Cigarette displays at 7,700 CVS stores were removed as of midnight on 2 Sept and replaced with anti-smoking signs as the pharmacy chain made good on its promise to stop selling tobacco products, the New York Times reported.

Renamed CVS Health, the company’s decision is seen as a strategic move to better position the company in a growing health care industry, according to the Times. CVS Health describes itself as the largest pharmacy health-care provider in the US, and operates 900 ‘minute clinics’ that offer basic medical services at its stores.
In February CVS announced it would end tobacco sales by October, a move which came earlier than announced. The company said the move was expected to strip about USD 2 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) from annual sales.