September 28, 2020
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Wawa will begin celling Nicorette gum and lozenges at its stores after creating a partnership with smoking cessation product maker GSK Consumer Healthcare.
Wawa and have GlaxoSmithKline have come to an agreement to begin selling Nicorette smoking cessation products across the convenience store's seven-state footprint.
The deal with GSK Consumer Healthcare, which will make the products available at all Wawa locations, is reportedly the first of its kind in Wawa's business category, Convenience Store News reported Monday.
"Over the last several years, people have started to change habits and become much more conscious and educated about their health and wellness," said William Kloss, Wawa’s category manager for tobacco and snacks. "Our in-store offer, both in food service and packaged goods, reflects this trend and we wanted to make sure that we have a complete offer in the tobacco space as well."
Market research suggests about 90% of cigarettes are sold at convenience stores. Surveys show about two-thirds of smokers are considering quitting over the next year, many driven by concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
"Nicorette has been helping millions of Americans quit smoking for over 35 years, and we are now offering convenience store shoppers a smaller, 10-count size that allows them to give quitting a try at a price that is typically less than a pack of cigarettes," said Susan Miller, customer strategy manager for GSK Consumer Healthcare. "With the launch of the smaller size 10-count Nicorette gum and the new 20-count Nicorette Coated Lozenges, we are excited to partner with Wawa and hopefully entice more smokers to begin their journey to stop smoking with Nicorette."
Wawa is expected to launch a strong marketing campaign behind the partnership, including signage, virtual ads and coupons for Wawa Rewards members.
"Our goal is to let customers know that we are in the smoking cessation category and offer a strong assortment of the Nicorette products," Kloss said.
Wawa has more than 900 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The Delaware County-based chain has been experimenting with new menus, products and store formats over the past year.
