Walgreens Continues Vape Sales
After a multiyear absence from the market, Walgreens is preparing to resume selling vape products for the first time since 2019, marking a notable shift in retail policy that dates back to the heightened scrutiny of vaping during that period and the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pharmacy chain is reportedly planning to bring vape products back to as many as 6,000 brick-and-mortar stores across the United States in the near future. While the company has not announced an official nationwide relaunch date, early reports indicate the rollout could begin gradually as distribution logistics and compliance requirements are finalized. Initial details also suggest that the retailer intends to focus primarily on FDA-authorized vaping products, aligning its assortment with devices that have received federal marketing authorization. According to a representative from Juul Labs, products such as JUUL devices may be among the vape items stocked on shelves once the program expands. However, the availability of these products will vary by location, with certain regions, including all Walgreens stores in New York, excluded from the initiative due to local laws prohibiting the sale of vape products in pharmacies, according to reporting from Bloomberg and Vaping360.
Vaping Industry History
Walgreens’ current policy shift also reflects a longer history of how major pharmacy retailers have navigated the rapidly evolving vaping market over the past decade. For much of the 2010s, companies like Walgreens monitored the decisions of competitors such as CVS Health, which in 2014 made headlines by ending the sale of all tobacco products in its stores as part of a broader public-health initiative and commitment to tobacco control efforts. Walgreens continued selling nicotine products for several years afterward, but pressure from regulators, health groups, and shifting industry sentiment gradually intensified. By 2019, the retailer joined other large chains, including Walmart and Kroger, in pulling e-cigarettes and vape devices from store shelves nationwide amid growing uncertainty surrounding the category. At the time, investigations into vaping-related health concerns and mounting scrutiny of retail sales created a cautious environment for national chains considering whether to remain in the market. Rising youth vaping rates during that period were also widely cited as a key factor behind these decisions, prompting retailers and regulators alike to reevaluate how and where such products were sold.
Walgreens Private Equity Acquisition
A major corporate development may also help explain the timing of Walgreens’ return to the vaping category. On August 28, 2025, private equity firm Sycamore Partners finalized a roughly $10 billion acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance, taking the company private and signaling the start of a broader restructuring strategy focused on cost reductions and stronger front-end retail performance. As part of this effort, the company has reportedly been evaluating ways to optimize operational efficiency while driving higher-margin sales through non-pharmacy merchandise. With the global vaping sector continuing to grow in both market value and consumer adoption, often competing directly with traditional tobacco products, reintroducing vape products could represent a calculated attempt to attract new customers and recapture market share lost during the 2019 sales halt. The move also comes as Walgreens continues to manage a vast footprint of more than 8,000 retail locations across the United States, even as leadership evaluates plans to close certain underperforming stores in the coming years.
Another Vape Sale Boom?
The recent business moves by major retailers suggest the potential for a renewed boom in vape and e‑cigarette sales across mainstream outlets. In 2023, Kroger re-entered the vape market, with a company representative citing newly FDA-authorized products and declining youth vaping rates as key factors supporting the decision. While these individual corporate actions may primarily reflect broader revenue and market-share strategies, their timing and alignment with regulatory approvals highlight a changing landscape for nicotine products. If sales at Walgreens, Kroger, and other mainstream retailers perform well, or if additional chains choose to reintroduce vape products, this could signal a wider shift in both consumer behavior and industry norms. Such a trend may carry significant implications, including potential adjustments in FDA regulatory approaches and the increasing recognition that vaping is overtaking traditional tobacco products among overall nicotine users.
