by If anyone knows the small firearms retailer, it would be Brownells. They have worked with gunsmiths since time immemorial. Jim Shepherd of the Outdoor Wires had an editorial today on the implications of the Walmart decision which is well worth a read.
In the editorial, he quoted Pete Brownell regarding Walmart’s move.
“It’s really a time of opportunity for small retailers,” Pete Brownell of the eponymous Brownells told me yesterday, “the core of our industry, small retailers are going to have an opportunity to get back some of the business lost by a retailer that focuses on squeezing the margins, not selling based on knowledge, experience and affinity.”
“To me,” he says, “it’s actually good news, although it’s never all good news when any company starts to give in to social pressure.”
He’s right on both points. Granted, some consumers will lose the ability to hit a Walmart for a box of rifle shells, diapers, orange juice and sodas. But they’ll now have a valid reason to go back to the stores where the shelves and displays are full of products they actually enjoy.
Brownell is correct. This is an opportunity for the Mom and Pop gun stores. That is, if they play it right. By right, I mean have deals on bulk ammo and reasonable prices on the rest.
Was chatting about this with someone last night and it occurred to me that Walmart may well stand to actually lose in this fight. Think about their customer base. Leftists hate WM. It has no unions, it destroys (according to the narrative) mom and pop stores, and it leads to a desert of capitalist wasteland in every town it enters. I have lefty acquaintances who have made comments like “I had to shop at WM and felt a little dirty when I left”. The internet is full of videos and articles making fun of WM.
So who does WM gain consumer-wise from this move? People like me take our business elsewhere. Lefties aren’t suddenly going to start shopping at WM because there are fewer types of ammunition available. I suspect that this might be a case of a silent boycott, not some ridiculously publicized temporary “we hate WM” campaign, slowly chipping away at their bottom line as people adjust to going elsewhere, not just for ammunition but for deodorant and paper towels. I know that I will be picking up many of those things at my local big chain grocery store (Fred Meyer FWIW) and won’t go to WM except for the stuff that I really can’t get at FM.
Why not? Costs me little to make the switch.
It also allows Wally World to dump a loss leader. Profit margins on pistol ammo is very small. Note that they did not pull all the ammo, just said they will not refill any orders. Most of their pistol ammo was practice stuff anyway. And I buy mine from my local gun store.
Nicе! Thank you for the review!