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Let Freedom Ring,
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.
Sam Walton is turning in his grave.
Normal in many if not most places where people do much hunting or shooting is for the local WalMart to be within a mile of a Cabelas or GanderMountain or something like that. WalMart trying to sell guns under such circumstances is a waste of effort.
One of the main complaints about Wal-Mart is that they destroy the "mom&pop" type businesses where they go. Let them "give up their guns", it will open up the local market for a real gun store.
The fabric department in our recently opened SuperCenter is a fraction (one-fourth or less) of what it was in the old Wal-Mart. No doubt, the decision to downsize that dept. had everything to do with dollars generated per square foot of retail space. Marketing decisions at this level of retail are almost always formula driven.
The owner, his wife and son and another guy who work there are the most knowlegable I have ever encountered and I would venture to say that they sell as many if not more firearms than Gander mtn. Plus their prices are just as competitive and their customer attention is far superior to Gander.
Same here in Houston area, I have never contemplated buying a gun from walmart, to small of a selection and no handguns and they are limited on ammo selection. Plenty of good gun stores around here.
I think you have perfectly described the situation in the great majority of their locations.
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.
Not to mention the many pawn shops where you can realy pick up some good deals.
I buy all my guns over internet auctions. Much cheaper than Mom&Pop stores, and better selection than Wal-Mart.
It is Josh's fervent wish for this to be true; so much so that he believes his own propaganda.
Any time a firearms-related thread is created on FreeRepublic, please be sure to add the "banglist" keyword to it so that interested FReepers don't miss it.
Let Freedom Ring,
Conversely, if you want off my ping-list, let me know.
And my apologies for any redundant pings.
Who buys guns at Walmart? If the Walmart near us did the same, the only effect on me would be to make it easier for my wife to find me when she is done shopping. She'll find me in the tools and won't have to check the guns. Walmart and the Gander Mountain across the street from it together don't have half the selection the gun shop near me has, and the staff at the gun shop is very knowledgeable.
Once in a while, a gun-grabber tells the truth. What else do you have planned, Mr. Blank?
I'm an NRA member and I think the boys ought to keep it in the holster on this one, at least until something crazy materializes. I'm personally guilty of window shopping guns at Walmart and actually buying from Cabelas. Supply and demand...
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