Article by Alex Parker in "RedState":
On Tuesday morning, Dick’s made an announcement to the chagrin of surely many a gunman: The chain will be removing hunting departments from 440 more stores across the nation.
The Pittsburgh-based company delivered the news along with its quarterly earnings report.
It’s no surprising development — since the terrible mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Dick’s CEO Ed Stack’s been a vocal advocate of greater gun control in America.
Just after the horrific February 2018 murders, Ed put the kibosh on sales of so-called assault rifles in the store.
Also removed: high-capacity magazines.
Additionally, he jacked up the minimum gun purchasing age to 21.
Gun rights groups weren’t exactly sweet on that, and some threatened a boycott.
Even so, in November, Dick’s reported its best quarter in years.
Furthermore, on Tuesday, it claimed same-store sales had risen by 3.7%.
Following the deletion of more hunting sections from 440 locations, 160 stores will remain hawkers of the gear.
According to Ed, hunting stuff is a low-profit area anyway. In place of the guncentric goods, higher-margin apparel will be added.
Guns are, of course, still big business.
For example, as reported by Business Insider, as of two and a half years ago, there were 110 Starbucks in Baltimore. There were 156 gun dealers.
How ’bout Las Vegas? 159 Starbucks. 158 pistol pushers.
But not everyone’s loaded: In NYC, there were 1,646 Starbucks shops. Gun stores = a wimpy 711.
Still, guns are hot.
Just ask shops in Virginia — purchases have risen by 60% (here).
But they won’t likely be made at Dick’s.
And the sporting goods chain’s decision won’t likely diminish crime, due to the fact that — as you know — most gun deaths are from handguns.
Furthermore, fewer places selling guns means fewer choices for law-abiding citizens who want to protect themselves.
And around we go.
https://www.redstate.com/alexparker/2020/03/10/dicks-sportings-goods-guns-department-440-locations/