Charley

I wasn't going to get involved with this thread, but here I am. Wal-Mart and the other big box retailers do destroy little local guys, IF the local guy continues running his business the same way his daddy ran it 40 years ago. I've been in local shops where the owner was arrogant, sometimes downright rude, or just couldn't be bothered to get of his ass and sell something. I've also been in local stores that whip Wal-Mart's butt when it come to service and product knowledge.

Competition is NOT always about price. You can't beat Wal Mart on price, but you CAN beat them on just about everything else, IF the business owner is willing to put forth the effort.

I know this is anathma to the Wal-Mart is owned by the Devil crowd, but Wal-Mart can be beaten by the locals.

Maine Shooter

Big deal, Walmarts stopping gun sales in some stores. Shouldn't we all have been supporting our local gun shops this whole time anyways? Loyalty as a customer shouyld still mean something. I'll gladly pay a bit more at my LGS than at Walmart. Eventually that loyalty pays off.

OregonRaptor

VT Gosh its nice to know that you'll never get "OLD and HAGGARD"

strut

Since I'm an FFL holder and have my own gunshop and business I hope they quit selling them in every store in Missouri anyway, They are hard to compete with, they can buy so many and get a better price than everyone else it is hard to compete with them, Plus I have never talked to one of there employees that knew much about guns at all if you needed some help or had a question on one. Good riddence to the wal-mart gun deals.

OregonRaptor

Strut I agree that Wally World employees dont seem to know much about firearms but as far as their low pricing, I have found that they do not undersell several of our local discount stores. In fact our local walmart seems to be quite high on several models.

Now, about them discounting their guns for closeout due to not selling guns in store anymore, I asked about a discount price and just about got laughed out of the store.

Guess I wont be buying there!!!!!

VT_Hunter1980

Well, you can't help getting old, but haggard you can control to a degree.

Besides, even if I do end up old and haggard I'll still want to look at the cute twenty-something girls as opposed to old ladies.

Yeah, I'm a pig, b ut what can you do?

nyorange

Totemkopf:The crazy sugar prices aresupposed to protect the US workers, i.e the sugar farmers who couldn't compete in the global sugar market. Thereal reason for the tariff isn't to protect the U.S sugar farmers but to artifically raise the price of sugar for U.S food manufacters.As a result the cost of sugar is throught the roof and everyone in the food/beverage industry has now switched to high fructose corn syrup as the de facto standard food industry sweetener since its much cheaper than the now crazy sugar prices.ie your companies moving to canada, original coke being turned into classic coke(real reason for switch was when they came back with the original formula/classic it no longer had sugar as the sweetener, its now corn syrup and/or sugar, it was simply a profit motive)The big scam is that we are doing it to ourselves. The main lobbyist and supporters of the sugar tariffs are all Americans, a very few specific Americans who in fact have nothing to do with growing sugar and in fact make corn syrup and a host of other agricultuiral stuff.Guess they are looking out for the sugar farmers cuz they are just a nice bunch of guys.

Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury.
Alexander Tytler

MinnFinn

So, they choose not to care firearms and ammo in every store, so what? The last I looked we're still living in a free society and business whatever legel products that they decide make the most sense and cents. Some obviously require special permits and licenses.

Go to an outlet or local gun shop that carries what you want, look and buy.

Besides, boycotts rarely result in the desire changes in corp. behavior. I'd recommend saving your efforts for something that makes sense and makes a difference.

mathewsconquest2

I have been entertained by this string. Many of the points made are valid about Walmart (both pro and con). I work for the second largest traditional department store chain in the country. Are demographic is middle to lower upper class consumers. I can't begruge Walmart for buying from China or India because even my company does it to a large extent. The fact is that the same Americans who complain about Walmart or Target don't want to pay $25.00 fora T-shirt union made in the USA, but have no problem buying a $5.99 T-shirt.

These same Americans (of all economic classes)
also have retail stocks in their 401k's (many have Walmart) knowingly or unknowingly. Those stockholders expect margin returns from their investments. Walmart has delivered extremely well to their shareholders.

Getting back to guns:
In a nutshell, Walmart primarily sells throw away goods. I'll buy toilet paper, light bulbs, even underwear thier. But most of the hunter's I know and hunt with come from many different economic classes, purchase their firearms and better quality/ long life goods from a local dealer or a Gander Mountain/Cabela's/ Bass Pro shop retailer.

I'm not a snob, but when I buy something as important as hunting equiptment/ firearms, I don't even consider Walmart. I'll save up a little longer to get quality.

As far as service, I have experienced equally bad/ good sevice from both local shops and big box stores.
However, one thing that I will say, I have been buying almost all my firearms from asomewhatlocal hardware/ gun shop. His prices are better than Gander/ bass/ Cabela's etc.. The owner tells me he is a proud NRA member who wants to expand all hunting and shooting related sports. He therefore takes a lower profit marginonfirearms (he does make some margin up in his hardware but nothing over the top). He also explains that he can afford to sell guns at a lower price because he has limited overhead and doesn't need to provide margins to stockholder's since he is not a public company.

Business is changing and no one is holding a gun to anyones head to buy at Walmart. We still have many choices left in this country ( thank God for conservatives). So if you don't like Walmart , don't shop there. Period !!!

Besides, from a retail perspective,
I wouldn't be the least bit suprised that Walmart walks away from this category of merchandise (firearms) even further in the next couple of years. Primarliy because, like I stated previously,
their niche is to sell throw away merchandise and the average hunter wants to buy quality/ long life merchandise. Also hunter's expect a knowledgable person selling them higher end goods. Walmart isn't in the business of paying big $ for well informed asscociates.

-Mathewsconquest2

ShatoDavis

Mathew, mathew ,mathew,

Don't you know that common sense has no place here. Jesus, you even used logic to form your response...tisk, tisk, tisk. Now try again and this time go for a more primal, gutural response.....Like: ugh, Me no like Wal Mart.

What we really should be complaining about is the price of Gas. Holy Cow I filled up this morning and it cost me $75. How many Billions did Exon make last year? Good Grief if this keeps up it won't matter if wal mart sells guns because I won't be able to afford them anyway. At least our dear president is racking it in[:@]