Free Choice Tobacconist Northcote

Free Choice Tobacconist Northcote in VIC is a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. They’re open pretty consistently through the week from 9am to 6:30pm, and even on Sundays you can pop in between 11am and 5pm if you need to grab something.

The shop stocks your typical tobacconist items like cigarettes, rolling papers, and lighters. They’ve got some Zippo lighters if you’re after something fancy, and there’s even a selection of giftware if you’re looking for pressies. The prices are actually pretty decent – we’ve heard from some visitors that they’re cheaper than what you’d find at the big supermarkets or chain stores.

Look, I’ve got to be straight with you about the service though. While some older reviews mentioned friendly greetings and helpful staff, more recent visitors haven’t had the best experiences. There’s been quite a few mentions of rude service and unhelpful responses to customer queries. One bloke even mentioned bringing his dad from India in, and they weren’t too pleased with how they were treated when asking about different cigarette brands.

They take all types of payment methods, so you won’t have any drama there whether you’re paying by card or cash. It’s one of those places that could be really good – they’ve got the right products and decent prices – but the customer service seems to be letting them down a fair bit lately. If you’re just ducking in for something quick and know exactly what you want, you might be right, but don’t expect too much help if you need guidance or have questions.