If you read my earlier post on ammo at Walmart, you will be happy to know that the efficient folks at Walmart corporate got back to me, as promised, before the close of business today. (Would that I could say that about everybody I contact in search of facts.) Here is, verbatim, the reply from Walmart’s PR person:
Good afternoon,
You contacted us earlier today and your questions were sent to me, since I represent the general merchandise area (sports, hunting, Hardlines) at Walmart. You asked about our store in Shreveport carrying ammunition and guns, after speaking to an associate. First, let me thank you for calling us to check facts, as not all bloggers do and that is often how false information and rumors begin. I’m not sure who you spoke to, but based on your questions will share the status as follows.
Just so you know, this store (which opened in 2007) has never carried guns, but does carry ammunition. Not all of our stores carry guns and ammunition — we base our inventory and size of the sporting goods department on the areas and customer interests in those areas.  This store will continue to carry ammunition, so I’m not sure if they were perhaps misunderstood your questions about a certain product or maybe it was in reference to a product being discontinued. I spoke to the manager today and he did confirm they will continue to carry ammunition at this store.
As you likely know, ammunition has been in shorter supply in many areas of the country over the last couple of months, as demand has increased faster than suppliers are able to send us product. We have been working on this situation with our suppliers, and are hoping that we will resolve supply issues this year.
Thanks for contacting us, and please call again if you have more questions.
Melissa
Senior Manager PR & Brand Reputation
So, that’s that. Walmart is NOT banning ammo. Now I just wish the country-wide ammo shortage would ease so I could find some .38 special practice loads…
A couple of observations…
- Walmart is a very well run operation. To get an answer this detailed, this quickly, is the exception. not the rule.
- Despite what you may or may not have heard from the mainstream media, Walmart is NOT the Evil Empire of Merchandising.
- Competition is good – and an essential part of capitalism.
- I’m happy to report that Walmart is on the side of the angels here – and is doing what they can (buying in bulk) to keep prices down – for everyone.
Thanks for updating us. Great reporting on the whole issue. I'm glad to know my local Walmart will not stop selling ammo. 🙂
“This year”? Vague much?
But I hear you about Walmart’s efficiency, friendliness and ethics. They didn’t get where they are today by accident, or malevolence.
Walmart .22 cal ammo has increased approximately 30% in the last couple of months in Northern California.
They are still a couple of dollars under the lowest advertised gun shop prices.
good capitalism isn't driving down costs at the expense of those that "used to" be able to afford those products and now have no job (=not affording essentials no matter the $). also, any reporting on the…oh…now annual class action lawsuits regarding walmart and not paying their employees for hours that they worked? I believe they have had one now every year for the last six years. just wondering if your journalistic intuition led you to research anything, but what is in your best interest?
Right on Matt, Wallys is a great example of American business going lowball. Whatever happened to American made and American quality? Long gone that, Hello China! As in most American Industry these days, employee treatment is an after thought. Capitalism is an evil system gone horribly wrong.
In reference to your point that competittion is good for capitalism. right. But if you pulled your head out of your gun toatin ass for 3 seconds, you’d realize that Walmart isthe exact enemy of competition. They stroll into every little bum fuck place in America survey the surrounding market (other stores in the area) and then set up there store accordingly. By doing this they decimate competition in the area. Sally fat ass doesnt want to go to the electronics store, the grocery store, AND the sporting good store, when she could just as easily walk into her local Walmart and find all 4. So you see small business can’t hope to comepete with the bulk prices that flies out of Walmart’s ass. It certianly has its good points and I am certianly not above picking up a few itmes there from time to time, but please dont act as if Walmart is some portrait of America and Capitalism, people might start to think your a republican. :]
You act like small town business is the holy grail of shopping. What is the advantage to shopping at a Mom and Pop over a cheaper price? I find your stance a little to one sided without accepting faults of your alternative choice. I suggest you find the Penn & Teller: Bullshit episode on Wal-Mart, it might help you see an alternative view point. As a side note, small town businesses and downtown family owned shops usually fail out regardless of Wal-Mart’s presence or absence. People don’t want to shop there, they find the convenience, lower prices, and quality guarantee is far greater than helping your neighbor sell you the same thing for a higher price.
Wal-Mart also offers more jobs into a community, which means more cash flow, which means more people have disposable cash to spend into a local economy. If anything, Wal-Mart actually helps a community far more than the perceived harm it causes.
Why are Americans so obsessed with guns? What is so threatening to Americans in cities and the countryside that warrants supermarkets (Walmart) selling ammo and in some cases guns too?
Surely the fact that weapons and ammo are so freely and easily available makes it dead (pun intended) easy for those individuals who are not of sound mind, to purchase supplies and go out on killing sprees?
I have never quite understood this at all. If the answer is because most Americans love to shoot animals or targets, then why don`t the authorities make it a really difficult and lengthy procedure to go through before weapons are issued, thus making it harder for the nutcases to get access. I would imagine that someone who has `cracked,` would on the spur of the moment go out to Walmart and stock up but if by law you had to wait 6 months or so, the `loose cannon` would have to change his/her plans and resort to stone throwing or some such or, ideally, forget the idea completely and go home. If we had this kind of access to weapons here in South Africa I doubt there`d be many people left in the country …. alive anyway.
You might not have that kind of access to weapons there, but people who want to do harm DO. That means if you need to protect yourself, you better be able to throw that stone pretty hard. When the honest people have no access to weapons, what makes you think dishonest people don’t. I personally own no firearms, but am comfortable to know that if I feel I need one, I don’t have to break the law to get one. Most rounds are fired on the target range anyway, people have weapons for security, like a fire extinguisher. Unless there is a fire how often do you use that?
We have the right to own any kind of gun we choose, not just for hunting and such, but for self defense, against the “loose cannons” as well as against our government if they chose to come against us. That is why we have the Second Amendment. I would like to point out that I have been to South Africa more than once, and love the people over there. I would also like to point out that we do not have to have walls around every house over here, along with other security measures that are required by insurance companies over there. Different perspectives I suppose. In the last few months alone, there have been many cases where a person who owned a gun was able to defend not only him/herself, but also others successfully. I do not like it when some people choose to use guns in such a horrible way and hurt others, but I am glad that I have a choice of how I can defend myself against them.
July 14, 2011…headed to Wally World on Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy to see if I can find some Winchester White Box JHP…I’ll be happy if theres any ammo period but I like practicing with hollow points and you can’t beat the price of WBs.
I’ll comment again when I get the verdict!
Im trying to buy 44 special ammo for target shooting but all you have is magnums 240 gr. Mags are for hunting.Can you please stock the cheaper specials ,you would sell a lot more ammo just for target shooting.
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That is interesting since we called them directly this morning and talked with someone in person. That person confirmed that no more ammunition would be going to the stores at this point in time, until Mr. Obama decided what was going to happen with the Second Amendment rights issues. Time will tell on who is truthful from their company.
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