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With his new policy, the supermarket chain follows the example of Walmart (WMT), Kroger (KR), CVS (CVS) and other retailers who made similar announcements last week. The movements come after recent shootings in California, Texas and Ohio.
"Publix respectfully requests that only law enforcement officials openly carry firearms in our stores," the company said in a statement released Wednesday.
The company is one of the largest grocery chains in the country, with more than 200,000 employees and 1,226 stores in the southeastern United States. Although headquartered in Florida, which does not allow open port, Publix is very active in states that allow people to openly carry guns, such as in Georgia and Alabama.
Last week, Walmart had asked customers not to publicly open firearms in its stores and had also said that it would reduce sales of firearms and ammunition. In a few days, At least seven companies followed, representing a major shift in the way retailers position themselves in the firearms debate.
Although the way in which these companies apply the forbidden postponement requests is unclear, advocates say that this decision will make buyers feel safer and sends a message to lawmakers that companies support certain fire arms.
"In some communities, you were going to a Walmart and someone was walking with a handgun holster, and this is delaying you for a moment, it's shocking," Ed Scruggs, president, said last week. from the Texas Gun Sense Advocacy Group. "After what happened at El Paso, getting into a Walmart and seeing someone open to wear, it will always bring you back to that, so it makes a lot of sense for them to do it." would like others to follow their example. "
Instead of changes in government policy, many clients, employees and advocates lobbied companies to take action to end gun violence, with mass shootings continuing to devastate America.
Publix last year face a similar plea. David Hogg, an activist student at Parkland High School, site of the shooting that left 17 dead and 17 wounded, called for a "break-in" at the grocery store to protest his support for a governor candidate for the position of governor. Florida, supported by the National Rifle Association. After the protest, Publix said at that time that it would suspend political contributions to reassess its donation policy.
Last week, the following companies announced that they would ask their customers not to open firearms in their stores: Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Wegmans, Aldi US, Meijer and Publix.
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