Say what?
Who writes this crap? Retired generals?
Posted on 04/15/2006 5:40:19 AM PDT by wallcrawlr
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided to stop selling guns in about a third of its U.S. stores in what it calls a marketing decision based on lack of demand in some places, a company spokeswoman said Friday.
The world's largest retailer decided last month to remove firearms from about 1,000 stores in favor of stocking other sporting goods, in line with a "Store of the Community" strategy for boosting sales by paying closer attention to local differences in demand.
"This decision is based on diminished customer relevancy and demand in these markets," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jolanda Stewart.
Hunting and shooting advocates said it was a surprise that Wal-Mart, which has a strong hunting and fishing tradition, would surrender the field in at least some areas to big-box outfitting stores like Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's.
"For some folks, it will affect them as far as where they get their deer rifle or shotgun," said Gregg Patterson, spokesman for the hunting and conservation group Ducks Unlimited.
Wal-Mart declined to say which stores in Minnesota may be affected by its gun sales policy. "In stores where there is sufficient demand, nothing will change," a spokeswoman said in an e-mail.
The National Rifle Association said it was concerned that people in rural areas, where Wal-Mart may be the only purveyor, may no longer have access to guns.
"We've been told by Wal-Mart that the decision would be made on a store-by-store basis based on demand. The NRA and our members will be watching closely to make sure they stay true to their word," NRA chief lobbyist Chris Cox said.
The change could be a boon for mom-and-pop hunting stores that lost business when Wal-Mart moved in, said Steve Wagner, spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the shooting, hunting and firearms industry.
Wal-Mart's critics and gun control advocates welcomed the move.
"This a good first step," said Paul Blank, director of the union-funded group WakeUpWalMart.com, which contends there is a growing public safety concern about violence and crime at Wal-Mart stores.
The Violence Policy Center, a gun control group, said Wal-Mart's decision reflected what it called a decline in gun ownership. "The marketplace has spoken, and the losers are America's gun industry and the gun lobby," VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann said in a statement.
Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., has about 1,200 discount stores and 1,900 Supercenters, which include a full grocery section, in all 50 states.
"As with all merchandise decisions that we make, our decision to remove guns from Wal-Mart locations is simply based on the lack of customer purchase history of firearms in a given community," Stewart said.
Wal-Mart's experimental new Supercenter for more upscale shoppers, which opened last month in the affluent Dallas suburb of Plano, does not carry guns.
As Wal-Mart seeks growth by moving from rural America into cities and suburbs, it finds it needs to retune its inventory to appeal to more urban consumers.
The Plano store is a testing ground for ideas, from trendier products to more-subdued interiors, that are part of a broad effort at Wal-Mart to rekindle sluggish growth by luring more affluent shoppers away from faster-growing rivals such as Target Corp.
Chief Executive Lee Scott has said that in communities like Plano, Wal-Mart's sports department should shift from a traditional emphasis on hunting and fishing to more home fitness and exercise products.
Sounds like good business sense to me. I mean, does Wal-Mart stock snowblowers in their south Florida Stores? ;)
On the one hand it makes sense. In retail, everything is measured by $/square foot. If something's not selling, replace it with something that does.
On the other hand, dropping entire areas because competition has you beat (Bass Pro, etc.) would take Walmart out of a lot of business and into being the world's largest "Big Lots".
Best,
PB
Decline? Where are your numbers to prove a decline? That Walmart stops selling guns in some places, probably really BLUE areas, does not constitute proof of anything other than marketing sense.
Guns last a long time and do not wear out like socks (or liberal underwear). Prove that more guns were taken out of circulation than were sold in any one year. Any year!
Among my collection, there is a Savage 30-06 and a Marlin 22LR. Both American made and both purchased at Walmart.
Wal=Mart stinks. It is part of the internationalist globalist conspiracy, hawkiing items made by cheap Red Chinese slave labor and fliltering American dollars overseas.
I wouldn't ne surprised if the employed illegal invaders and were part of the business cabal seeking to undermone our borders.
I avoid these stores whenver possible and try to buy American - from Americans.
I think Walmart does sell stuff from American made things as well. I shop all the time there and some stuff is made in china but there is quite a bit made in the good ole USA.
Just what in the blue blazes does Wal-Mart selling guns have to do with "violence and crime at Wal-Mart stores."? That's like saying auto dealerships are the cause of auto accidents in the showroom.
His last name must describe his mind.
I wouldn't buy a gun at Wal-Mart anyway lol.
Just a media reaction to a company making stocking decisions based on demand for specific items in an area. I'm quite sure that Wal-Mart also does not stock Ro-Tel tomatoes in the northeast...and that's not a political statement by Wal-Mart. All it means is that people in VT, PA and MA don't know how to make decent queso.
Wish a Cabela's would open in Nazi Jersey. I'm not holding my breath.
I'll bet their duties in maintaining the National Gun Registry enter into this decision. It must by far be the most labor-intensive transaction they have to complete. Can't beat their prices, though, especially when it comes to plinking amo.
Ha! A great reason to have pinged less lately...continued success. Whatta country, America...
Any time there's a Wal-Mart thread, some moron posts something like this. Please explain how Wal-Mart is different from ANY OTHER MAJOR CHAIN RETAILER. They ALL sell "cheap Red Chinese" stuff.
Say what?
Who writes this crap? Retired generals?
Walmart offers competetive pricing on shotgun ammo. I usually order it by the flat online but if I run out before a shoot, I'll hit WalMart
Hey, I buy my guns there too! Adam G. is the guy I usually deal with -- great people there. Guns Galore in Fenton is a great place too. They have one-year layaway available -- makes it hard to resist a new gun you've been drooling over.
Accadamy has good prices also. So does Carter Country.
Hey Joe
"Where ya going with that gun in your hand"...
Please add me to your RKBA ping list...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.