Convenience operators welcome report on good track record selling regulated products
A new federal report is being cited by convenience store operators as evidence of the sector’s strong track record when it comes to selling age-restricted products responsibly.
The latest Vaping Compliance and Enforcement Report from Health Canada found that convenience and gas retailers recorded some of the highest compliance rates in the country during inspections conducted between April 2024 and March 2025. According to the report, just 1% of convenience stores were found to be non-compliant when selling vaping products, compared with a 43% non-compliance rate among vaping specialty stores.
The findings were welcomed by the United Korean Commerce Industry Association of Canada (UKCIA), which represents more than 2,000 independent convenience store operators nationwide.
“This report is important—not because it tells us something new, but because it confirms what we have been saying for many years,” said Kenny Shim, president of the UKCIA, in a media release put out by the organization. “Convenience stores have a long-standing track record of responsibly selling age-restricted products.”
The association says the report strengthens its argument that licensed retailers should be trusted to sell regulated products, including nicotine pouches, which were banned from convenience stores under a 2024 ministerial order.
At the time, former health minister Mark Holland linked the products to underage use, a claim the industry has disputed. The UKCIA is now urging Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government to reverse the ban.
“We are asking the government to let us once again sell a popular smoking-cessation product responsibly,” Shim said.
“This latest study proves once again that convenience stores are not the problem.”
Industry leaders also say legal retailers are facing growing pressure from illegal and unregulated sellers, both in local communities and online. According to the UKCIA, untaxed products remain widely available through unlicensed vendors, while some online platforms ship age-restricted products without proper verification.
Regulatory challenges
“It is becoming harder and harder for legal, responsible store owners to stay in business when illegal products are seemingly everywhere,” Shim said, adding that compliant retailers continue to invest in training, systems, and oversight.
The association says its members will travel to Ottawa in March to meet with federal MPs, with a focus on regulatory challenges, the expanding black market, and the role convenience stores can play in supporting smoking-cessation efforts.
For operators, the UKCIA argues, the Health Canada findings reinforce the sector’s position as a reliable partner in public health enforcement—while underscoring the need for policies that recognize compliant retailers and address illegal competition.
