The CEO of Walmart said this week that the company has not fielded many complaints from customers following its decision to change up its policies on firearms and ammunition.
In September the nation’s largest retailer announced that it would ban the sale of all handgun ammunition as well as .223/5.56, discontinue the sale of handguns, and politely ask customers to refrain from open carrying in store locations in any state where the practice is lawful.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon was asked by CNBC Tuesday whether there’s been customer blow-back as a result, to which he responded, “A little bit. But no, not much. I think most people understand that we’re not trying to make a political statement here. We’re just trying to help create a safer environment.”
The new policies were spurred by shootings over the summer at store locations in Mississippi, where two people were killed, and El Paso, Texas, where 22 people were killed. On Monday, there was another deadly incident outside a Walmart in Oklahoma that left three people dead, including the gunman.
“It’s tragic, this most recent event. It looks like a personal situation played out in our parking lot,” McMillon said. “But El Paso really thrust us into a situation that we wouldn’t have anticipated.”
McMillon said the company “took some time to think through what we needed to do” following the August tragedy in El Paso.
“Our first focus was on caring for the associates that were impacted and the customers’ families that were impacted and all the things related to that,” he continued. “It’s a very divisive issue, obviously.”
SEE ALSO: Walmart Caves, Stops Selling Handgun and ‘Short-Barreled Rifle’ Ammo
Walmart has also voiced support for tougher gun laws at the federal level, including universal background checks that criminalize private transfers and red flag orders that allow law enforcement to confiscate firearms from individuals accused — not convicted — of being a threat to themselves or others.
Additionally, the company called on lawmakers to debate the reauthorization of the “Assault Weapons ban” to “determine its effectiveness.”
“We think there needs to be change” in the nation’s gun laws while also “protecting the rights of gun owners,” McMillon explained.
Walmart accounts for approximately 20 percent of ammo sales nationwide. After it sells out its stock of .223/.556, its market share will likely drop to about 6 percent, McMillion estimated.
Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association sees Walmart’s new position as a boon for its competitors.
“Lines at Walmart will soon be replaced by lines at other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms,” said the NRA in a statement.
This POS of Wallyworld, needs to shut the F up with his gun control rhetoric, yet “protection of 2A rights”. Bullshit. The only way to make this asswipe stop is every gun owner boycotts Wallyworld! Do you have guts?
Do you remember when this joint use to sell “made” in America? Screw them!
The reduced competition from Walmart will greatly help other retailers I used to be a gun dealer and small store owner but Walmart and Kmart put me out of business.
Here we go again! The good gun owners are again punished for the criminals!
I will try to avoid buying from Walmart as much as possible in the future. Unfortunate that they cannot see the hand that feeds them, the American public. Their loss. Unfortunately they have created a near monopoly in our area and we are forced to go there for many staples because many other businesses could not compete.
yes, it was a political statement. they said they also would be a resource for anti-gun organizations. meaning money, I suppose.
I agree with one statement and that is that it was not a political move.
Walmart’s is first, last and always about the almighty dollar and doesn’t give two bits that people died as a result of being at their stores on the day in question. If they did truly care, they would get rid of the cigarette register.
Walmart’s is all about dollars per cube or per unit of space. The stores where the income per cube is low for ammo sales they dropped them. Stores in cities where the snowflakes live. The stores where the income per cube is high for ammo sales, rural locations where they need to continue to attract hunters, etc they are still selling both rifle and pistol ammo.
Walmart’s chose to limit sales of cigarettes to a single register to increase the income per cube. They no longer need to stock cigarettes behind each and every counter. That was cost effective marketing and layout. Same thing with ammo.
They haven’t received my complaint simply because I’m unable to send it electronically! Yes, that’s right…I have not been able to use their electronic contact form. Cannot select any topic to contact customer service. Tried multiple times over past month.
I should add, previously to their policy nonsense, months ago, I sent them a general inquiry about being carded for ammunition. I am clearly and visibly without question, adult, middle-aged. I asked for an explanation as to where all my info goes, upon them swiping my ID for ammunition purchase. Their response disregarded the heart of my question totally.
I guess I will have to take the time to phone them, to voice my complaint. I encourage everyone to do the same, let them hear your complaint. They have been added to the list of brands and companies that I will no longer support.
McMillon? What a name.
When arms and ammunition are almost universally available, how are you making it safer by NOT selling it at Walmart? You continue to sell opiates in your pharmacy and some of that is abused. You may have stopped selling vape juice, but you sell cigarettes and other tobacco products. You sell knives, baseball bats and other items readily converted to weapons.
Average # of deaths per day in US:
Abortion: 2,408
Heart disease: 1,773
Cancer: 1,641
Medical error: 685
Accidents: 401
Stroke: 401
Alzheimer’s: 332
Diabetes: 228
Flu: 150
Suicide: 128
Opioids: 115
Drunk driving: 28
Underage drinking: 11
Teen texting-and-driving: 8
All Rifles: 1
Virtue signaling is all you are doing. And if that’s what you’re going to be selling, I’m not buying it.
This is a great event for the “Local Gun Store”. While Walmart was selling Ammo at discounted prices…the local gun store could not compete with Walmart. Now that Walmart has given up 20% of the United States ammunition sales……..the Small business owner & Local Gun Store can profit from Walmart’s decision to stop selling ammo. It’s the American way…and it’s capitalism at its best. There will always be big discounted stores selling discounted ammo. We don’t need Walmart. I still buy quite a bit of ammo at “Academy Sports”.
And I choose Walmart as a last resort for any of my purchases. Like dicks sporting goods….I would rather spend a little more elsewhere than give my business to the likes of Walmart, Dicks & Target….. This is the American Way !
Totally agree with Edgar on his summation of these various super stores. I am absolutely shook to see Dick’s Sporting Goods is still in business. I will never shop at Dicks again because of their anti-gun philosophy! WALMART will always undermine the little guys because this is their strategy to do so! WALMART sells mostly Chinese crap anyway! I’m totally steering clear of Walmart in the future if they’re going to take this lame excuse of not selling ammo!
I haven’t been to Walmart since. I now shop at America’s store Rural King. why buy Chinese when you can support real American
Ditto, I don’t shop there anymore nor online. And I’m pulling my accounts at Woodforest Bank, the Walmart in store banking concern. At some point, Woodforest will ‘cancel’ my account along with all its autopayments at their whim if I write a check to a gun store or send a contribution to President Trump. Think it can’t happen? It’s just a matter of time.
…and now I call on Walmart to implement some “common sense actions” stop selling lighters and matches…to finally put and end to forest fires. 😉
Walmart and Dicks have done the gun industry a great service. The continued exit of these big corporations from selling arms and related products makes room in the industry for the LOCAL gun stores who are 100% “in” when it comes to serving sportsmen and those interested in selfdefense. This is one industry that a few in high corporate positions will not control and will not destroy. Thank you liberal CEOs for ensuring a lucrative market for 1000’s of local gun stores.
The El Paso tragedy happened in a “GUN FREE ZONE”. I guess the cowardly shooter didn’t read the signs
It possibly could have been less tragic if just one of the patrons had a fire arm
The shooter was a coward. When confronted by police and the possibility of getting shot himself he immediately drop his gun and surrendered.
Screw Walmart and their lying excuse of making the world safer. My idea of safety means practicing with my guns and for that I need ammo. There’s an Academy store just down the road that keeps it shelves well stocked with all the ammo I need.
This just gives me and my family (a grand total of 5 legal gun toters and shooters!) yet another reason to NOT go to Walmart.
I hope Sam haunts them!
All the Walmarts in my area SW MO and central OK still sale handgun and 223/556 ammo and I have seen folks open carrying in the stores and not a thing is being said to them so it must not be for all Walmarts
I haven’t shopped at WalMart since they announced this, and even wrote them telling them my plans. They think they are too big to fail. Stop shopping there and let’s see how they react when ALL gun owners stop spending money at their stores. I bet things change back, quietly of course…
Don’t let WalMart’s high-sounding PC fool you.
Noticing the tons of handgun ammo on their shelves, I asked the guy behind the counter what was up. He told me that WalMart has “tons” of handgun ammo in warehouses bought on large-scale contracts. He said that they will keep selling until they sell out.
So much for high-sounding PC.
No blowback to Walmart but am now shopping at Amazon instead,
I’m not a owner of weapons. It’s very very sad what the DEMORATS and LIBERALS are doing to our FREEDOMS!! THESE IDIOTS ARE CLUELESS ON STOPPING THE REAL CAUSE AND THAT IS THE CRIMINALS THAT ARE COMMITTING THES HIDEOUS CRIMES. THE DEMORATS PUNISH LAW ADING GUN OWNERS JUST TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY’RE DOING SOMETHING. MY ANSWER TO THESE GUN GRABBERS
TRUMP2020 TRUMP2020 TRUMP2020 TRUMP2020 AMERICA SAVE IT OR NOT
22,000 gun laws on the books. “common sense” has flown out the window. The definition of “sane and “insane” is becoming more and more blurred every day.
I shop at Aldi, then Publix, Home Depot and most weeks now i get nothing from wally. I use Sunoco, better anyway, for fuel. They were my best resource for Rotella T6 and filters. I will see if I can get that online.
Walmart not selling ammo for handguns will only increase ammo prices at other facilities. Walmart making a statement that it is making a safer place for everyone is ludicrous. There will always be good people and bad people. We must hold the bad people accountable for their actions, and publicly Recognize good behavior.
It’s a great idea boycotting Walmart, Dicks or target. there are plenty other places to buy firearms, ammo, paint, underware and groceries. How ever the ONLY way to slap the gun grabbers into a footnote in some liberal newspaper is to VOTE THE POLITICIANS SUPPORTING ANTI GUN LAWS OUT OF OFFICE, PERIOD. All sportsman,shooters, fishermen, campers need to support candidates with our votes not just whining on line about their anti american posturing. The next election can remove a great many of these asshats. I’m not a great fan of any elected politicians but there are many that can be “unelected” next year. The big online and podcasters can advocate for friendly candidates and they should. The industry should also.
Well if Walmart has stopped selling ammo I think they forgot to tell the Walmart stores in Idaho. Most of the stores in Idaho have plenty of Ammo.
Rodney they won’t have if Idaho keeps letting in LIBERALS from Commifornia or Kalifornexico. Boises’ mayor has the right idea. Be sure they’re conservatives who support the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
I don’t work for Walmart however I doubt they made much money from gun sales. I suppose they made some profit on ammunition sales. However I suspect Walmart wanted out of the gun businesses for a long time. The shooting on their property gave them an excuse.
In any event, support a local gun shop. If one gives you bad service or has high prices find another gun shop and buy from there.
I live in El Paso and was here when the shootings occurred. The news of it was on television almost from the time it started telling people not to go there and as I watched I was screaming mentally for someone in that store to simply go to the firearms counter in that store, get a shotgun or most any other firearm and stop the SOB. I always felt safe shopping at Walmart because they have guns and ammunition in the store that I could use in a situation like that to defend myself and stop an attack like that. I still don’t know why no one did it? They had the means to defend themselves and failed to recognize or use it. By the time the first law enforcement arrived and got into the store the shooter was out of ammunition and out of the store. Good thing I guess he also forgot Walmart sells ammunition.
In short Walmart supports Tyranny!
NAH!
I have not been in a Wal-Mart since the decision but didn’t expect they would miss my $100 a week.
If 2A supporters boycott both dicks sporting good stores and Walmart we could have an effect on their bottom line. They seem to understand that the most. Support local gun stores selling guns and ammunition and also sites online such as Midway USA, Cabela’s and pro bass shops. There are numerous online sites that sell ammunition at reasonable prices and will ship some without charging for the shipping. I am sick and tired of these wimpy CEOs that buckle underThe gun grabbers and Democrats that want to take our freedom to carry a firearm away. To defend ourselves and others that are in harms way such as the recent shootings.
CEO hardly, just tired of the whiny RIGHT-WING WING-NUTS and their BS threats. I guess we should all assume that rights only apply to the RIGHT-WING GUN TOTERS and there needs. As for the pay scale Jackass, go get another job if your current employment is not cutting it. Now if you don’t want to violate your RIGHT-WING oath, send your wives into Walmart the next time they have a sale. As for the BONEHEAD comment, you missed my point, its their choice right, wrong or indifferent. RIGHT-WING size rules do not fit all, that’s one reason the Nazis failed and this is America…..
Calm down there Wally-world. It’s okay for a left wing nut to call for boycotts? Seems they do it every week for one reason or another.Did you believe that the cake baker could refuse service to anyone he chooses? And another thing Nazis have more in common with lefties and commies, total government control, then this right winger who wants small federal government.
Wally you missed all of the points presented. Nobody stated you were a CEO they just compared your warped reasoning with the warped reasoning of the CEO of Walmart. That is pretty typical of the liberal mindset however. You are probably a retired teacher who lacks basic common sense. The illustration of the low wages payed to WALMART EMPLOYEES confirms how little Walmart really cares about their employees because if they actually cared about their employees they would pay them a livable wage oh, and maybe offer them benefits. You obviously do not have the intelligence to understand the concepts presented here. Don’t go away mad, just go away!
What you have created is a target rich environment for any nut case to act, with no safe shopping for the customers, because it’s all money and liberal/DemocRATS demand you give up Sam Walton ideals. I seem to remember his picture with Ol’ Roy and he wasn’t carrying a stick(shotgun) for hunting, pictures all over a store and back areas, like the associate lounge. This will happen again, like El Paso but in OK it was stopped by a legal carry customer who was not having any of this crap. More need to step up and simply say “Wal-Mart WHO”.
Not political? REALLY?!
Well according to Walmart’s own business statement that can be found and read here online, they partnered up with BLOOMBERG (you know the anti-gun guy?) just days after their ammunition sales announcement… So I most definitely call BS on this statement!
AND their store looked like a literal ghost town (there were more employees then patrons!) last Saturday when we went in for the first time in months just to find out how to transfer our quarterly heart medication prescriptions to Costco pharmacy. Let THAT sink in, IN the context of what this boss clown just claimed. Oh and usually our Walmart here would be packed with shoppers on a Saturday at 1pm.
WalMart has lost me as a customer. My family (incl. son, daughter-both over 21) don’t shop there anymore, either.
ChinaMart anyway!
I would like to ask Doug McMillon, how not making ammunition and guns available to millions of law abiding citizens, helps to create a safer environment? Are you aware there were two customers in your store that day in El Paso Texas, that had decided to not bring their firearms? Both of these people were very qualified in the use of said firearms and could have kept some or all people from getting killed! Are you aware of the person that recently stopped a shooting that nearly occurred, at one of your stores, because they had their firearm with them?
Our local WalMart and their parking lot is the most dangerous place in our town.
‘ We not trying to make a political statement”. Then he says We are for universal background laws….. Respectfully Sir, that is a political statement, DUH!!!
If you weren’t trying to make a virtue-signaling political statement, then you would NOT have announced it publicly. So you are just a GD LIAR!
I hope this gutless a-hole sees his business drop like Dick’s did. Both are gutless, bottom-line organizations who only see dollar signs and are willing to take a small loss to keep themselves looking good in the national liberal press. I don’t do business with either Walmart or Dick’s Sporting Goods……let ’em burn.
Everything he said was a lie. They were trying to make a political statement (or as some above said – virtue signaling) and yes, they have received a lot of complaints. I spoke to the manager of a local Wal-mart to complain in person. I was told that they had received MANY complaints. I also emailed my complaint to them.
This CEO and his enabling BOD will find that this shareholder will vote all shares against them until this foolish political stunt is reversed.
This will likely be a moot gesture, given that the Waltons have overwhelmingly more shares than I do, but one does what one can do.
I haven’t spent a dime at Wally-World since they began their “non-political” virtue signaling. Nor shall I ever spend another dime there, again.
The statement from the jackass CEO: “A little bit. But no, not much. I think most people understand that we’re not trying to make a political statement here. We’re just trying to help create a safer environment.”
The part about not trying to make a political statement says it all. Any person with even a low level of intelligence would realize that Walmart not selling ammunition will in no way prevent someone who is mentally unstable from entering one of their stores and shooting people inside the store. Walmart is doing this to be politically correct. They will just jack up prices on other items to offset the revenue loss for the ammunition sales.
“Our first focus was on caring for the associates that were impacted and the customers’ families that were impacted and all the things related to that,” he continued. “It’s a very divisive issue, obviously.”
What about the actual customers who were shot? They don’t give a sh*t about them???
If they truly cared about their associates they would pay them more than they currently do. Here are the average wages for the staff:
Cashier
Average: $11.08
$9 – $14 range
Sales Associate
Average: $11.34
$9 – $15 range
Department Manager, Retail Store
Average: $14.59
$11 – $19 range
None of those pay ranges are a livable wage. Douche bag CEO running a douche bag corporation.
Nice spin there CEO. It is overtly obvious it was simply virtue signaling. And if true, stop selling alcohol as commented above, if you really want to create a safer environment.
They already tried a so called “assault weapon ban”. It did absolutely nothing to prevent gun violence… NOTHING. I WILL TAKE MY BUSINESS ELSEWHERE. They are a horrible company and now, an anti-freedom entity.
IF THIS BONEHEAD THINKS THAT NOT SELLING GUNS AND AMMO IS GOING TO CHANGE THINGS, HE IS SADLY MISTAKEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It did change one thing, I no longer shop at Walmart…
Personally I could care less that DICKS or WALMART are no longer selling firearms and or ammunition. They are private businesses who have the rights to choose what they sell. Now the right-wing wing nuts are in full attack mode and vowing to never shop at these locations again. To this I can only say “grow up”. These are American companies who employ thousands of people and have great prices. If the right-wingers choose to cut their nose off to spite their face, be my guest. Oh, pull your pants up, your ____ is showing…..
Wally,
You are absolutely right in that they have the right to choose what they sell.
You don’t have to be a ‘Right Wing Nut’ to chose not to shop somewhere because of the political stance of the management.
What about places I specifically choose to shop at because I believe in managements position.. ? Chick Filet` for example or Hobby Lobby.
By your logic we should suspend our beliefs and allegiance’s in favor of your perspective..?
FORTUNATELY, we live in a country where we have many choices, choosing not to shop at a Walmart, Dicks etc.
is just one of them.
FORTUNATELY, we can still discriminate based on political beliefs.
If someone wants to buy or rent one of my properties I can’t discriminate based on gender, color, race or religion but If they tell me they are a Liberal / Progressive, I send them packing.
Wally you are a douch bag just like the ceo. Go f*ck yourself!
Walmart is in a dangerous business position with the competition and will come to need the support of the gun owner community. They will find that support hard to come by just when they need it most. Good luck with that.
Will Walmart be libel if a person in their store is unable to defend themselves????
I believe Walmart is libel if I’m injured in their store and I can’t defend myself.
You would think that if you get injured in their store, they would be liable, but I have a friend that was injured by a display rack with product on it, that fell on her because it was unstable. An ambulance was called and she was ushered out of the store, and by the next day when they went back to talk to the manager the display area was totally changed, and they claimed the incident never happened! That’s the Walmart of today caring for it’s patrons! Fortunately they took pictures while they were waiting for the ambulance,. I haven’t been in one of their stores in over 15 years, and have no intention of ever going back! We do have the right not to shop there, and that is exactly how we make a statement, with our money!
So you want to create a safer environment? Stop selling alcohol! It affects far more people negatively than guns.
But you won’t do that, as your bottom line is much more important than innocent ives.
Walmart has become a difficult store to shop in, and it has nothing to do with guns. =
1. LONG WALKS across BIG PARKING LOTS.
2. EXTREMELY POOR customer service both in-store and by phone.
3. Often carries only the items tagged for quick sale, and not what you need.
=== I always buy other “stuff” when I go into their stores to buy ammo. WHEN THE AMMO IS GONE, THERE IS NO REASON TO GO THERE TO SHOP. I would rather support local merchants; if I can’t find it locally, I’ll simply buy it on line.
Bye-bye Walmart. You’re on your way to joining K-Mart, Montgomery Ward, Sears, …..
During the Assault Weapons Ban, we actually saw an increase in crime. Immediately after it sunset, crime went down.
It doesn’t work.
I refuse to go to WalMart or Dicks since they announced their new gun and ammo policies. I do occasionally enter my local mall through Dicks but I just use their bathroom because that’s all they’re good for😂
Walmart has less of what people want each day, I avoid the place anytime I can these days. The CEO is supposed to be there to help business for Walmart and customers.
I wonder how much of the ammo used in the shooting incident at Walmart was purchased at that Walmart?
So they stop selling ammo even though the ammo used may have been purchased some place else. If that is the case how is it, that no longer selling ammo at Walmart, going to prevent further shooting incidents. Nice feel good gesture but it will have no affect on the crazies out there.
If Walmart were concerned about a safer environment they would halt the sales if alcoholic beverages. More people are killed by drunk drivers each year than by ammo. Ammo cant kill anyone unless fired from a gun. What about flavored vape cigarettes? This is a shallow gesture aimed at preventing law suits. Walmart continues to sell alcohol and vape cigarettes. Its all about profits.
Here’s something to think about: Kmart stopped selling guns just as Walmart was becoming their biggest competitor. Now, with Amazon nipping at their heels, Walmart is doing the same thing. Of course, Amazon is even further left than Walmart and will never sell guns and ammo, but this will affect business to a degree.
WalMart stopped selling guns at its California stores years ago, and stopped selling ALL ammo after the new mandatory “background check” for every purchase of ammo went into effect. The paper work involved made it all less than worthwhile, especially with the fact that most of t heir staff does not have the training or licensing to comply with the law.
That’s exactly the point of piling on these new administrative requirements – to make it “too hard” to conduct business, so people give up on it.
If walmart continues down this road myself and family members will stop shopping at walmart. As dicks found out this policy is not wise!
Already done. See FBI report on the matter. Can help you find it, notwithstanding you likely don’t believe facts. Not one word about the person using a firearm to commit a violent crime. Like all radicalized liberals have done for decades, blame the firearm, not the one the using it.
He’s playing to majority of investors, most of whom are radicalized liberals.
Investors that. Lean Socialist and Communist, yet made their fortunes through Capitalism! As many know this has always been about control, not safety of the masses!
I haven’t stepped foot in a Walmart since they announced these things. I used to go once or twice a week for basically everything. All groceries now from grocery stores and everything else from a variety of others. I’m paying more this way and I would imagine they are counting on this to protect themselves.