MORE LARGE RETAILERS JOIN PUSH TO LIMIT ASSAULT WEAPON SALES

By Miriam Raftery

March 2, 2018 (San Diego) – Earlier this week, Dick’s Sporting Goods, one of the nation’s largest gun retailers announced it will no longer sell assault rifles or high capacity ammunition magazines and is raising the age to 21 for all other gun purchases.

Now, following on that lead, other major retailers including Walmart, REI, Kroger and L.L. Bean have stepped up to the plate with gun sales limits of their own. Other companies have stopped partnering with the National Rifle Association on discounts for NRA members.

L.L. Bean, a major outdoor products retailer, announced Thursday that it will stop selling guns and ammunition to anyone under 21. The store sells only guns for hunting and target shooting, and already prohibits sales of assault weapons and handguns.

REI announced it will stop buying brands of non-gun items from Vista Outdoor, in an effort to pressure Vista to halt sales of assault weapons.  REI, like the other companies taking action, indicated it wants to do its part to help stop mass shootings such as one that killed 17 people at a Florida high school in February.

Other companies such as Hertz, Avis, MetLife, Delta and United Airlines have indicated they will no longer offer discounts to NRA members.

Kroger Company, a major grocery chain that also owns the Fred Meyer stores, has raised its age limits for guns sold in its stores in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.  It has also broadened a ban on sales of assault weapons in some states to all of its locations effective immediately.

Walmart, the nation’s largest retail chain, stopped selling assault riflesin 2015 but now says it will stop selling items that resemble assault guns, such as air guns and toys made ot look like military-style assault rifles.  Walmart has also raised the age to 21 for all gun sales at its stores nationwide.