# Number of tobacconists in France: 22,400 in 2026

> Number of tobacconists (buralistes) in mainland France: about 22,400 licensed tobacco outlets open in 2026. Explore bar-tabacs (bars that also sell tobacco), regional patterns, and the network's decline.

Source: https://scalon.fr/en/observatory/number-of-tobacconists-in-france

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[← The Observatory](/en/observatory)

Observatory · Retail and services

Mainland France has about 22,400 tobacconists in November 2026. We searched public business listings for each of the 22,651 outlets on the latest official French Customs list, then checked 100 locations individually. Each ordinary outlet is run by a licensed tobacconist; if you sell a POS system or a payment terminal, you still need to check whether the choice lies with the manager, the brand or a partner.

By [Nicolas Morillot](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-morillot-22b656174/) · Co-founder of Scalon

Official French Customs list of tobacco outlets as of September 1, 2023 · Public business listings read on November 9, 2026 · 100 locations checked twice · Sirene business register, Insee (France's national statistics office), French Customs

The short answer

Mainland France, including Corsica, has about 22,400 tobacconists in November 2026, according to Scalon's estimate (22,380 licensed tobacco outlets open). We looked up each of the 22,651 outlets on the latest official list from French Customs, dated September 1, 2023. The network has been shrinking for twenty years, mostly in small towns.

Get the list of the 22,400 tobacconists in France, with the contact details available.

Published on November 9, 2026

Key figures

22,400

Tobacconists open in mainland France

November 2026; the 22,651 official outlets looked up one by one, 100 locations checked

37.4%

Outlets without an open “tobacco” listing

8,477 of the 22,651 official outlets; most of them are still open

28.3%

Business locations created since 2023

Among the 9,297 outlets found in the business register: new operator, new company or a move

## In this article

- Which figure for which offer
- Why the figures differ
- The six levels of the market
- The network's decline
- Revenue of a tobacco shop
- Sirene, the APE business activity code and the register's release date
- Market study and prospect list
- Frequently asked questions
- Method

## How many tobacconists are there in France in 2026?

| Question | Key figure |
| --- | --- |
| How many tobacconists are open in mainland France in November 2026? | about 22,400 (22,380, Scalon estimate) |
| How many outlets are on the latest official French Customs list? | 22,651, as of September 1, 2023 |
| How much did the network shrink between the 2018 and 2023 lists? | 1,783 fewer outlets (-7.3%) |
| How many bar-tabacs? | 8,517 of the 16,943 outlets seen on an open public listing (50.3%) |
| How many towns have at least one tobacco outlet (2023 list)? | 10,733 of 34,746 |
| How many carry a chain or network name? | at least 649 outlets (2.9%) |

The French state counts outlets, not people: in its answers, "buralistes" (tobacconists), "débitants" (licensed operators) and "points de vente" (outlets) mean the same thing. Other sources do not always say what they count. We found no official inventory of tobacco outlets as of 2026. Our figure covers mainland France, including Corsica: French Customs defines the tobacconists' monopoly there, and its list does not cover the French overseas territories.

Our figure starts from the official French Customs list. We looked up each of its 22,651 outlets on public business listings and in the business register, then checked 100 randomly drawn locations, twice, on the web. Two independent reviews agreed on whether 81 locations out of 100 were open or closed; Scalon resolved the remaining cases based on the evidence. Our estimate is 22,380 outlets; the sampling alone leaves a range of 20,645 to 24,115 (95%). The French Customs figure, 22,200 in its 2025 report, falls within that range.

## Which figure for which offer?

The right answer depends on what you sell:

| Your offer targets… | How many outlets | Base |
| --- | --- | --- |
| the whole network | about 22,400 | outlets open in November 2026 |
| year-round outlets | 22,138 | 2023 official list |
| train stations, airports, and other sites with restricted access (special outlets) | 341 | 2023 official list |
| bar-tabacs | 8,517 | of 16,943 outlets seen on a public listing |
| tobacco shops, with or without newspaper sales, that do not have a bar | 7,071 | of 16,943 |
| outlets inside another shop | 1,355 | of 16,943 |
| outlets whose names include a network brand (newspaper retail, convenience stores, train stations) | at least 649 | 2023 official list |
| outlets whose business location was created in 2023 or later | 2,627 | of 9,297 found in the business register |
| towns under 3,500 residents | 8,559 | 2023 official list |

The details behind each row are in the six levels of the market.

## 22,500, 22,800, 24,400: why the figures differ

Depending on the page you read, the network is not the same size:

- **22,800**: Confédération des buralistes (the tobacconists' trade body), "Nos engagements" page, no visible date.

- **22,500**: the same Confédération, in a message dated August 26, 2026 and on its "Nos missions" page, with no count date.

- **24,400**: a private data publisher, which writes "more than 24,400" on a page published on August 1, 2019, with no count date.

The first problem is the date. None of these three figures says when it was counted.

The second is scope. For the same year, 2009, two sources give 28,434 and 28,552 outlets. One counts licensed operators on December 31, the other active establishments on May 1.

French Customs, which runs the network, publishes two kinds of figures. Its page "Les ventes de tabac en France", dated September 7, 2026, tracks volumes sold. It gives no number of outlets. Its annual report, on the other hand, gives a round number: 22,200 tobacconists in the 2025 report, with no count date.

### What other sources say

The seven public figures and what explains the gaps

| Source | Figure | Date | What explains the gap with our estimate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| French Customs, 2025 report | 22,200 | published February 19, 2026, count not dated | rounded figure, no count date; it falls within the range of our estimate |
| French Customs, official list of outlets | 22,651 | September 1, 2023 | address-by-address list, three years old: outlets have closed and others have opened since |
| French Customs, 2023 report | 23,316 | January 1, 2023 | eight months before the list; French Customs does not explain the gap of 665 outlets |
| Confédération des buralistes | 22,800 and 22,500 | not dated | two figures on the same website, no date |
| Observatoire français des drogues et des tendances addictives (OFDT, France's drug and addiction monitoring center) | 22,800 | 2025 report, published May 27, 2026 | the passage does not give the source of this number |
| Private data publisher | more than 24,400 | August 1, 2019 | 2019 figure |
| Sirene register, NAF code 47.26Z (France's business activity classification) | 7,972 establishments | September 24, 2026 | counts establishments under an activity code rather than licensed tobacco outlets: bar-tabacs and shops selling tobacco and newspapers often have a different code |

These figures refer to different dates, and their scope is not always stated. We use the French Customs list because it lists licensed outlets, address by address. It dates from September 1, 2023; our check brings it up to November 2026.

## The six levels of the tobacconist market

A tobacconist (buraliste) is a retailer licensed by the French state to sell tobacco, under a 3-year management contract with French Customs. In mainland France, tobacco retail is a state monopoly, run through these licensed operators; some businesses (bars, restaurants, gas stations) may also resell tobacco, buying it from a licensed outlet. This study counts licensed outlets, not these resellers. The market can be analyzed at six levels, from the broadest to the most detailed.

Market vocabulary, in plain words

| Term | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Débit de tabac (tobacco outlet) | an outlet licensed by French Customs and owned by the state, which entrusts its management to an operator |
| Débitant, buraliste | the person who runs the outlet; in state figures, "buraliste", "débitant" and "point de vente" mean the same thing |
| Ordinary outlet | open year-round (permanent) or for a season (seasonal), on a street, in a mall, in a village |
| Special outlet | located at a site with restricted access or a separate site, such as a train station, airport, or military base |
| Management contract | the 3-year renewable contract between the tobacconist and French Customs |
| Société en nom collectif (SNC, general partnership) | the corporate structure tobacconists are allowed to use: all partners are individuals |
| Remise (commission) | the share of the tobacco price the tobacconist keeps: 8.35% net, 10.29% gross in 2026 |
| Paiement de proximité | paying taxes and fines at the tobacconist |

### Level 1. The universe: the official list, and what is left of it in 2026

The French Customs list of September 1, 2023 has 22,651 outlets. Almost all (22,138) are ordinary outlets, open year-round. On top of these come 341 special outlets, in train stations, airports or military bases, and 172 seasonal outlets, in tourist resorts.

We looked up each of these outlets on public business listings, at its address. 14,174 outlets (62.6%) appear there as an open tobacco shop or bar-tabac. 2,769 others are visible, but under another label: bar, newsstand, convenience store, restaurant. For 3,775 outlets (16.7%), we found no listing at all at the address.

We then checked 100 randomly drawn locations on the web, spread across these cases. The vast majority of the outlets on the 2023 list are still open. Public listings also show 4,795 "tobacco" locations that we could not match to the list: many are listed outlets that have changed hands or moved, while a few opened since 2023 or were omitted from the list. Determining the exact breakdown of closures and openings since 2023 would require checking more locations; we publish only the total.

The detail: from the official list to the November 2026 total

| What public listings show | Outlets | Locations checked (with status confirmed) | Open among locations with confirmed status | Estimated open outlets |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Open "tobacco" listing at the address | 14,174 | 20 (20) | 20 | 14,174 |
| Open listing of another business (bar, newsstand, convenience store) | 2,769 | 14 (12) | 12 | 2,769 |
| Only the business directory or the business register | 1,388 | 12 (11) | 10 | 1,262 |
| Listing marked closed | 545 | 8 (8) | 4 | 272 |
| Nothing at the address | 3,775 | 22 (20) | 18 | 3,398 |
| "Tobacco" locations missing from the 2023 list (outlets missing from the list: open, and with no outlet on the list to explain them) | 4,795 | 24 (19) | 2 | 505 |
| Total | 22,651 + 4,795 | 100 |  | 22,380 |

A location has a confirmed status when a dated page establishes whether it is open or closed; locations that could not be found or lacked sufficient evidence are assumed to have the same open/closed proportions as confirmed locations in their group. A location missing from the list counts as an outlet missing from the list only if it is open, linked to no outlet by the reviewers, and no listed outlet with the same postal code that is closed or could not be located lies within one kilometer; otherwise it may be an outlet already counted, taken over or moved. This rule matters: in this group, 19 locations have a confirmed status out of the 24 checked, each confirmed case stands for about 250 outlets, and the 5 undetermined ones are assumed to follow the same proportions as the confirmed cases.

Caption: only 14,174 official outlets have an open “tobacco” listing; most of the others are still open. French Customs list as of September 1, 2023, public listings read on November 9, 2026. Scalon Observatory.

For prospecting, this matters: more than one outlet in three on the list (8,477, 37.4%) has no open "tobacco" listing, while about 91% of them are open according to our check. A file built from "tobacco" listings alone misses these outlets.

### Level 2. Business formats: bar-tabacs, tobacco and newspaper shops, and outlets inside other stores

Of the 16,943 listed outlets with public listings marked open, 8,517 (50.3%) also serve drinks: these are bar-tabacs. 7,071 (41.7%) are tobacco shops, with or without newspaper sales, that do not have a bar. 1,355 (8%) sit inside another business: convenience store, gas station, bookstore, hotel.

Caption: among outlets seen on an open listing, half also run a bar. Categories of the open public listings of the outlets on the official list, November 2026. Scalon Observatory.

The Confédération des buralistes publishes 55.5% bar-tabacs, with or without newspapers, with no date or method; in 2009, the state counted 60%. Our study on the [number of bars in France](/en/observatory/number-of-bars-in-france) counts 7,182 "bar-tabacs and PMU (betting) bars" among the bars observed: it starts from bars and uses the main type of their listing, betting bars without tobacco included, while we start from tobacco outlets and keep any listing that mentions a bar. The two figures therefore do not count the same thing.

Among the locations checked one by one and found open, the two reviews agree on the format of 58: 37 bar-tabacs, 12 shops selling tobacco and newspapers, and 9 outlets inside another store; none is a tobacco shop with neither newspapers nor a bar (for 3 others, the format could not be established). This selection measures neither a national share nor how often listings leave things out.

### Level 3. Services: what a tobacco shop sells besides tobacco

Tobacco accounted for 70% of tobacconists' sales in 2023, according to the Observatoire français des drogues et des tendances addictives (OFDT). The rest comes from other activities. The categories shown on the 16,943 public listings for outlets on the official list identify these other activities:

| Service shown on the listing | Outlets | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Food service (restaurant, brasserie) | 2,241 | 13.2% |
| Newspapers | 1,348 | 8% |
| Horse-racing and sports betting (PMU) | 1,219 | 7.2% |
| E-cigarettes | 1,065 | 6.3% |
| Lottery games | 587 | 3.5% |
| Cigars | 336 | 2% |
| Parcels | 219 | 1.3% |

These shares are minimums: a listing does not show every service a business offers. Other sources provide additional service counts. The Nickel bank account can be opened at 8,500 tobacconists (September 2026). "Paiement de proximité", which lets people pay taxes and fines at the tobacconist, is offered by 16,050 tobacconists, according to a 2026 ministerial answer.

For a supplier, each service is a way in: an outlet that already sells newspapers or e-cigarettes buys display stands, point-of-sale software, a card terminal.

### Level 4. Who runs it: one tobacconist, one outlet

This is the market's most distinctive feature. The law bars the same operator from running more than one ordinary tobacco outlet (decree of June 28, 2010, article 3). The operator is a person, trading in their own name or through a general partnership whose partners are all individuals. The outlet itself belongs to the state, which entrusts its management to a licensed operator.

The business register confirms it. Among the 9,297 outlets whose active business location we found, 51.7% are run by a sole proprietor and 46.1% by a general partnership.

This does not rule out belonging to a network. The business can operate under a brand, and since October 2025 the decree even provides for franchising in rural towns (article 4). On the 2023 list, at least 649 outlets (2.9%) cite a network brand in their name:

| Brand cited in the outlet's name | Outlets on the 2023 list |
| --- | --- |
| Newspaper retail brands (Maison de la Presse 293, Mag Presse 81, Point Presse, Point Plus) | 381 |
| Convenience stores (Vival 89, Proxi 50, Spar, Cocci Market, Casino and others) | 189 |
| Relay, Relais H, Lagardère Travel Retail (stations and airports) | 74 |
| Gas stations | 5 |
| No network brand found in the name (of which 5,984 with no name) | 22,002 (97.1%) |
| Total | 22,651 |

This count based on names is a minimum: it misses affiliations not shown in the store name and membership in groups such as the cooperative established by the Confédération. The most frequent names, on the other hand, are not networks: "La Civette" (194 outlets), "Le Balto" (117), "Le Marigny" (116) or "Le Chiquito" (110) are traditional tobacco shop names, carried by separate outlets. Even when it operates under a brand, the outlet is still run by an operator who holds an individual license.

Each ordinary outlet is run by a licensed tobacconist, even when the business carries a brand. If you sell a POS system or a payment terminal, check whether the choice lies with the manager, the brand or a partner. Other channels reach many outlets at once: the Confédération des buralistes and its 103 departmental federations, the tobacco distributor, the gaming, news and service networks. Our study does not measure the share of outlets that choose their own equipment.

### Level 5. Where are the tobacconists?

The 2023 list has 3.4 outlets per 10,000 residents in mainland France, one for about 2,920 residents. The ratio between the lowest and highest densities across départements (French counties) is one to 4.6: 8 outlets per 10,000 residents in Lozère and 1.8 in Hauts-de-Seine. The OFDT found the same gap in 2024, measured against residents aged 15 and over: 93 outlets per 100,000 in Lozère, 22 in Moselle.

Caption: Brittany and Normandy have about twice as many tobacconists per resident as Île-de-France, Corsica even more. French Customs official list as of September 1, 2023, Insee official population figures. Scalon Observatory.

A large share of the network is in small towns. 8,559 outlets (37.8%) are in a town of under 3,500 residents; the Confédération states 41%. 6,077 (26.8%) are in a village of under 2,000 residents. At the other end, 4,525 outlets (20%) are in a city of 50,000 residents or more. The network shrinks most in the smallest towns: between 2018 and 2023, outlets in towns of under 500 residents fell by 24.2%, against 5.1% in cities of 50,000 residents or more.

10,733 towns out of 34,746 have at least one tobacco outlet (30.9%). They are home to 84.2% of residents. Between 2018 and 2023, 1,022 towns lost their last outlet, and 208 gained one. Nine in ten of the towns that lost their last outlet had under 2,000 residents (924 of 1,022).

Outlets by region and town size

| Region | Outlets (September 1, 2023) | Per 10,000 residents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 2,946 | 3.6 |
| Île-de-France | 2,837 | 2.3 |
| Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 2,536 | 4.1 |
| Occitanie | 2,060 | 3.4 |
| Hauts-de-France | 1,974 | 3.3 |
| Brittany | 1,628 | 4.7 |
| Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 1,596 | 3.1 |
| Normandy | 1,575 | 4.7 |
| Grand Est | 1,535 | 2.8 |
| Pays de la Loire | 1,390 | 3.6 |
| Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 1,159 | 4.1 |
| Centre-Val de Loire | 1,105 | 4.3 |
| Corsica | 211 | 5.9 |
| Town not found | 99 |  |
| Total mainland France | 22,651 | 3.4 |

| Town size | Outlets |
| --- | --- |
| Under 500 residents | 970 |
| 500 to 1,999 residents | 5,107 |
| 2,000 to 3,499 residents | 2,482 |
| 3,500 to 9,999 residents | 4,210 |
| 10,000 to 49,999 residents | 5,258 |
| 50,000 residents or more | 4,525 |
| Town not found | 99 |
| Total | 22,651 |

The départements with the most outlets are Paris (697 outlets), Nord (626), Pas-de-Calais (580) and Bouches-du-Rhône (554).

Outlets by département, density and change since 2018

| Département | Outlets (September 1, 2023) | Per 10,000 residents | Change since 2018 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 01 Ain | 213 | 3.1 | -6.2% |
| 02 Aisne | 209 | 4 | -12.9% |
| 03 Allier | 162 | 4.9 | -16.1% |
| 04 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | 87 | 5.2 | -5.4% |
| 05 Hautes-Alpes | 74 | 5.2 | -10.8% |
| 06 Alpes-Maritimes | 324 | 2.9 | -3.3% |
| 07 Ardèche | 162 | 4.8 | -6.9% |
| 08 Ardennes | 102 | 3.8 | -11.3% |
| 09 Ariège | 61 | 3.9 | -7.6% |
| 10 Aube | 135 | 4.3 | -6.2% |
| 11 Aude | 160 | 4.2 | -10.1% |
| 12 Aveyron | 170 | 6.1 | -9.6% |
| 13 Bouches-du-Rhône | 554 | 2.6 | -5% |
| 14 Calvados | 317 | 4.5 | -3.9% |
| 15 Cantal | 111 | 7.7 | -13.3% |
| 16 Charente | 171 | 4.8 | -8.6% |
| 17 Charente-Maritime | 304 | 4.5 | -4.7% |
| 18 Cher | 151 | 5.1 | -13.2% |
| 19 Corrèze | 136 | 5.7 | -13.4% |
| 21 Côte-d'Or | 176 | 3.3 | -9.3% |
| 22 Côtes-d'Armor | 369 | 6 | -7.5% |
| 23 Creuse | 77 | 6.7 | -11.5% |
| 24 Dordogne | 261 | 6.2 | -8.7% |
| 25 Doubs | 198 | 3.6 | -10.8% |
| 26 Drôme | 205 | 3.9 | -7.7% |
| 27 Eure | 252 | 4.2 | -3.1% |
| 28 Eure-et-Loir | 169 | 3.9 | -7.7% |
| 29 Finistère | 464 | 5 | -7.6% |
| 2A Corse-du-Sud | 99 | 5.9 | -7.5% |
| 2B Haute-Corse | 112 | 6 | -4.3% |
| 30 Gard | 281 | 3.6 | -3.1% |
| 31 Haute-Garonne | 279 | 1.9 | -9.1% |
| 32 Gers | 88 | 4.6 | -7.4% |
| 33 Gironde | 521 | 3.1 | -3.7% |
| 34 Hérault | 387 | 3.1 | -4.4% |
| 35 Ille-et-Vilaine | 423 | 3.8 | -5.6% |
| 36 Indre | 124 | 5.7 | -12.1% |
| 37 Indre-et-Loire | 242 | 3.9 | -6.2% |
| 38 Isère | 414 | 3.2 | -4.4% |
| 39 Jura | 115 | 4.5 | -8.7% |
| 40 Landes | 154 | 3.5 | -3.1% |
| 41 Loir-et-Cher | 173 | 5.3 | -8.5% |
| 42 Loire | 329 | 4.2 | -6.5% |
| 43 Haute-Loire | 138 | 6 | -11.5% |
| 44 Loire-Atlantique | 419 | 2.8 | -2.1% |
| 45 Loiret | 246 | 3.6 | -8.2% |
| 46 Lot | 99 | 5.6 | -8.3% |
| 47 Lot-et-Garonne | 150 | 4.5 | -7.4% |
| 48 Lozère | 61 | 8 | -7.6% |
| 49 Maine-et-Loire | 297 | 3.6 | -8% |
| 50 Manche | 315 | 6.3 | -6.8% |
| 51 Marne | 192 | 3.4 | -12.3% |
| 52 Haute-Marne | 81 | 4.8 | -19% |
| 53 Mayenne | 151 | 4.9 | -14.7% |
| 54 Meurthe-et-Moselle | 176 | 2.4 | -11.1% |
| 55 Meuse | 60 | 3.3 | -16.7% |
| 56 Morbihan | 372 | 4.8 | -5.8% |
| 57 Moselle | 194 | 1.9 | -6.3% |
| 58 Nièvre | 116 | 5.8 | -12.8% |
| 59 Nord | 626 | 2.4 | -11.5% |
| 60 Oise | 295 | 3.5 | -4.8% |
| 61 Orne | 166 | 6 | -8.3% |
| 62 Pas-de-Calais | 580 | 4 | -10.8% |
| 63 Puy-de-Dôme | 295 | 4.4 | -9.2% |
| 64 Pyrénées-Atlantiques | 239 | 3.4 | -11.5% |
| 65 Hautes-Pyrénées | 92 | 4 | -14% |
| 66 Pyrénées-Orientales | 133 | 2.7 | -10.1% |
| 67 Bas-Rhin | 249 | 2.1 | -13.2% |
| 68 Haut-Rhin | 195 | 2.5 | -14.8% |
| 69 Rhône | 500 | 2.6 | -5.8% |
| 70 Haute-Saône | 93 | 4 | -7.9% |
| 71 Saône-et-Loire | 257 | 4.7 | -10.5% |
| 72 Sarthe | 255 | 4.5 | -7.6% |
| 73 Savoie | 187 | 4.2 | -6% |
| 74 Haute-Savoie | 230 | 2.7 | -6.9% |
| 75 Paris | 697 | 3.3 | -2.1% |
| 76 Seine-Maritime | 525 | 4.2 | -7.2% |
| 77 Seine-et-Marne | 382 | 2.6 | -1% |
| 78 Yvelines | 332 | 2.2 | -2.6% |
| 79 Deux-Sèvres | 153 | 4.1 | -5.6% |
| 80 Somme | 264 | 4.7 | -10.8% |
| 81 Tarn | 143 | 3.6 | -9.5% |
| 82 Tarn-et-Garonne | 106 | 4 | -6.2% |
| 83 Var | 348 | 3.1 | -4.4% |
| 84 Vaucluse | 209 | 3.6 | -4.1% |
| 85 Vendée | 268 | 3.8 | -6% |
| 86 Vienne | 184 | 4.2 | -10.2% |
| 87 Haute-Vienne | 186 | 5 | -10.6% |
| 88 Vosges | 151 | 4.2 | -12.7% |
| 89 Yonne | 160 | 4.8 | -10.6% |
| 90 Territoire de Belfort | 44 | 3.1 | -8.3% |
| 91 Essonne | 284 | 2.1 | -2.7% |
| 92 Hauts-de-Seine | 290 | 1.8 | -2.7% |
| 93 Seine-Saint-Denis | 307 | 1.8 | -3.8% |
| 94 Val-de-Marne | 273 | 1.9 | -5.5% |
| 95 Val-d'Oise | 272 | 2.1 | +1.5% |
| Total mainland France (towns found) | 22,552 | 3.4 | -7.3% |

### Level 6. A network that changes hands

The outlet stays, the tobacconist changes. When they sell their business, they can put forward a successor to French Customs after 3 years of management. Among the 9,297 outlets whose active business location we found, 2,627 (28.3%) have a business location created in 2023 or later: a new operator, a new company or a move, which the register cannot tell apart. Conversely, for 34.1%, the business location was created in 2016 or earlier.

These businesses stay small: 52% report 1 to 5 employees, and 3.2% six or more. The rest employ no one or do not report it.

For a supplier, a new operator is a prospective customer, often with plans for the shop. The state helps tobacconists modernize. In 2025, French Customs paid out 6,400 grants to tobacconists, for about 50 million euros, and the Confédération counts 6,000 outlets transformed since 2019.

**Selling to tobacconists in France?** Get the list for your area and your target, ready to call.

## What the dated figures say about the network's decline

The most solid data points come from the state. In February 2011, the Budget ministry answers a written question from a member of parliament. It gives 32,850 tobacco operators in 2002 and 28,434 in 2009, or 13.44% fewer.

The ministry describes a steady decline of about 2% a year. In November 2010, the network falls to 28,027 outlets.

After 2010, the state published two complete lists of its outlets, in 2018 and in 2023, and two numbers in its annual reports: 23,316 on January 1, 2023, 22,200 in the 2025 report. In 2014, another written question cites the Confédération: 722 tobacco shops disappeared in 2013. It also projected about a thousand closures for 2014, but that figure was a forecast rather than an observed result.

Between the March 2018 list (24,434 outlets) and the September 2023 list (22,651), the network has 1,783 fewer outlets, or 7.3%. This is a net figure, closures minus openings: these lists cannot count closures alone.

The decline is not the same everywhere. Between the two lists, Grand Est lost 12% of its outlets and Hauts-de-France 10.4%, against 2.3% in Île-de-France. Haute-Marne lost 19%, and only Val-d'Oise gained outlets.

The decline by region, 2018 to 2023

| Region | Outlets in 2023 | Change since 2018 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grand Est | 1,535 | -12% |
| Hauts-de-France | 1,974 | -10.4% |
| Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 1,159 | -10.2% |
| Centre-Val de Loire | 1,105 | -8.9% |
| Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 2,946 | -7.6% |
| Occitanie | 2,060 | -7.6% |
| Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 2,536 | -7.5% |
| Brittany | 1,628 | -6.7% |
| Pays de la Loire | 1,390 | -6.6% |
| Normandy | 1,575 | -6% |
| Corsica | 211 | -5.8% |
| Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 1,596 | -4.7% |
| Île-de-France | 2,837 | -2.3% |
| Total mainland France | 22,651 | -7.3% |

Towns not found by geocoding: 99 outlets in 2023, counted in the total but not in a region.

## How much revenue does a tobacco shop make?

The tobacconist keeps only a small share of what they sell in tobacco. Their net commission is 8.35% of the value of tobacco deliveries in 2026, according to French Customs (10.29% gross commission). The rest goes to taxes and manufacturers.

Few tobacconists publish financial statements: sole proprietors are not required to do so, nor are general partnerships whose partners are all individuals, as is the case for tobacconists. We reviewed recent financial statements from 188 companies, each matched to a single outlet. Their typical revenue, the figure for the company in the middle of the revenue ranking, is about €287,000. Their typical net income is €28,900 a year, based on the same set of companies. The company's net income is not the tobacconist's personal income.

These companies do not represent the whole network: the other outlets do not publish financial statements. They indicate a rough scale: a business generating a few hundred thousand euros in revenue.

## How to count outlets: Sirene, the APE business activity code, and the register's release date

A dated figure can be drawn from the Sirene register of Insee (France's national statistics office), the register of companies and their business locations. The filter is APE code 47.26Z, the activity code assigned by Insee. It covers the "commerce de détail de produits à base de tabac en magasin spécialisé" (specialized retail sale of tobacco products).

This code has two limits. It is used primarily for statistics, and a business's reported activity may differ from what it actually does. A bar-tabac whose bar business accounts for a larger share of its activity may also have a different code.

Our measurement puts a number on this second limit. As of September 24, 2026, the register has 7,972 active business locations under this code, 7,844 of them in mainland France. These are business locations with a code, not outlets: not all of them are on the French Customs list. Among the 9,297 outlets on the list whose business location we found, 58.2% carry this code, 21.9% the code for bars (56.30Z) and 11% the code for newspaper retail (47.62Z).

The code changes on January 1, 2027, with the new activity classification (NAF 2025). Code 47.92H covers the regulated activities of tobacconists and newspaper retailers when the retailer does not own the goods it sells. Code 47.26Y continues to cover retailers selling tobacco they own, along with e-cigarette retail. Insee has already assigned these codes in advance, subject to correction: of the 7,972 active business locations in 47.26Z, 5,226 (65.6%) move to 47.92H and 2,547 (31.9%) to 47.26Y. Details are in our guide to [NAF 2025 code changes](/en/blog/naf-2025-code-changes).

The result remains a count of places, not a list of prospects. It is the method of the [census we publish by sector](/en/observatory): a count, the filter used, and the register's release date.

## How can you use these figures for a market study?

### Size an addressable market

Start from the network of licensed outlets, about 22,400. Code 47.26Z does not identify the whole network: some bar-tabacs and shops selling tobacco and newspapers have other codes, and not every business with this code is a licensed tobacco outlet. Then remove what your offer does not cover. A service for bars targets bar-tabacs (8,517 of the 16,943 outlets seen on a listing); an offer for train stations, airports, and other sites with restricted access targets the 341 special outlets.

### Develop sales segments

Three questions are enough: does the outlet have a bar, does it sell newspapers, is it inside another shop? Add the town size, which changes the customer base and the sales route.

### Tailor your sales strategy by area

The ratio of the lowest to the highest outlet density across départements is one to 4.6. A sales rep in Lozère or Cantal finds more outlets per resident, but more spread out; in Île-de-France, fewer outlets per resident, but concentrated. Our [local market calculator](/en/tools/local-tam) helps size an area.

### Track a changing market

The network lost 1,783 outlets, net, between the 2018 and 2023 lists, and among the outlets found in the business register, more than one in four has a business location with a creation date of 2023 or later. A list more than a year old therefore contains closed outlets and outdated contacts. Redo the count for your area before each campaign.

Need the list of tobacconists in France? We send it with the contact details available, for the scope you choose.

## How do you build a prospect list of tobacconists?

1. **Start from the official list of outlets**, not from a "tobacco" search on a map: more than one outlet in three has no open "tobacco" listing.
2. **Check that each outlet is still open**: the list dates from 2023, and a closed "tobacco" listing does not always mean a closed outlet.
3. **Add the outlets missing from the list**: opened since 2023, or missed by it.
4. **Sort by format** (bar-tabac, tobacco and newspaper shop, outlet inside another store) and by town size.
5. **Contact the tobacconist to confirm their needs and find out who chooses the POS system or terminal**: among the 18,331 outlets on the list found open on a listing or a directory, 87% show a phone number, but only 11.3% a website.

A well-built [prospect list](/en/blog/b2b-prospect-list) records the source and verification date for each outlet.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many tobacco shops are there in France?

About 22,400 in mainland France in November 2026, according to Scalon's estimate. The latest official French Customs list had 22,651 on September 1, 2023.

### How did the network change between 2018 and 2023?

Between the 2018 and September 2023 lists, the network has 1,783 fewer outlets, a net decline of 7.3%. These two lists do not give the total number of closures, partly offset by openings.

### How many bar-tabacs are there in France?

Of the 16,943 listed outlets with public listings marked open, 8,517 also run a bar, representing 50.3%. The Confédération publishes 55.5%.

### Can a tobacconist run several tobacco shops?

No, for ordinary outlets: the law bars the same operator from running more than one. An outlet can, however, operate under a brand, or as a franchise in rural towns.

### How much does a tobacconist earn?

On tobacco, their net commission is 8.35% of the value of deliveries in 2026 (French Customs). The rest depends on the bar, newspapers and services. Among the 188 companies that publish financial statements, each matched to a single outlet, typical net income is €28,900 a year. This company income is not the tobacconist's personal income.

## Method

Unit of count, universe, checks, estimate, limits

### Unit of count

A tobacco outlet: a point of sale licensed by French Customs, under a management contract, in mainland France (including Corsica). It is the unit of the official list and of state counts. A seasonal outlet counts if it opened for its 2026 season. Resellers (businesses linked to an outlet) are not counted. French Customs defines the tobacconists' monopoly for mainland France; the official list does not cover the overseas territories, and neither does this study.

### Building the universe

The official French Customs list as of September 1, 2023 (22,651 outlets, French Customs open data) and the 2018 list (24,434 outlets). Each address was located with the Base Adresse Nationale (France's national address database). We matched each outlet with public business listings (read on November 9, 2026: 14,174 outlets with an open "tobacco" listing, 2,769 with the open listing of another business), the business directory and the Sirene register (September 24, 2026 snapshot). Rule: a listing at most 40 meters from the address, or at most 150 meters with a name in common; 600 meters with a name in common when the address is located only at the street level. The "tobacco" listings that could not be matched to any listed outlet identify 4,795 locations.

### Checks and estimate

Scalon independently checked 100 locations drawn at random from six groups (based on what the listings show) twice on the public web: once with a Claude model (Anthropic) and once with a GPT model (OpenAI). The two reviews agree on the status of 79 locations and on "open or not" for 81; Scalon resolved the remaining cases using the cited pages and left locations without dated evidence undetermined. The total is calculated by multiplying each group's outlet count by the share of confirmed locations that are open, then adding the results across groups. It is 22,380. The uncertainty from the sampling alone is 1,735 outlets in 95% of cases (20,645 to 24,115); it is computed group by group, with a smoothed share ((open + 1) / (confirmed + 2)) so that a group in which every checked location is open still has some uncertainty. It does not cover matching errors or outlets missing from both the list and public listings; accounting for the missing outlets would tend to increase the total. The French Customs figure, 22,200 for 2025, falls within this range.

### Format, services, structure

Format and services: categories of the open public listings of 16,943 outlets. Brands: reading of the names of the 22,651 outlets on the list. Legal forms, age, headcount and activity codes: Sirene register for 9,297 outlets whose active business location was found (through the business directory or at the address). Revenue: published accounts of 188 companies, each linked to a single outlet in our matching, most recent fiscal year ending in 2023 or later, excluding confidential financial statements; three exceed 5 million euros, which does not change the typical figure. Closures since 2023 (about 800) and outlets missing from the list (about 500) are estimated, but too imprecise to be published on their own (within 1,550 and 770 outlets, in 95% of cases).

### Limits

Public listings leave out services and formats: the level 3 shares are minimums. The 2023 list may have been incomplete (French Customs counted 23,316 outlets on January 1, 2023). The one-kilometer rule may wrongly exclude a new outlet that opened near a closed one, or count an outlet twice if it moved farther away. The reviewers do not always check whether a location missing from the list is a licensed outlet or a reseller. The revenue figures apply only to companies that publish financial statements. Outlet affiliation (networks, brands, buying groups) and purchasing channels are not measured: the study publishes no share of independents and no share of outlets that choose their own equipment.

## Key takeaways

- About 22,400 tobacconists are open in mainland France in November 2026.
- The 2023 official list had 22,651; more than one in three has no open "tobacco" listing.
- 1,022 towns lost their last tobacco outlet between 2018 and 2023.
- Half of the outlets seen on a public listing run a bar; 37.8% of outlets are in a town of under 3,500 residents.
- A tobacconist can run only one ordinary outlet; who chooses the equipment (manager, brand or partner) still has to be checked outlet by outlet.

The full study · PDF

## The study runs to 35 pages, we will send it

Everything is on this page, and you can cite it without asking. The PDF holds the whole study, tables, figures, method and sources, in one document to keep, print or pass on. It goes out by email, right away.

1. 01How many tobacconists are there in France in 2026?
2. 02Which figure for which offer?
3. 0322,500, 22,800, 24,400: why the figures differ
4. 04The six levels of the tobacconist market
5. 05What the dated figures say about the network's decline
6. 06How much revenue does a tobacco shop make?
7. 07How to count outlets: Sirene, the APE business activity code, and the register's release date
8. 08How can you use these figures for a market study?
9. 09How do you build a prospect list of tobacconists?
10. 10Frequently asked questions
11. 11Method
12. 12Key takeaways

Free, no conditions. To cite a figure, use the reference given under “Cite this study”, with Scalon and the date of the edition.

## Cite this study

Scalon Observatory, "Number of tobacconists in France: 22,400 in 2026", November 9, 2026, [https://scalon.fr/en/observatory/number-of-tobacconists-in-france](/en/observatory/number-of-tobacconists-in-france). Data: official French Customs list of tobacco outlets (September 1, 2023), public business listings read on November 9, 2026, Insee Sirene register (September 24, 2026).

## Sources

- French Customs (Douane), "Annuaire des débits de tabac en France métropolitaine", list of outlets as of September 1, 2023 (open data), accessed November 9, 2026: [https://www.douane.gouv.fr/la-douane/opendata/mots-cles/annuaire](https://www.douane.gouv.fr/la-douane/opendata/mots-cles/annuaire)
- French economy and finance ministries, "Adresses des buralistes de France métropolitaine – 2018", data.economie.gouv.fr: [https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/adresses-des-buralistes-de-france-metropolitaine-2018](https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/adresses-des-buralistes-de-france-metropolitaine-2018)
- French Customs (Douane), Bilan 2025, published February 19, 2026: [https://www.douane.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2026-02/19/Bilan_Douane_2025.pdf](https://www.douane.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2026-02/19/Bilan_Douane_2025.pdf)
- French Customs (Douane), Bilan annuel 2023, published May 2024: [https://www.douane.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2024-05/09/bilan-annuel-de-la-douane-2023.pdf](https://www.douane.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2024-05/09/bilan-annuel-de-la-douane-2023.pdf)
- French Customs (Douane), "Les ventes de tabac en France", September 7, 2026: [https://www.douane.gouv.fr/actualites/les-ventes-de-tabac-en-france](https://www.douane.gouv.fr/actualites/les-ventes-de-tabac-en-france)
- French Customs (Douane), "Débit de tabac" (glossary): [https://www.douane.gouv.fr/lexique/debit-de-tabac](https://www.douane.gouv.fr/lexique/debit-de-tabac)
- French Customs (Douane), procedure: "Devenir revendeur de tabac": [https://www.douane.gouv.fr/demarche/devenir-revendeur-de-tabac](https://www.douane.gouv.fr/demarche/devenir-revendeur-de-tabac)
- Service-Public Entreprendre, "Débit de tabac", checked February 4, 2026: [https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F23604](https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F23604)
- Justice.fr, "Société en nom collectif (SNC) : ce qu'il faut savoir" (filing of accounts): [https://www.justice.fr/fiche/societe-nom-collectif-snc-faut-savoir](https://www.justice.fr/fiche/societe-nom-collectif-snc-faut-savoir)
- French Customs (Douane), "Rémunération des débitants de tabac": [http://www.douane.gouv.fr/fiche/remuneration-des-debitants-de-tabac](http://www.douane.gouv.fr/fiche/remuneration-des-debitants-de-tabac)
- Légifrance, decree no. 2010-720 of June 28, 2010, articles 3 to 6 (including article 4 on franchising, in force since October 1, 2025): [https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/JORFTEXT000022408302/LEGISCTA000052171438](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/JORFTEXT000022408302/LEGISCTA000052171438)
- French National Assembly, written question no. 92077, answer published February 15, 2011: [https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/13/questions/QANR5L13QE92077.pdf](https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/13/questions/QANR5L13QE92077.pdf)
- French National Assembly, written question no. 69977 (13th legislature): [https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q13/13-69977QE.htm](https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q13/13-69977QE.htm)
- French National Assembly, written question no. 68575, published November 11, 2014: [https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q14/14-68575QE.htm](https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q14/14-68575QE.htm)
- French National Assembly, information report no. 3786, filed October 5, 2011: [https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/13/pdf/rap-info/i3786.pdf](https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/13/pdf/rap-info/i3786.pdf)
- Confédération des buralistes, "Nos engagements", "Nos missions", "Le premier commerce de proximité", "Qui sommes-nous ?" and "La maison des buralistes": [https://www.buralistes.fr/nos-engagements](https://www.buralistes.fr/nos-engagements); [https://www.buralistes.fr/accompagner-les-bureaux-de-tabacs-premier-reseau-de-commerce-de-proximite-en-france](https://www.buralistes.fr/accompagner-les-bureaux-de-tabacs-premier-reseau-de-commerce-de-proximite-en-france); [https://www.buralistes.fr/les-buralistes-le-premier-commerce-de-proximite](https://www.buralistes.fr/les-buralistes-le-premier-commerce-de-proximite); [https://www.buralistes.fr/la-confederation-des-buralistes](https://www.buralistes.fr/la-confederation-des-buralistes); [https://www.buralistes.fr/la-maison-des-buralistes](https://www.buralistes.fr/la-maison-des-buralistes)
- Confédération des buralistes, message of August 26, 2026, reported by Le Monde du Tabac on August 27, 2026: [https://www.lemondedutabac.com/mobilisation-des-buralistes-ces-chiffres-cles-a-faire-savoir/](https://www.lemondedutabac.com/mobilisation-des-buralistes-ces-chiffres-cles-a-faire-savoir/)
- Confédération des buralistes, "La transformation du réseau des buralistes": [https://www.buralistes.fr/la-transformation-du-reseau-des-buralistes](https://www.buralistes.fr/la-transformation-du-reseau-des-buralistes)
- OFDT, "Tabagisme et arrêt du tabac en 2025", published May 27, 2026: [https://www.documentation-administrative.gouv.fr/adm-01860382v1/document](https://www.documentation-administrative.gouv.fr/adm-01860382v1/document)
- OFDT, "Tabagisme et arrêt du tabac en 2023", published May 31, 2024: [https://www.ofdt.fr/sites/ofdt/files/2024-05/tt_24bil.pdf](https://www.ofdt.fr/sites/ofdt/files/2024-05/tt_24bil.pdf)
- Geoptis, "Tabacs : la mutation à marche forcée des buralistes", August 1, 2019: [https://www.geoptis.com/blog/actualites/tabacs-la-mutation-a-marche-forcee-du-buraliste/](https://www.geoptis.com/blog/actualites/tabacs-la-mutation-a-marche-forcee-du-buraliste/)
- Le Monde du Tabac, "Compte Nickel : 8 500 buralistes points de vente", September 30, 2026: [https://www.lemondedutabac.com/compte-nickel-8-500-buralistes-points-de-vente-nickel/](https://www.lemondedutabac.com/compte-nickel-8-500-buralistes-points-de-vente-nickel/)
- French National Assembly, written question no. 15978 (17th legislature), 2026 answer: [https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q17/17-15978QE.htm](https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q17/17-15978QE.htm)
- Insee, NAF 2025 classification, subclasses 47.26Y and 47.92H: [https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/naf2025/sousClasse/47.26Y](https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/naf2025/sousClasse/47.26Y); [https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/naf2025/sousClasse/47.92H](https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/naf2025/sousClasse/47.92H) ; timeline of the change: [https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/8181066](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/8181066)
- Insee, Sirene register, business-location snapshot dated September 24, 2026; Base Adresse Nationale (geocoding of November 9, 2026); official municipal population figures (API Géo, accessed November 9, 2026).

The list of tobacconists in France, for your area and your target: we send it within two business days.

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