COLES is importing cigarettes from Germany and selling them at discount prices to lure low-income smokers into its supermarkets.
The grocery giant has priced the ``home-brand-style'' packs of 25 cigarettes at around $11 almost $4 a pack less than Australian-made Winfield and other leading brands.
They are believed to be the cheapest on the market since the federal Government raised cigarette taxes by 25 per cent in April...
``Coles has introduced a small number of branded cigarette lines sourced from overseas, available exclusively in our stores,'' a Coles spokesman said. He said the deal was established to offer more choice for customers, not to undermine the federal Government's cigarette tax.
But a Coles employee, who did not want to be named, said she had been told to ``push the overseas cigarettes'' to customers struggling with higher prices after the tax rise.
``When customers come in and complain that their usual cigarettes are too expensive we suggest they try one of the new ones, like Tradition,'' she said.
``I have been selling cigarettes for four years now. Lately I have noticed people just want the cheapest ones"...
I am able to chose where I shop.
Wesfarmers, which owns Coles, also owns Bunnings.
We need a leglislated minimum price for cigarettes, and also for alcohol.
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