I can see it being both a poltically correct move on there part-& also economic. They will likely notmake bad press or be suied for selling horseshoe sets- ball bats, golf clubs that are used in a criminal manner to kill someone - as they might selling firearms & ammo?

They have 2 walmarts in town - incasper now here- the older store still sells firearms( except handguns are no longer for sale(and why is that??))- the new store about 8 miles from the other does not sell firearms but does still sell ammo( for now).

There is no shortage of hunters or persons wanting to buy all types offirearms in this state- including handguns & others not used for hunting nessarlly.

I see from a old story on walmart( below)& items on the local news thatthey have a few reasons given- lack of sales in the comunity ( - there marketing plans etc



If there plan is to sell in more urban areas why are they even in this state? If there plan is to market to upscale urban/metrosexuals[:'(]-[&:]- i could see where that may effect gun sales in other places to (Dc, nyc, nj,ma, ca etc etc-& that therelocal firearms restrictions& lack of hunting areasin urban areas- will Obviously mean lower firearmsales in those places. Those factors dont come into play in this state. They are obviously not going by demand or overallsales numbers here....

And if thats the plan -I think there cutting there own necks in this case& there will be more of there stores not selling firearms in the future here& elsewhere i think.

I have bought a number of firearms in there stores in the past( most all American made)& many other places in town-including a few atthe new sportsmans warehouse store recently....sales that would have prob went to walmart.

They git rid of there sporting goods( guns, hunting -fishing, reloading)at walmart -as seems to be part ofthere marketing plans/stradigy here.... i will have many less reasons to vist there stores at all.

..( last yrs story)............................................ ..................................................

Wal-Mart to Stop Gun Sales at 1,000 Stores


AP Business Writer
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.
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 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,'' 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.

04/14/06 14:17