Smokefree dairy thriving

Niki Gordon hopes other dairies around Wanganui will follow his smokefree lead. Photo/Stuart Munro

A Wanganui dairy has gone smokefree - and business has never been better, says its owner.

Niki Gordon of the Glasgow Street Dairy decided to stop selling cigarettes as a new year resolution, and has already had six couples in the area tell him they're giving up smoking because of it.

"Cigarette companies are becoming a bit bullyish," Mr Gordon said. "Dairies are made to believe that you can't survive without selling cigarettes - but you can."

He posted signs on his store windows to say he did not sell smokes a couple of weeks ago, and ever since then he had people coming in to congratulate him on his stance.

Even smokers were coming in to shake his hand and wish him the best, he said.

His turnover was better since the change, despite the loss of cigarette sales, he said, as grocery sales had gone up.

Mr Gordon reckoned his was the only dairy in Wanganui that had stopped stocking cigarettes. The Chronicle visited 10 other dairies around the city this week, all of which were selling them.

He hoped his decision would inspire other dairy owners to ditch the ciggies and go smokefree.

"The trend will eventually be specialty smoke shops."

It was "a pride issue" too now for Mr Gordon to stand firm - he said he'd had a comment from a cigarette company assuring him it "wouldn't last".

He has owned the dairy for 10 years, and started thinking about going smokefree a couple of years ago.