Wal-Mart Decides to Drop Gun Sales

[Klaus]

Wal-Mart Decides to Drop Gun Sales
In Some U.S. Stores on Low Demand

Associated Press
April 14, 2006 11:55 a.m.


BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- 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.

Ms. Stewart declined to specify what stores were affected.

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 U.S. states. Wal-Mart says it sells rifles and shotguns. In Alaska, it also sells handguns.

"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," Ms. Stewart said.

Wal-Mart's experimental new Supercenter for more upscale shoppers, which opened last month in the affluent Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas, 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.

[ree]

Maybe the diminished customer interest is due to us going elsewhere for firearms stuff in boycott as they've been caving to the libs on gun issues in urban areas.

[DennisAJC]

That would be my fault Klaus.

[RIC-H0]

Looks like it's time to go shopping for all the left over guns in stock!