CVS data finds the company may have contributed to reduced tobacco consumption. Will other companies start tracking their social impact?

A year ago, pharmacy retailer CVS got plenty of attention for its decision to remove tobacco products from all of its stores. Now, the retailer is doing something that’s arguably just as noteworthy: measuring whether that choice has actually made a difference. According to data released last week by the company’s own CVS Health Research Institute, the decision to remove tobacco products has led to a decrease in cigarette sales. Sales of cigarettes are down by 1%, and nicotine patch purchases are up by 4% in the communities where CVS has at least 15% market share.

If the numbers prove accurate, they could indicate a measurable impact on local communities over a short period of time, with large implications for future efforts by CVS and other companies wanting to positively influence the communities in which they operate.

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Source: The Guardian Circular Economy RSS