West Coast superstore Fred Meyer, a subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., announced in March that it will stop selling guns and ammunition. Based in Portland, OR, the chain said it made the decision after “evaluating customer preferences.” The company has 132 stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. It sells guns at approximately 45 of them.
Following the tragic Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, FL, Fred Meyer said it would stop selling firearms to anyone younger than 21. The company had already stopped selling so-called “assault-style” guns several years ago, except in Alaska.
In a published statement the company said, “Fred Meyer has made a business decision to exit the firearms category. We are currently working on plans to responsibly phase out sales of firearms and ammunition.”
They didn’t give a timeline for the phase-out, and an Associated Press report said the company wasn’t offering interviews. Fred Meyer said the firearms category represents about $7 million annually of its revenue, and sales have been declining.
Though Fred Meyer did not mention the Florida shooting in its statement, it comes on the heels of other major retailers — notably Walmart and L.L. Bean. Both retailers, among others, announced they would stop selling guns to anyone younger than 21.
Additionally, Dick’s Sporting Goods and its affiliate Field & Stream stores recently banned sales of AR-15-type rifles. Dick’s Sporting Goods announced previously that it will no longer sell AR-15-style rifles or high-capacity magazines and will not sell guns to anyone under 21, while Walmart also said it will no longer sell firearms and ammunition to people younger than 21.
Dick’s later reported that it would destroy any remaining stocks of AR 15s and similar semi-automatic rifles, scrapping some parts.
In 2015, Walmart ended sales of semiautomatic firearms such as the AR-15, attributing the decision to lower consumer demand.
