Funny thing happened at Walmart...

redneck2 said:

Somehow many here seem to think that WM will fall apart if they don’t sell a few boxes of ammo. I’m not a super retail expert, but I’m quite certain WM makes a whole lot greater gross profit on items other than sporting goods. I suspect sporting goods are more a loss leader to draw in customers.

When I was at Purdue I had to do a research article for a business class. I interviewed the owner of the largest sporting goods store in the area. I told him I wanted to start a sporting goods store, mainly firearms. He said the only reason he sold guns was because it was expected, and he would have gotten out of guns totally if he had his way.

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What I find funny is the same people who are mad at Wal-Mart for stopping the sale of handguns, AR15s, ammo, etc will gladly take their business to other companies who don't and never sold those things in the first place. I'm also am not aware of any grocery store who is okay with open carry. IMHO if you want to do a side by side comparison, Wal-Mart is the biggest retailer or grocery store that sells gun related items and ammo. Even US commissaries, the second largest grocery store which is Kroger, and others don't sell ammo or support open carry.

I reckon Wal-Mart would loved more is they never was in the gun business at all. Didn't and never sold one box of ammo. That makes zero sense to me logically.

Styx said:

What I find funny is the same people who are mad at Wal-Mart for stopping the sale of handguns, AR15s, ammo, etc will gladly take their business to other companies who don't and never sold those things in the first place. I'm also am not aware of any grocery store who is okay with open carry. IMHO if you want to do a side by side comparison, Wal-Mart is the biggest retailer or grocery store that sells gun related items and ammo. Even US commissaries, the second largest grocery store which is Kroger, and others don't sell ammo or support open carry.

I reckon Wal-Mart would loved more is they never was in the gun business at all. Didn't and never sold one box of ammo. That makes zero sense to me logically.

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We have Fred Meyer here which I have been told is owned by Kroger. They used to sell ammo, and air guns. They long ago stopped, or so I thought. One day I was driving by the one in a town here, Puyallup. I was working out there so stopped in one day to grab stuff. Noticed a large Ruger banner hanging from the ceiling. So of course I had to go look. They had a gun department. Glass case with hand guns, some black rifles in the rifle case. I was shocked. During the last great panic shortage I started stopping at that store on the days I worked out there just to check on ammo which they had now and then. Mentioned it to a guy at work he said there was one other Fred's in the state that did the same thing. Seemed weird to walk past the counter there and see hand guns for sale. Have not worked out there for a few years so not sure if Corporate finally made them pull the plug yet. The Fred's out here where we live now is "rural" to say the least. Gas station in front has large sign they sell bait I do fairly regularly see open carry in the Fred's. When we moved out here a couple years ago it did catch me off guard first coupe times I saw it as I did not ever see it when we were in the city and shopping at 3 different Fred's there. So have to guess the manger at the one out here must turn a blind eye to it.

Bfh_auto said:

Your problem is buying things from Walmart. They're stance on firearms should be enough to get you to go to a different store.
The only way stores listen is if their profit is impacted.

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So. This is what "tactfullness" looks like.
Thank You.
My initial reaction, while still High Road, didn't sound like this. Lol.

Styx said:

I reckon Wal-Mart would loved more is they never was in the gun business at all.

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I think what you are trying to say is that the current leadership at Walmart would rather it had never been in the gun business. Perhaps some on the board may think that way. Yet, the founder of Walmart was an avid hunter, and his kids are still on the board, so they can't just stop all at once. It will be a few years yet, at least.

entropy said:

I think what you are trying to say is that the current leadership at Walmart would rather it had never been in the gun business. Perhaps some on the board may think that way. Yet, the founder of Walmart was an avid hunter, and his kids are still on the board, so they can't just stop all at once. It will be a few years yet, at least.

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Yea there are typos in my post. I was trying to say that members and gun owners who are currently anti Walmart because Walmart stop the sell of ammo and some firearms as well as upped the age to 21 on ammo sales wouldn't be anti Walmart if Walmart never sold those items in the first place. I reckon Wal-Mart would have been better off in the long run public relations and bad press wise if the just stayed out of the firearm business from the start.

Wal-Mart still sells guns and ammo at a significant number of stores and supports concealed carry in their stores. Makes zero sense for me to boycott them by going to a competitor that NEVER sold fires or ammo, doesn't currently sell firearms or ammo, and/or went the way of Wal-Mart or much further decades ago. Boycotting Wal-Mart for not selling handgun ammo only (they still sell rifle ammo) by going to a store that chooses not to sell handgun OR rifle ammo does not make much sense to me nor do I see the logic in it.

I haven't seen .22 ammo available at Walmart in many, many years.

Of course, it's probably been six months or more since I was in a walmart anyway...

Stophel said:

I haven't seen .22 ammo available at Walmart in many, many years.

Of course, it's probably been six months or more since I was in a walmart anyway...

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There's always plenty of it at walmarts in my area.

After the four year .22 drought finally passed, and I started seeing ammo available in gun shops, I still couldn't find it at wally world. For years after... nothing. I finally quit looking.

Alex Clayton said:

We have Fred Meyer here which I have been told is owned by Kroger. They used to sell ammo, and air guns. They long ago stopped, or so I thought. One day I was driving by the one in a town here, Puyallup. I was working out there so stopped in one day to grab stuff. Noticed a large Ruger banner hanging from the ceiling. So of course I had to go look. They had a gun department. Glass case with hand guns, some black rifles in the rifle case. I was shocked. During the last great panic shortage I started stopping at that store on the days I worked out there just to check on ammo which they had now and then. Mentioned it to a guy at work he said there was one other Fred's in the state that did the same thing. Seemed weird to walk past the counter there and see hand guns for sale. Have not worked out there for a few years so not sure if Corporate finally made them pull the plug yet. The Fred's out here where we live now is "rural" to say the least. Gas station in front has large sign they sell bait I do fairly regularly see open carry in the Fred's. When we moved out here a couple years ago it did catch me off guard first coupe times I saw it as I did not ever see it when we were in the city and shopping at 3 different Fred's there. So have to guess the manger at the one out here must turn a blind eye to it.

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More than one, Snohomish, and Bellingham both did this. I used to get federal 50 round boxes for $1.99 for about 50% of the panic. Meanwhile, 1 mile away at the Walmart, 20 people waiting in line for an hour for the ZSM manager to come on shift to open the doors to hopefully buy a box of 500 for $26.00 and only the first 3 people ever got them. Yes, corporate police got rid of it. There was a nationwide petition, and talk of aggressive protests against the stores, and they just gave in. Ultimately, Krogers average customer is not a big fan of the department. Walmart on the other hand basically made a public statement "we're done with that trash, come shop with us now". I doubt Walmart got even a single long term customer over that policy. But they lost thousands. Not over politics, but I personally know dozens who will not go back to Walmart. They just don't have anything to offer that others can't do better. They wen't for ammo, and did their grocery shopping. Now they go to Winco for the obvious reasons.

mjsdwash said:

More than one, Snohomish, and Bellingham both did this. I used to get federal 50 round boxes for $1.99 for about 50% of the panic. Meanwhile, 1 mile away at the Walmart, 20 people waiting in line for an hour for the ZSM manager to come on shift to open the doors to hopefully buy a box of 500 for $26.00 and only the first 3 people ever got them. Yes, corporate police got rid of it. There was a nationwide petition, and talk of aggressive protests against the stores, and they just gave in. Ultimately, Krogers average customer is not a big fan of the department. Walmart on the other hand basically made a public statement "we're done with that trash, come shop with us now". I doubt Walmart got even a single long term customer over that policy. But they lost thousands. Not over politics, but I personally know dozens who will not go back to Walmart. They just don't have anything to offer that others can't do better. They wen't for ammo, and did their grocery shopping. Now they go to Winco for the obvious reasons.

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I don't believe they lost any sales and last I checked they're doing record numbers. I don't think out so called protest made a difference in any of those stores (Wal-Mart, Kroger, Starbucks, so on and so forth). Even Dicks is doing very well and has been for a while now. Their stock only dipped for a short period of time. We like to take credit for that, but I'm not convinced that had much to with us...

Wal-Mart kept having publicized shootings in their stores, had a mass shooting in there stores, and also had a bunch of IMHO idiots walking around in their stores carrying rifles dressed up like Rambo scaring away their customers and giving them bad press. That was hurting them more than the handful of gun owners that refuse to shop there now. Then after the shooting happen and all the outrage over it, I guess they were put in a position where they felt like they had to do something, and frankly I don't blame them. Their main and only concern is to make a profit and not really politics. They made a decision that best achieved their, and IMHO, it didn't hurt their bottom line. [EDIT] You can Google "Wal-Mart Stock After Gun Ban" and see that their stock dipped up significantly after their gun ban, etc.

The list of major retailers we're supposed to be boycotting now is so long with more being added constantly that I can't keep up or keep track. The only industry our boycotts make a difference in is the firearm industry.

I cannot keep up with who I am supposed to be boycotting. I do know I got four rifles, two Remington 700s (oh, yeah, I am supposed to boycott Remington) for $99, two Savage Axis IIs for ultimately $23 for one and $150 for the other and two Nikon scopes for virtually nothing from Dicks (oh, yeah, I am boycotting them too) and then yesterday got five boxes of Federal Hammer Down 30-30 for $12.99 each at Walmart.

Walmart sells the ammo that goes with the hunting rifles and shotguns they sell. Nobody is getting anything over on Walmart thinking they do not know that .22LR is used in pistols or that .350 Legend is used in AR platforms. If you go into a store and start explaining to the clerk that you intend to use the ammo in your new custom combat assault rifle or in your whizbang tactical pistol to stand down the riots then I would look at such person oddly as well and refuse to sell it to such person.

Brand new .350 Legend bolt gun, fresh new stock at Walmart:

Styx said:

I don't believe they lost any sales and last I checked they're doing record numbers. I don't think out so called protest made a difference in any of those stores (Wal-Mart, Kroger, Starbucks, so on and so forth). Even Dicks is doing very well and has been for a while now. Their stock only dipped for a short period of time. We like to take credit for that, but I'm not convinced that had much to with us...

Wal-Mart kept having publicized shootings in their stores, had a mass shooting in there stores, and also had a bunch of IMHO idiots walking around in their stores carrying rifles dressed up like Rambo scaring away their customers and giving them bad press. That was hurting them more than the handful of gun owners that refuse to shop there now. Then after the shooting happen and all the outrage over it, I guess they were put in a position where they felt like they had to do something, and frankly I don't blame them. Their main and only concern is to make a profit and not really politics. They made a decision that best achieved their, and IMHO, it didn't hurt their bottom line. [EDIT] You can Google "Wal-Mart Stock After Gun Ban" and see that their stock dipped up significantly after their gun ban, etc.

The list of major retailers we're supposed to be boycotting now is so long with more being added constantly that I can't keep up or keep track. The only industry our boycotts make a difference in is the firearm industry.

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Well I did say of the many people no longer going there are not doing it over politics, but over the fact that without ammunition they have no reason to go. Walmart does not have the the lowest prices on anything in our region, with the exception of some medical products.
Given the number of people I personally know who grocery shopped there because they didn't have to go to a gunstore and no other reason, I can't see this helping them.
I know very few people who care about gun rights, or boycotts, or anything of the matter. But many are gun owners, and shoot a lot, and that brought them to Walmart. Given my leftist region, I can't imagine its not at least as prominent else-ware. We have to remember that when this policy came down, Walmart was also doing some major other overhauls. Closing under performing stores, selling off undeveloped property, improving employee relations, eliminating an entire class of store level management, reducing unionization efforts, so on.... These things have a far greater impact on investor faith and stock value.
I certainly don't believe a few tens of thousands of customers nationwide will bankrupt the store, but again, can we really believe they gained anything? Maybe reduced insurance, or lawsuit potential, and the break even inventory costs, but as far as publicity stunts, this cost more customers than gained.

I haven't been to wally world in a long time because they simply never seem to have what I need (I can't get almost anything I need locally. I have to order virtually everything except groceries..... and even then...). Whenever I went into Walmart to get something specific, they either didn't have it at all, or when I went to the shelf where it should be...empty.

And considering the closest poorly-stocked Walmart is 15 miles away, why drive that far only to come home empty handed? I'll just sit here and let my mouse do the shopping.

mjsdwash said:

.
I certainly don't believe a few tens of thousands of customers nationwide will bankrupt the store, but again, can we really believe they gained anything? Maybe reduced insurance, or lawsuit potential, and the break even inventory costs, but as far as publicity stunts, this cost more customers than gained.

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I don't think any of this is a "publicity stunt", but just a reflection of personal values by those in charge. IOWs, the minute amount of profit(if any) they made from handgun ammo sales, did not offset, in their eyes, the sentiment they have against handgun violence or the idea that ammo from one of their stores may have taken the life of some innocent person. For those folks that only went to WalMart for handgun ammo because of the low prices, yeah, they can easily go somewhere else . For those that used to buy everything there and now refuse to go there just because they quit selling handgun ammo, it's certainly their right and their choice. Just like it's WalMart's right and choice not to sell it.

mjsdwash said:

Well I did say of the many people no longer going there are not doing it over politics, but over the fact that without ammunition they have no reason to go. Walmart does not have the the lowest prices on anything in our region, with the exception of some medical products.
Given the number of people I personally know who grocery shopped there because they didn't have to go to a gunstore and no other reason, I can't see this helping them.
I know very few people who care about gun rights, or boycotts, or anything of the matter. But many are gun owners, and shoot a lot, and that brought them to Walmart. Given my leftist region, I can't imagine its not at least as prominent else-ware. We have to remember that when this policy came down, Walmart was also doing some major other overhauls. Closing under performing stores, selling off undeveloped property, improving employee relations, eliminating an entire class of store level management, reducing unionization efforts, so on.... These things have a far greater impact on investor faith and stock value.
I certainly don't believe a few tens of thousands of customers nationwide will bankrupt the store, but again, can we really believe they gained anything? Maybe reduced insurance, or lawsuit potential, and the break even inventory costs, but as far as publicity stunts, this cost more customers than gained.

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What are you basing the tens of thousands number on? I haven't seen anything but Wal-Mart continue to gain more and more market shares, get bigger, and make higher profits which is factual. Then only on firearm forums an I seeing claims that they lost tens of thousands customers, suffered financially, etc because of their decision with nothing and no data to back it up.

I remember when Wal-Mart made the decision to stop selling ammo, in gun forums, YouTube, and social media across the in at that I came across had more members saying they never shipped at Wal-Mart in the first place let alone for ammo from there vs members that said they did. Heck, even several members on this forum in this thread said about the same. Before, all I kept hearing and seeing in the mainstream media was report after report of a shooting at Wal-Mart, some one open carrying guns their, so on and so forth as what seemed every other month there was a mass shooting that the general public was getting fed up with...

It's just my opinion based on the hard numbers and other factors that their stance helped them nationally more than it hurt them, that several very well educated and intelligent people weighed the pros and cons before they made the decision, and overall they didn't lose much of anything. As far as closing down stores, restructuring, that's what all businesses do and have to do to stay competitive. Target, Kroger, and their other competition are doing the same thing.

I always get a chuckle at the Wal Mart threads and the people ranting that they are now "anti gun." Which they pretty much are.

Then these same people walk into Target or another anti retailer and spend freely, as if they are any different.

Walmart has been moving away from the mega-big box stores for a while now. The majority of their growth has been in groceries with their fresh market stores. You see less of a lot of things like outdoor sports and soft lines (clothing) and more seasonal stuff in its place. The reality is the company exists to make money. People used to think no one could compete with them, now they struggle to catch up to Amazon and other online (and increasingly in-store) retailers.

Are we done here yet, this time? Please?

Here’s a “fun” fact... Walmart is no longer going to be carrying guns in .223 nor will they be selling .223 ammo, at least according to the gun counter employees at my local Walmart. As a Walmart shareholder, I would really like to know the reason for that. If it’s along the lines of “we lost money by selling .223,” then that’s fine from a business perspective, although as a customer, I am disappointed. If it’s “We don’t like ARs and are “virtue signaling” and pandering to customers and overlords who think guns are evil, then I have a major problem with that. I suspect it’s the later.

How about this... how about Walmart and the rest of these corporations maintain a policy of “We will remain out of politics and social discussions and will sell whatever yields profit for our company and shareholders”?

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I suspect that the majority of Walmart customers didn’t say, “Hey Walmart, if you sell [insert random caliber], then I’m not shopping at your store.” Heck, I’d surmise that if I showed a 9mm, a .223, and a .50BMG round and asked all the anti-gun Walmart customers to pick the round that most ARs are chambered in, I suspect most would pick the .50BMG.

buck460XVR said:

I don't think any of this is a "publicity stunt", but just a reflection of...

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giggitygiggity said:

How about this... how about Walmart and the rest of these corporations maintain a policy of “We will remain out of politics and social discussions and will sell whatever yields profit for our company and shareholders”?

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Yes exactly. The publikk stunt isn't that at all, please remember, the WM*** CEO OPENLY is courting CONGRESS, hiring ATTORNEYS, all anti-2A, etc. , with profits from, well, where again exactly?

a- vending machine sale(s)
b-his personal weekend caddy service
c- his PROFITS, solely derived from his business
d- I don't wanna to know

If you are FORCED to shoppie theirie due to no other store in your locale, other stores are SOLD OUT of stuff due to covid-674, U R a single mommie who CANNOT risk kids getting infected by extra store stops/ equals extra exposure, etc. well, that's one thing.

But...

They don't sell pistol ammo? What state are you in?
Ours does... 38, 9mm, 40, 45, 357, whatever you need. 'Course this is Texas...

giggitygiggity said:

Here’s a “fun” fact... Walmart is no longer going to be carrying guns in .223 nor will they be selling .223 ammo, at least according to the gun counter employees at my local Walmart. As a Walmart shareholder, I would really like to know the reason for that. If it’s along the lines of “we lost money by selling .223,” then that’s fine from a business perspective, although as a customer, I am disappointed. If it’s “We don’t like ARs and are “virtue signaling” and pandering to customers and overlords who think guns are evil, then I have a major problem with that. I suspect it’s the later.

How about this... how about Walmart and the rest of these corporations maintain a policy of “We will remain out of politics and social discussions and will sell whatever yields profit for our company and shareholders”?

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I suspect that the majority of Walmart customers didn’t say, “Hey Walmart, if you sell [insert random caliber], then I’m not shopping at your store.” Heck, I’d surmise that if I showed a 9mm, a .223, and a .50BMG round and asked all the anti-gun Walmart customers to pick the round that most ARs are chambered in, I suspect most would pick the .50BMG.

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You damn near a year late with this "news". Perhaps you should pay more attention.

pmg2010 said:

They don't sell pistol ammo? What state are you in?
Ours does... 38, 9mm, 40, 45, 357, whatever you need. 'Course this is Texas...

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I live in Texas and Walmart hasn't had any pistol ammo since last December. Please take a picture of the ammo case at your Walmart and post it.

Cannibul said:

You damn near a year late with this "news". Perhaps you should pay more attention.



I live in Texas and Walmart hasn't had any pistol ammo since last December. Please take a picture of the ammo case at your Walmart and post it.

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Pretty much. All Wal-Marts had a clearance sell where they sold everything at deep discounts.



That's just some of my haul.

Cannibul said:

You damn near a year late with this "news". Perhaps you should pay more attention.

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What was the purpose of that reply? Seeing how your reply provided no meaningful contribution to the discussion at hand, I suspect that you were yearning for an opportunity to showcase to the membership here how much of a condescending a*# you are.

In fact, I have known about it over the past 11 months or so. I know it was 11 months because I was in AZ for a course from Sep-Oct 2019 and stopped by a Walmart while I was there; the employees stated that the .223 and all pistol ammo was to be sold by the end of the calendar year. However, Walmart’s did not have a hard mandate to also sell off the .223 rifles by the end of calendar year 2019. And it was recent that employees at my local Walmart stated that the .223 rifles (bolt actions and single shots since they haven’t sold semi .223s for a couple years) were on clearance in July and August because they were being forced to clear out their .223 rifle inventory this summer (2020) in addition to old stock as they receive new stock of non-.223 gun’s this summer.

I’m not a new member here and stupid replies such as your’s won’t make me leave the site as I know that the overwhelming majority of members are good folks.

However, with the recent influx of new gun owners, I’m certain some of them have joined THR and are looking for information. I fear that it would only take one or two unsavory replies such as your’s to dissuade them from THR and/or cause them to conclude that gun guys are a bunch of jerks.