In the wake of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting that
claimed 17 lives, retailers such as DICK’S Sporting Goods, Walmart, Fred Meyer, L.L.Bean, REI and Mountain Equipment
Co-Op have all taken actions to restrict firearm sales — by stopping
sales of assault rifles and/or raising the age for gun purchases to 21.
But any time retailers express opinions on a political or
social issue — particularly one as red-hot as gun rights — they always risk
some kind of blowback, even if it’s only from a small percentage of customers.
The RTP team
discusses how retailers can best manage the risks if they decide to take a
stand on gun restrictions, and whether the cultural and political conversation has
moved in ways that will change the landscape for more companies to take action.
Debbie Hauss,
Editor-in-Chief: I am proud of the companies that are stepping up to do
what they can to help protect innocent people from being murdered with assault
weapons. I do, however, wish they had considered making these decisions
sooner. We seem to have become numb to the fact that mass murder is simply
part of our existence; and short-term protests don’t influence our government
to take action. Then, except for the families, friends and communities directly
impacted, it’s forgotten about until the next time. But maybe this time is
different? The students who have so proficiently stepped up to take a stand
have created a groundswell of support and possibly have motivated some retail
companies to try to do something that will put up a barrier to future
massacres. And while the retailers may lose support from some, they may be
pleasantly surprised at the positive business impact this could have. In
one recent report, data gathered by Reveal
Mobile from all 700-plus DICK’S Sporting
Goods stores showed that the retailer saw a 3.7% increase in
foot traffic nationally the weekend after announcing its decision,
compared to the weekend before.
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Adam Blair, Executive
Editor: Over the years, I’ve found that pessimism and cynicism are the
safest attitudes to take when it looks like there will FINALLY be some
meaningful action taken on gun violence. But these days, against my better
judgment, I am entertaining a few wisps of hope. One reason is that the recent
actions by major retailers (DICK’S, REI, Walmart, Kroger)
are by their very nature highly public. On this issue at least, it seems the
time for hiding behind an apolitical “We’re just following the laws that are on
the books” stance will no longer cut it. I’m heartened, too, that there are
less visible pressures being applied — that some retailers are using financial
leverage on suppliers to identify their connections to the firearms industry,
as reported in the New York Times. Some non-weapons brands say it’s
unfair to tie them to firearms manufacturers, but if more brands are required
to come out in the open, maybe fewer kids will need to hide in closets when an
attacker menaces their school.
Marie Griffin, Managing Editor: There has been a shift in the U.S.
zeitgeist — the spirit of the time — that goes beyond the issue of gun
violence. It is equally well exhibited in the Time’s Up movement. Look at how
many people have been gunned down in mass shootings and imagine how many people
have been sexually harassed over the years. Yet, seemingly suddenly, there is
wide public outcry, activism and a demand that government and corporate America
step up to do something. Even companies such as REI are demanding action from
their vendors. You don’t know when an issue that might seem to be tangential to
your business will put your company in the eye of such a storm. So now is the
time to put together a team of top-level executives that is prepared to quickly
respond and put a course of action in motion if and when this happens.
Klaudia Tirico, Features Editor: In cases like this, I applaud
companies that risk losing sales and customers to stand up for what they
believe in. While I think what companies like DICK’S Sporting Goods, REI,
Walmart, United Airlines and Delta Airlines are doing to cut ties with the NRA
and raise the gun-purchasing age to 21 is absolutely amazing, I want to
emphasize that companies don’t need to go to these extreme measures to show
their support. And those that have no connections to the NRA or gun sales can
also do their part. For example, I love what Lyft is doing to support the students who are attending the March
for Our Lives protest on March 24. The company announced last week that it will provide free rides to
March for Our Lives rallies across the country as an act of solidarity. Even
little things like this are heartwarming and deserving of praise.
Glenn
Taylor, Senior Editor: The
supplier suspensions from REI and Mountain Equipment Co-Op mean more to me at
this point than the actual gun restrictions, since these seem like great drivers
to get a larger business to rethink what it sells. I hope to see more companies
continue in their footsteps, because that will directly impact the sales of firearm-related
products down the line. Attacking the bottom line of these suppliers, and most
other businesses in general, is the one strategy that can get people to
significantly change their ways. Given that firearms are only a miniscule
percentage of any of the participating retailers’ overall revenue, I don’t
think the number of people that might be angry about the changes will hamper
sales to a great extent anyway.
