The Walmart boycott will probably not hurt them, but it might help – just ask Dick's sports gear

More than a year after calls to boycott Dick's Sporting Goods, the retailer announced that its profits had reached their highest level since 2016, information that could prove important to the biggest American retailer, Walmart.

Neither Dick's nor Walmart have fully removed firearm sales from their stores, but both retailers have made efforts to reduce the purchase of certain types of ammunition and firearms. Following the February 2017 shootout that killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida, Dick's raised the age required for the purchase of firearms from age 18 to 21 and has stated that he would no longer sell assault weapons, high capacity magazines or stockpiles at his 730 US stores.

Dick's also destroyed the entire stock of assault weapons of the company rather than selling them to another retailer.

Last fall, the company took a further step by launching a pilot program in 10 stores where all weapons, ammunition and other hunting equipment were removed and replaced with items featuring local sports teams as well as other popular items sold throughout the chain.

The program was successful and drove Dick's to expand to 125 other stores earlier this year.

"These stores performed significantly better than the rest of the chain," said Ed Stack, CEO of Dick's Sporting Goods, at CNN Business's 10 stores that are part of the pilot program. He added that the results of additional stores added are still being determined and that no decision has been made as to whether the retailer will remove the firearms and ammunition from the other sites.

"Like the original stores, we have replaced (hunted) with categories and products that can generate growth.Although it is too early to talk about performance, we are optimistic: these changes will better serve the athletes of these companies. communities and generate positive results, "said Stack. in a call to investors late August, CNN Business reported.

However, as reported by The Washington PostStack said that Dick's, whose sales rose 3.2% in the second quarter of 2019, did not take advantage of the increased profits for the removal of guns from some places. According to Stack, gun sales are a low income for society.

Dick's announcement nonetheless provoked irritation, with calls for a retail boycott leading to a 3.1% drop in sales for fiscal year 2018. At the time, Stack attributed the policy change to of the sale of firearms.

Even so, Dick hired lobbyists to put gun control measures in place and Stack met with relatives of some of Parkland's victims.

"What I promised families in Parkland when I left was that we would continue this conversation. That's what I did, "said Stack at the To post.

On Tuesday, Walmart became the last retailer to announce changes to its firearms policy, motivated in part by two week-long shootings in two of its stores in Texas and Mississippi.

The shooting in El Paso killed 22 people, while the shooting in Southaven, Mississippi killed two employees.

Initially, Walmart resisted calls to stop selling firearms and ammunition in stores, announcing that it would remove all images containing violence from the stalls of its 4,769 stores.

However, the company announced Tuesday that it would stop selling handgun ammunition and "short barrel guns" and would stop selling handguns in Alaska, the only state where Walmart still sells them. The retailer also asks its customers, with the exception of law enforcement officials, not to expose firearms in stores located in states that have laws in this area.

"We feel that we are seeking a responsible balance between the interests of law-abiding citizens who exercise their rights and those of our employees and customers in matters of security," said Dan Bartlett, Vice President of Corporate Affairs. from Walmart. reporters after the announcement.

This announcement provoked the indignation of gun advocates, many of whom turned to social media to call for a boycott of the retailer. #BoycottWalmart was a hot topic in the United States for much of Tuesday afternoon and late into the evening.

However, according to a survey by CivicScience, 29% of respondents said they would be "more likely" to shop at Walmart because of the company's change in open door policy. Twenty-two percent said they were "much more likely" to shop at a store and 14% said they were "much less likely" to go to Walmart.

When asked about the ban on ammunition sales by the retailer, 21% said they were "much more likely" to shop at Walmart. Twenty percent said they were "less likely" and 14% "much less likely", while 51% said they would visit Walmart "in much the same way" as today .

In a similar poll conducted earlier this year by CivicScience on the changes made to Dick's policy on sporting goods, 26% said they were more likely to visit the store, while 28% said they were much less likely "to buy from Dick's. Thirty-one percent said their visits would be "about the same".

In August, Walmart CEO Doug McMillion estimated that the retailer accounted for 2% of gun sales in the United States but 20% of ammunition sales. McMillion also stated that the company was in favor of a more thorough background check and the removal of weapons from those who were at risk of injuring themselves or others.

"We are encouraged that broad support is emerging to strengthen background checks and remove weapons from those who are determined to pose imminent danger." We believe that the re-authorization of the ban on guns is a prerequisite. Assault should be debated to determine its effectiveness in keeping McMillion's manufactured weapons in a statement provided to the media.

This is not the first time that the company is changing its policies regarding the sale of firearms and ammunition. Walmart, like Dick's, has raised the age of buying firearms from 18 to 21 years after the shooting in Parkland, and the store has also banned the sale of weapons. Assault in 2015. Walmart only sells weapons to those who pass a background check and do not allow the sale. toys that look like assault rifles.

The company made a profit of 126.947 billion dollars in 2018.

09/04, 9:57 pm: This story was changed to clarify Walmart's earnings during the 2018 fiscal year.