Walmart’s decision to discontinue
all sales of handgun ammunition, all sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition
that can be used with military-style weapons and all handguns sold in Alaska
(the only remaining state where they are sold) has once again brought retail
into the national gun control conversation. DICK’S Sporting Goods, which
started the conversation when
it pulled assault-style rifles from its shelves in February 2018, is
presently reviewing whether it should discontinue
firearm sales entirely.
Walmart is also is asking customers at its flagship chain and
Sam’s Club to no longer openly carry firearms in stores in states where
“open carry” is allowed, unless they are authorized law enforcement
officers. Kroger established the same open carry policy one day
later.
The RTP editors share their thoughts on Walmart’s recent
gun sales and policy restrictions, and discuss whether other retailers will be
incentivized to implement similar policies in-store.
Glenn Taylor, Senior Editor: Walmart’s vast influence
on American spending (and overall culture) certainly sends a message. Any time
a large corporation takes a side on a heated issue, consumers are going to
notice and members of the media like ourselves are going to report on it. More
importantly, corporations of Walmart’s size and stature are unbelievably in
tune with national and regional consumer sentiment — more so than politicians are.
Regardless of the actual effects the changes may have on society, a big
corporate stand makes it more likely that government officials will listen and
respond accordingly. This also is a classic example of long-term thinking over
short-term results. The shoppers that may feel offended by the prohibition of
gun sales and threaten to shop at Walmart and/or Kroger less are more
than likely going to realize the inconvenience of that decision over time,
especially if they elect to shop elsewhere and have an inferior experience.
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Bryan Wassel, Associate Editor: I think the
actions taken by Walmart and Kroger are bound
to spread to other retailers, particularly ones that don’t have a huge stake in
gun sales to begin with. It takes a certain amount of bravery for a retailer
like DICK’S Sporting Goods or Walmart, where
hunting makes up a significant portion of sporting goods sales, but for
supermarkets and other retailers that aren’t directly connected to guns asking
customers to not open carry just makes sense. While they might upset a small subset
of their patrons, I doubt any clothing store in the country is mostly shopped
by gun enthusiasts, and in the current climate being able to assure your
average customer that there aren’t any guns around can only be a good thing.
What remains to be seen is if other sporting goods retailers follow in
Walmart’s path. They have more skin in the game, and less incentive to make a
decision about open carry that could impact their sales even if they continue
stocking guns and ammo.
