It seems that Walmart misunderstands their customers.
Walmart said Tuesday it will discontinue all sales of handgun ammunition and sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition that can be used with military-style weapons, following two “horrific” shootings at Walmart stores this summer. It will also stop all handgun sales in Alaska, marking its complete exit from the handguns category.
The biggest retailer in the world also is asking customers at Walmart 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. Open carry legislation is currently on the books in more than 26 states, Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of corporate affairs, said during a call with members of the media.
I doubt that very many people who shop at Walmart will boycott over this. But for the gun owners who used to buy their ammo there, they are going to have to buy ammo – and likely all of their other shooting supplies and accessories – somewhere else. If I were Bass Pro Shops, I’d announce a sale on handgun ammo by the end of the day.
They may well (and do) misunderstand their customers, but they don’t misunderstand the Left, who have demonstrated time and again just how far beyond mere boycotts they’ll go to cow everybody they disagree with.
Dick’s lost $150million last year after pulling just AR-style rifles. Then CEO Ed Stack, who touted his stock’s rise to over $40 back in April, doubled down and pulled all guns/hunting eqp from 135 stores, including some Field and Stream stores. Today the stock traded at $33, about half of what it was in Oct ‘17.
Walmart, being a ‘general store’ , will be able to weather the change easier.
But it’s odd that they are pulling side arms from their Alaska stores. Last year, at the last minute, I tired to find and buy a specific survival knife locally, including Walmart, for a planned trip to Alaska. Walmart didn’t sell it in-store except at the WallMart in Anchorage, and nobody else locally had one. Ended up being $5 cheaper in Anchorage than anywhere on line.