United Korean Commerce & Industry Association of Canada wants to meet with Canada's new health minister
The United Korean Commerce & Industry Association of Canada (UKCIA) has issued a call to action highlighting the “essential role independent convenience stores play in keeping our communities safe, connected, and well-served.”
“Across Canada, independent convenience stores are more than just neighbourhood shops—they are trusted community hubs,” the UKCIA said in a release sent to the press. “Store owners and their employees build lasting relationships with customers, watch out for local safety, and uphold strict age-verification practices for products such as lottery tickets, alcohol, and tobacco. UKCIA members and their affiliates have built their businesses on the principles of responsibility, fairness, and service.”
The UKCIA linked to a statement from Kenny Shim, owner of Busy Bee Market and president of the UKCIA, and adding that “these values are being tested. Increasing overregulation—such as the federal ban on nicotine pouches in convenience stores—is hurting honest retailers while fuelling the illegal market. Nicotine pouches are a Health Canada approved smoking cessation product, but since their removal from convenience store shelves, independent store owners estimate losing an average of $75,000 in gross sales per store annually. Customers openly tell retailers that these products are now readily available through illegal sellers.”
“By banning legal, controlled sales in licensed convenience stores, the federal government has handed the black-market a near monopoly on a product designed and approved by Health Canada to help Canadians quit smoking,” UKCIA continued “That's bad for public health, bad for small business, and bad for community safety. Convenience stores have not just lost the sale of nicotine pouches; they have lost the foot traffic that leads to a bag of chips or a bottle of pop. For many UKCIA members $75,000 in gross revenue is the difference between survival or closing their doors.”
UKCIA is calling on Canada's new Health Minister, Marjorie Michel, to meet with convenience industry representatives to understand the significant impact her predecessor's unilateral decision has had on small businesses across Canada.
UKCIA invites Canadians to support their local stores and recognize the tireless work of independent operators who contribute to safer, more vibrant communities.
