Could Dick’s Sporting Goods stop selling guns?
They considered it in 2018. Could we see it happen this time around?
When the Parkland shooting happened in 2018, Dick’s Sporting Goods considered stopping all gun sales after being shocked at the shooting that killed 17 people.
Just recently, while America is debating on gun control, they quietly started testing the waters again on whether to pull out completely from the cease of hunting items, including firearms. An announcement with the results of the test is expected on Thursday.
Two weeks after the Parkland shooting on February 14, 2018, Dick’s decided to stop selling assault-style rifles that are frequently used in mass shootings, as well as high-capacity magazines. It also raised the age for the sale of any firearm from 18 to 21 years old.
Last fall, Dick’s stopped selling all hunting gear (including guns) in 10 of its stores. The experiment was a success and the stores actually outperformed the balance of the chain.
Earlier this year, the company pulled the hunting business out of another 125 stores, leaving sales in about 600 stores. The company said it would study the impact on overall store sales at those 125 stores and have a completed review by August. The company decided not to comment on the status of that review, but will have an announcement on Thursday.
What do you think? Should Dick’s take the hunting items out of all of their stores nationwide?