Walmart is pulling cigarettes from sale in some stores, report says

• Walmart is pulling cigarettes from sale in some stores, The WSJ reported.
• In some stores, tobacco shelves will make way for self-checkouts and grab-and-go food, per the report.

Walmart is pulling cigarettes from sale in some stores, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Tobacco shelves will make way for self-checkouts, grab-and-go food, and candy in some stores in California, Florida, Arkansas, and New Mexico, according to the report Monday, which was confirmed by a Walmart spokesperson.

The spokesperson, quoted in The Journal, said Walmart was "always looking at ways to meet our customers' needs while still operating an efficient business" but added that the company didn't plan to halt all tobacco sales.

Walmart is the world's largest brick-and-mortar retailer. It has more than 5,000 stores in the US, where it employs 1.6 million people, according to company figures.

Marlboro-maker Altria's stock was down 1.9% in pre-market trading Monday.

Walmart already can't sell cigarettes in some municipalities, including New York City, that have banned tobacco sales in the same premises as pharmacies. Walmart competitor Target stopped selling tobacco products altogether in 1996 and CVS did the same in 2014.

Walmart, already one of the largest pharmacy chains in the US, is attempting to build a healthcare empire. Last year, for example, its medical division bought MeMD, a telehealth provider.

Cigarettes are the leading cause of lung cancer.

Tensions around the issue of selling cigarettes as Walmart expands its healthcare business sparked internal debate at the company, according to The Journal.

Doug McMillon, Walmart CEO, challenged other executives to find a way to stop selling tobacco, The Journal reported, citing anonymous individuals familiar with the discussions. Some executives were of the opinion that Walmart shouldn't be in the business of "morally policing" its shoppers, The Journal said, while others suggested self-checkouts would save money on staffing.

Walmart didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.