Following the bold move of Walmart to ask their customers not to openly carry firearms inside the premises of their stores in states where there is an “open carry” law, Kroger, another retail giant followed suit and said that they are making the exception for legitimate law enforcement officers.
The move from the two retail companies follows the devastating rise in the shooting incident, especially inside retail stores, in the U.S.
“Kroger is respectfully asking that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores, other than authorized law enforcement officers,” Jessica Adelman, group vice president of corporate affairs, said in an emailed statement.
“A year ago, Kroger made the conscious decision to completely exit the firearm and ammunition business when we stopped selling them in our Fred Meyer stores in the Pacific Northwest,” she also said. “Kroger has demonstrated with our actions that we recognize 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.”
On Tuesday, Walmart said that they would stop selling the type of ammunition which is commonly used by hunters but can also be used and fired through certain assault rifles. Furthermore, Walmart will also start discouraging consumers from carrying firearms inside their stores in states with open carry laws.
“As a company, we experienced two horrific events in one week, and we will never be the same,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon wrote to employees on Tuesday.
“It’s clear to us that the status quo is unacceptable,” McMillon wrote in Tuesday’s memo.
The two companies both urged the government to implement stricter gun control regulations to prevent deadly shooting incidents from happening in the United States.
“We are also joining those encouraging our elected leaders to pass laws that will strengthen background checks and remove weapons from those who have been found to pose a risk for violence,” Adelman said.
