Neytendastofa has imposed a fine of 400,000 ISK on SH Import ehf., the parent company of the retail store Piknik, for failing to remove nicotine advertisements within the mandated time frame. This isn’t the first time the company has faced penalties; it had previously been fined 200,000 ISK for similar infractions.
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<p>On June 19, 2024, the Consumer Agency initially fined SH Import 200,000 ISK for promoting nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and their refills. The agency's ruling required the company to remove all related marketing material within four weeks.</p>
<p>Fast forward to late May 2025, and Neytendastofa needed to reach out to the company again after noticing that nicotine advertisements were still visible—on storefronts, the homepage of the online store, and even across their Instagram channels.</p>
<p>About two weeks later, company representatives assured Neytendastofa that all nicotine-related advertisements had been taken down and that the stores had undergone rebranding. However, when the agency requested photographic evidence to verify compliance, the initial response was notably delayed, occurring weeks later due to a follow-up inquiry.</p>
<p>Upon review, it was confirmed that while the advertisements at Piknik and Bitan stores had indeed been removed, the company’s website painted over the logo with a white background. Unfortunately, the background turned out to be transparent, and the logo remained visible—an oversight that contradicted their claims of compliance.</p>
<p>Given that SH Import failed to remove the advertisements within the designated four-week period, Neytendastofa has levied a hefty fine of 400,000 ISK against the company.</p>
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