Co-op is urging the government to take stronger measures against the sale of illegal cigarettes in corner shops, arguing that current efforts are insufficient to stop a growing “shadow economy.” The convenience retailer commissioned a new policy white paper titled “Legitimate High Street Framework,” written by criminologist Professor Emmeline Taylor, which calls for increased funding, more shop raids, and greater use of the Tobacco Track and Trace system. This push comes after research indicated nearly half of UK smokers have purchased illicit tobacco from legitimate-looking businesses.
Survey reveals extent of the problem
Co-op also released a YouGov survey showing over one third of UK smokers, or 36 percent, have bought illegal cigarettes. This includes imported branded cigarettes, counterfeit unbranded options, or unknown brands. The data shows the habit is more common among specific age groups. Smokers aged 35 to 44 had the highest rate at 49 percent, followed by 18 to 24-year-olds at 47 percent and those aged 25 to 34 at 40 percent. This suggests the illicit market has penetrated deep into the mainstream rather than remaining a niche activity.
Many consumers remain unaware of the specific risks. Twenty-nine percent of smokers did not know counterfeit cigarettes could contain unknown or unsafe ingredients. However, price remains the primary driver. Sixty-two percent of respondents admitted they bought illicit tobacco because it was cheaper. An undercover operation by Co-op targeted 24 seemingly legitimate shops and found 18, or 75 percent, were selling illegal tobacco. The average price of these illegal packs was £5, with the highest found at £8.
Low number of raids by local authorities
According to Co-op’s survey, the most common places for these purchases are shops pretending to be legitimate businesses. Forty-four percent of smokers said they bought illicit tobacco from corner shops, 15 percent from vape shops, 11 percent from independent supermarkets, and 4 percent from barbers. This distribution suggests that criminals are exploiting the trust placed in standard retail outlets.
Facts obtained through Freedom of Information requests submitted by Co-op reveal that local councils in England are woefully absent in tackling these criminals. The data shows that on average, councils visited only four shops a month to investigate the sale of illegal cigarettes. Confiscations occurred from one shop every two weeks, which the retailer calculates is the equivalent of one illegal cigarette being seized per resident over three years. The problem is not a lack of opportunity, but a lack of enforcement.
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Where councils are active, results follow
While the overall number of raids is low, evidence suggests that when action is taken, the police can find substantial quantities of illicit goods. Co-op’s FOI request showed that when local councils visited suspected shops, they found illegal cigarettes almost half the time, confiscating an average of 8,000 illegal cigarettes per seizure. This highlights a disparity between the potential effectiveness of enforcement and its current execution.
Despite these findings, closure notices and orders provided to local councils and Trading Standards have not been fully utilized. The Co-op director of public affairs and campaigns, Paul Gerrard, stated that “real change wasn’t happening.” Gerrard noted that the £30m committed by the government to this issue won’t even touch the sides of the problem.
Tobacco Track and Trace system underutilised
Efforts to tackle the illicit trade are also being hampered by limited use of the Tobacco Track and Trace (TT&T) system. This system is designed to track all tobacco products in the UK through a legitimate supply chain to the retailer. While some Trading Standards have increased their use of TT&T through a programme called Operation Cece, the Co-op FOI request highlighted that the potential to detect and prevent crime through this technology is “significantly underutilised.”
The report found that 122 councils reported less than 500 TT&T referrals from more than 8,200 seizures in total, which is fewer than 6 percent. The vast majority of these referrals, 75 percent, were reported by just 15 councils. More than half of the councils, 57 percent, reported no engagement with the track and trace technology at all. This lack of engagement limits the ability of authorities to stop illegal products before they reach the shelf.
Professor Emmeline Taylor argued that the illicit tobacco trade is now one of the principal drivers of high street decline. She suggested that if Britain’s high streets are to experience a renaissance, tackling crime must be recognized as a prerequisite, not simply a parallel objective. Gerrard added that increased investment now would reap long-term benefits, not only to the public purse but to drive social and commercial benefits of thriving high streets and communities.