Meiyijia Headquarters Responds to Multiple Stores Accused of Selling Counterfeit Cigarettes: Has Conducted Comprehensive Inspection of 40,000 Stores

On March 14, according to Guangdong Network Radio and Television’s Licaijing, many netizens reported buying “fake cigarettes” at Meiyijia convenience stores. The reporter purchased four types of cigarettes—“Liqin,” “Xuanhemen,” “Chunjing,” and “Classic 1906”—from the Guangzhou Ershizhi Commercial Chain Co., Ltd. direct store on Jianshe Third Road, a subsidiary of China Tobacco Group. When comparing these with cigarettes previously bought at Meiyijia convenience stores, obvious differences in packaging were found in some cigarettes. To verify whether the cigarettes purchased at Meiyijia were genuine, the investigation team reported the issue to the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau. On the identification consultation form of the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, the staff marked the identification results of the four packs of cigarettes as “fake.”

Licaijing summarized the undercover investigation results in Guangzhou, Foshan, and Dongguan, where problematic cigarettes were found in all 10 Meiyijia convenience stores visited. Combining law enforcement data, the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau identified at least 854 packs of problematic cigarettes from these 10 stores.

Meiyijia’s headquarters customer service told reporters that the company is actively following up on the matter. “Currently, we are conducting a nationwide ‘sweep’ of 40,000 stores. If any problematic stores are found, they will be immediately closed.” Regarding the stores exposed for selling fake cigarettes, the customer service stated, “Our company has zero tolerance for such counterfeit sales and will impose strict penalties. If the allegations are confirmed, we will pursue accountability, terminate cooperation, and further strengthen supervision to ensure compliant operations.” (The Paper)