More and more supermarkets in the US forbid their customers from being open-minded. Now, the drugstore and pharmacy chain Walgreens also declared a strict ban in their nationwide about 9500 shops. Excluded from the scheme are police officers. Walmart had previously announced this step for more than 4,000 shops, and on Wednesday also the supermarket chain Kroger, which operates around 3,000 stores in the USA.
The open carrying of weapons is allowed in the US in many states. Walmart had stated that there had been more incidents in recent times, in which employees or customers were scared. In some cases, branches had to be evacuated as a precautionary measure and the police notified. "These incidents are worrying and we would like to avoid them," Walmart said. Misunderstandings could easily lead to "tragic results", it said. The concealed carrying of weapons in the shops, however, remains allowed.
Kroger also joined Walmart's demands on politics for stricter gun laws in the country. It would require stricter reviews of customers prior to arms purchases, a company vice president, Jessica Adelman, told CNBC.
Walmart also wants to restrict the ammunition sale. The gun lobby had criticized the announcement. "It's shameful to see Walmart bow to pressure from anti-weapon elites," said the National Rifle Association (NRA). Customers would turn to other traders "who more support American fundamental rights." The NRA is considered one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the USA.