Wal-Mart to Stop Selling Guns in 1,000 stores
This is really major news. I doubt that this would have occurred if Wal-Mart heir John Walton hadn't died last year. In any case, this will have a major impact on the gun industry.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the biggest seller of firearms in the country, said it is discontinuing sales of guns in about 1,000 U.S. stores due to insufficient demand, part of an effort to boost sluggish sales by better matching store merchandise to individual neighborhoods.
The Bentonville, Ark., retailer wouldn't say which stores would stop selling guns and whether sales at those stores had fallen off recently or had always been substandard. The company said the move to stop selling guns at what amounts to about a third of its U.S. stores is part of Wal-Mart's larger effort to improve its "store of the community" program that tailors store products to neighborhood demand.
The Bentonville, Ark., retailer wouldn't say which stores would stop selling guns and whether sales at those stores had fallen off recently or had always been substandard. The company said the move to stop selling guns at what amounts to about a third of its U.S. stores is part of Wal-Mart's larger effort to improve its "store of the community" program that tailors store products to neighborhood demand.
posted by John Lott at 12:56 PM
7 Comments:
According to the local newspaper, in Richmond, VA, the Wal-Marts that will stop selling guns are the three nearest the city of Richmond urban areas.
Great leave room for independent ffl'rs to actually survive selling the guns wal mart wouldn't and with greater selection.
The anti's will bitch till they see the void is filled by dealers offering greater selection at better prices.
Cheaper than Walmart? Having Walmart leave the business will raise the price of guns to people. This is a very bad development if you want to make sure that law-abiding citizens, particularly the poor, have a chance to own guns for self-defense.
If Walmart is being truthful and they are ending gun sales in stores where there are minimal purchases, I don't see a problem at all. At the local Walmart (rural northern Ky), I don't see much interest or purchase of guns. It's difficult to even find ANY staff, much less knowledgeable staff in the sporting goods area. I would certainly expect even less sales capabilities in more urban areas.
I would just as soon support a local gun dealer who knows something about what he is selling and can assist in purchases. I have always bought my guns at either well stocked gun stores or at gun shows.
Remember, Walmart hasn't been selling handguns anyway.
Do I believe that you can receive more attention at other stores? Yes, certainly, and there is a benefit to that. But the price is also higher. You will have a hard time finding ammunition or clays anywhere as cheaply as you can at Walmart.
My local Walmart took out their firearms display some months ago. I suspect it was due to lack of sales. They still sell ammuntion & other shooting paraphernalia. I still need to check the store on the other side of town.
It is quite unfortunate that Wal-Mart is doing this. While it is true that I have never purchased a firearm at Wal-Mart, and I usually get my ammunition online in bulk, I always feel bad when I see shooters options decrease. I only hope that the sales at these locations was low enough that the impact won't be too high on the industry....
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