If deliberate, it may also have been used to maintain a sense of community, or to allow traders to talk amongst themselves in marketplaces to facilitate collusion, without customers knowing what they were saying, or by criminals to confuse the police (see thieves' cant)
(Costcos largest direct rival, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) Sams Club sells cigarettes, as do CVS rivals Walgreens (WHA) and Rite Aid (RAD).) In CVS case, the tobacco exit was part of a broader effort to reposition itself as a healthcare company, all the more important given that CVS pharmacy benefits manager unit, Caremark, is expected to generate revenues of $121.5 billion this year
Wine and Spirits held 75.68% in 2025, and Airports accounted for 94.35% of distribution, with Cruise Liners projected to grow at 18.55% CAGR to 2031
So my brain knows pleasure is an illusion