More retailers join Walmart in asking customers to stop carrying guns in store

Several more of the America’s most ubiquitous retail chains said this week that they will ask customers to refrain from openly carrying guns in their stores.

The requests, days after Walmart announced a similar policy, marked a notable shift in the debate about the presence of guns in everyday life in the United States.

CVS Health requested that customers, other than authorised law enforcement personnel, do not bring firearms into its 9,900 stores in the country in a short statement on Thursday. Walgreens, with 9,500 stores, did so as well.

Both chains noted that they were joining other retailers.

Wegmans, a supermarket chain with 99 stores mainly in the Northeast, noted its request on Twitter.

“The sight of someone with a gun can be alarming, and we don’t want anyone to feel that way at Wegmans,” it said.

As private entities, the retailers have the right to restrict guns in their stores.

But it remained unclear how they might compel customers to comply, and the policies were framed as requests, not outright bans.

Several other large chains have enacted similarly worded policies over the last several years, including Starbucks, Target, Costco and Chipotle.

The most recent wave of announcements began on Tuesday, when Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer with more than 4,000 stores, said it would stop selling ammunition that can be used in military-style rifles as well as all handgun ammunition.

Walmart said it would discourage customers from openly carrying guns, even in states where it is legal to do so.

“We will treat law-abiding customers with respect, and we will have a very non-confrontational approach,” Walmart’s chief executive, Doug McMillon, said in a statement.

Shortly after Walmart’s announcement, Kroger, which is headquartered in Cincinnati and operates more than 2,700 supermarkets, said it too was requesting that its customers not carry weapons into its stores.

In the statement, Jessica Adelman, vice president of corporate affairs, noted that Kroger had completely exited the firearm and ammunition business a year ago.

“Kroger has demonstrated with our actions that we recognise the growing chorus of Americans who are no longer comfortable with the status quo and who are advocating for concrete and common sense gun reforms,” she said.

She said the company would also push lawmakers to strengthen background checks and to “remove weapons from those who have been found to pose a risk for violence”.

In his statement, Mr McMillon said that Walmart decided to change its policy in the wake of the 3 August shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, which left 22 people dead.

He said that after the shooting, there were several episodes “where individuals attempting to make a statement and test our response have entered our stores carrying weapons in a way that frightened or concerned our associates and customers”.

He added that even some well-intentioned customers had inadvertently caused alarm, triggering evacuations and law enforcement mobilizations.

“We believe the opportunity for someone to misinterpret a situation, even in open-carry states, could lead to tragic results,” Mr McMillon said.

The Walmart statement noted that there was no change in regard to concealed-carry by customers with permits, and said that new signs would be posted about the policy in the coming weeks.

Gun laws vary widely, but more than 40 states allow some form of open carry, according to the Giffords Law Centre to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun control advocacy group.

Some states require special permits or for the weapon to be unloaded, or restrict open-carry policies in cities.

There are often exceptions to open-carry laws in schools, public facilities or places where alcohol is served.

Shannon Watts, founder of gun-control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, called open carry “a dangerous and culturally reprehensible practice” and applauded the companies for taking action.

“Ultimately this is about getting companies to protect their customers when lawmakers aren’t protecting their constituents,” she said.

Ms Watts urged legislators to take action as they return to Washington. Walmart’s statement also called on congress to increase background checks and consider a new assault weapon ban.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) strongly criticised Walmart’s statement, saying it was “shameful to see Walmart succumb to the pressure of the anti-gun elites”.

“Lines at Walmart will soon be replaced by lines at other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms,” the organisation said.

The NRA on Friday directed a reporter to Tuesday’s statement.

The New York Times