Talk about mixed signals. Last week, Walmart asked its U.S. store managers to remove all guns and ammo from its sales floors over fears of civil unrest. Just a day later, the giant retailer reversed its decision, saying that incidents of civil unrest were geographically isolated. Given the stress test the country is facing this week, the decision is confusing at best. As Marker reported, over 28 million firearm background checks were conducted in the United States this year through September — the highest number on record according to FBI data and the best available proxy for total gun sales. As we noted, “anxieties around this year’s pandemic, demonstrations against police brutality, and the impending election appear to have Americans preparing themselves for the prospect of violence by buying guns in record numbers.”
Walmart may want to read the room.
