standard model for a tobacconist, but rather a wide variety of profiles and situations. That is also what makes our profession so rewarding: the freedom we enjoy as independent retailers.
P. I. — You say that successive increases in the price of a packet of cigarettes have caused lasting damage to tobacconists, especially in rural and cross-border areas…
S. K. — No department has been spared by the situation. Obviously, these price rises have primarily affected our colleagues in border areas. I would even say that the initial price rises created real ‘white zones’ in border departments, particularly along the Pyrenees or in the Grand Est region, near Luxembourg.
But today, with the substantial increase in the value of our goods, the entire network is at risk, particularly due to a lack of safety. How can we be expected to open our shops with fear in our hearts? Unfortunately, there is no shortage of examples: a colleague in Marseille was held up at Kalashnikov point twice by the same individual; another in Ille-et-Vilaine was the target of an attempted extortion in exchange for so-called ‘protection’; and many others, all across France, are threatened every morning as soon as they open their premises. The importation of contraband and counterfeit goods is now very easy everywhere — the large seizures made by customs clearly demonstrate this. It is therefore no longer just those living near the border who are affected, but the whole country. And society as a whole is paying the price at the same time: effects on public health, falling tax revenues, rising insecurity, etc.
P. I. — How significant is the competition posed by the black market?
S. K. — The black market is clearly gaining the upper hand over us tobacconists and the State. Today, there are a number of laws and regulations in place to combat all forms of smuggling. But nothing is happening. We’re skimming the surface of the ocean with a teaspoon. The TAFE study (an acronym standing for TAbac échappant à la Fiscalité nationalE), co-authored by Customs and the Mildeca (Interministerial Mission to Combat Drugs and Addictive Behaviours), reports an estimated average of 17% illicit trade, corresponding to a tax loss of €5 billion for the State and €700 million in lost revenue per year for tobacconists. In some departments, this average exceeds 60%. The time for mere observations is over; now is the time for action and firmness! It is, for example, intolerable for tobacconists across France to see shops known and recognised for illegally selling cigarettes – if not other illicit goods – multiplying across the country, without any significant response from the authorities.
P. I. — How can the public health mission of reducing smoking be reconciled with the defence of tobacconists’ interests?
S. K. — This reconciliation is based on a simple principle: tobacconists are not opposed to public health; they are regulated traders who apply the law. Reducing smoking is a legitimate objective that we share. Our role is not to encourage consumption, but to ensure a regulated, responsible and controlled distribution system. We strictly enforce the ban on sales to minors, tax increases decided by the government and new health standards. Defending tobacconists therefore means supporting the economic transformation of the network, not defending smoking. Consistency means saying yes to public health, but with economic support for the 22,500 business owners that make up the network of tobacconists.
P. I. — Can tobacconists become key players in prevention and support for nicotine withdrawal, helping people switch to less harmful products?
S. K. — We already are, to a certain extent. Tobacconists are often the first point of contact for regular customers. We have a daily connection, a relationship of trust, for example with the 3 million vapers in France, who are nothing more or less than current or former customers. Obviously, we are neither doctors nor pharmacists. But from a preventative perspective, a trained retailer can play a role in raising awareness and providing guidance. This is an interesting avenue if developed in collaboration with the health authorities. Since the start of 2026, the Confederation of Tobacconists launched a major consultation with all tobacconists across France. As part of a tour of France, we are organising collaborative meetings centred on three key areas for the future of the network: the tobacco monopoly and the fight against illicit trade; consumer expectations; and the role of tobacconists in relation to new generations of products, the evolution of the profession and opportunities for development.
P. I. — Today you sell cigarettes. But alternatives exist to encourage cigarette smokers to switch to less harmful products: heated tobacco, vaping, nicotine pouches. Do these products represent an opportunity for you?
S. K. — Yes, and for several reasons. Firstly, from an economic perspective: the structural decline in cigarette sales volumes requires us to adapt our business model. Secondly, from a health perspective: scientific authorities recognise that certain alternative products pose a lower risk than combustible cigarettes. For tobacconists, these products represent an opportunity to shift their business model towards a range that is less harmful to health. However, the regulatory framework must be stable, clear and consistent. It is not a question of replacing one addiction with another, but of supporting changing habits responsibly. The network of tobacconists is the thirdlargest economic player in these alternative products to traditional cigarettes, behind vape shops (specialist shops), with online sales remaining the market leader.
P. I. — What exactly are you asking the authorities for?
S. K. — We are calling for a very firm, very strict framework governing the online sale of these products, which have a high nicotine content, are not subject to effective regulation, and can be purchased by anyone. We are calling for support to establish a distribution framework, a form of licence, and training for the network of tobacconists. We are also open to working with specialist shops. Our fear is that these products will be sold everywhere across the country in supermarkets or late-night shops.
Convenience stores, now found in many towns and cities, already sell these products to minors without any problem, without any checks and without a second thought. They are not regulated; they are shops that can sell food and other goods, but they also illegally sell contraband and counterfeit tobacco. These shops also sell disposable vapes, even though their sale has been banned. Since1April, the sale of nicotine pouches has also been banned throughout the country. But, of course, these night shops will continue to sell them without any trouble, which is all the more serious given that, in most cases, they sell products containing very high levels of nicotine that’s of absolutely unregulated quality.
P. I. — How do you feel about the ban on nicotine pouches?
S. K. — We regarded this product as an alternative to cigarettes, which required regulation. But France cannot be the only country in Europe to ban them, when these products are sold on the open market everywhere else through professional and regulated networks. I am not a scientist, but many addiction specialists and doctors believe that these products are less harmful than cigarettes and now constitute a credible alternative.
P. I. — Tobacconists are the ‘number one local shop in France’. What social role do they play in rural areas or working-class neighbourhoods?
S. K. — We are present in nearly 11,000 local authorities. A French person can find a tobacconist within six minutes from where they live. In many localities, the tobacconist’s is sometimes the last shop open all year round. It provides essential services: newspapers, parcel collection, local payment services, revenue stamps, banking services and other transactions. In some neighbourhoods, it serves as a local landmark, a place for socialising, and sometimes even an informal hub for social support. Tobacconists help maintain social cohesion and local economic vitality. They are often still there when other services have disappeared.
P. I. — Can we talk about tobacconists as a tool for regional planning?
S. K. — The network’s territorial coverage is extremely dense and well-structured. The state already relies on this network for public service functions: payment of public bills, electronic tax stamps, local services. As such, the network acts as a lever for regional planning. Maintaining a tobacconist in a town means maintaining a service, an economic activity and often a job that cannot be relocated.
P. I. — What do you think is the main misconception about your profession?
S. K. — The main misconception that persists is that tobacconists ‘defend tobacco’. In reality, we defend independent business owners who operate within a legal and highly regulated sector. We are local retailers, employers and key players in the local economy. Cigarettes represent part of our business, but our trade is undergoing a profound shift towards services, diversification and supporting changing habits.
P. I. — Does the government provide sufficient support to tobacconists in vulnerable areas?
S. K. — For several years now, the government has been supporting our profession, notably through the Transformation Fund and security assistance for tobacconists, which have enabled many of us to plan for the future and make ends meet. However, in border areas or economically vulnerable regions, competition from neighbouring countries and the black market is severely undermining our colleagues. Support must be sustainable and tailored to local realities. The issue is not just economic: it is also regional and social.
P. I. — What is your vision for the network in 10 or 15 years’ time?
S. K. — Just as with French consumption patterns, I see a network that has undergone a profound transformation, as evidenced by our very high turnover rate: 18,000 new tobacconists in less than 10 years, and an average age that has dropped from 54 to 49. We will still sell tobacco on behalf of the State, but what we offer will certainly be more focused on harm reduction, on providing services and on multi-activity retail. The tobacconist of tomorrow will be a ‘local convenience retailer’ at the heart of local life, certainly connected and digitalised, but still deeply rooted in their local area.
P. I. — What specifically are you asking the government to do over the coming years?
S. K. — The priority is to combat the parallel market and smuggling in all its forms, which harm not only public finances and public health, but also the network. What we are asking for, no more and no less, is to be able to make a living from our work, and for the tobacco monopoly – for which we have signed a management contract with the State – to be restored to us in its entirety. We also want genuine regulatory and fiscal stability so that we can invest and plan for the future. The price gap between France and certain other countries is too wide. We need a coherent and fair European policy, or else we will always be the first and only ones to bear the brunt of the penalties. Finally, we are calling for consistency: if the State sets ambitious public health targets, it must support those on the front line.
P. I. — What is the main challenge facing tobacconists today?
S. K. — The main challenge is to ensure that tobacconists are recognised not as a relic of the past, but as a modern, structured and indispensable network for organising legal, responsible and local consumption throughout France. This challenge is primarily an economic one. We must successfully transform a model historically centred on tobacco into a more balanced, diversified, multi-service model, in line with new consumer habits. The French are looking for speed, convenience and trust. Our nationwide network puts us at the forefront of meeting these expectations. Our challenge is also institutional. The network of tobacconists, organised around the Confédération des buralistes, is one of the last commercial networks to remain so dense and uniform across the whole country. As such, it can be a strategic partner for the State in organising the legal distribution of regulated products and offering new local services. Finally, our challenge is societal. At a time when town centres are becoming increasingly vulnerable and certain areas are losing their local shops, we must emphasise that the tobacconist is not merely a point of sale, but a key player in local life, a committed entrepreneur, and a familiar fixture in everyday life. Our ambition is not to defend a product, but to defend a network of independent, responsible retailers who are deeply rooted in the reality of everyday life in France.
