No idea where OP lives, so this is local to me in Texas.

Some liquor stores sell cigarettes, some don’t.

Those that do generally have a very limited selection (Maybe two options) and charge about 50% more than one would pay at a convenience store.

Fortunately for the smoker in Texas, the best prices are usually found in gas station convenience stores that are open 24/7, so OP’s issue is strange and foreign to me.