More retailers get tough on in-store gun policy

More retailers want their customers to leave their guns at home.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., CVS Health Corp. and Wegman Food Markets will start requesting that their customers not openly carry guns into their stores in states where open carry is legal. The three retailers announced the change in the wake of Walmart’s decision to change some of its gun policies, including asking shoppers not to openly carry weapons in its store. Kroger followed suit.

“We support the efforts of other individuals and groups working to prevent gun violence, and continually review our policies and procedures to ensure our stores remain a safe environment,” CVS said in a statement on its Twitter account. “We join a growing chorus of businesses in requesting that our customers, other than authorized law enforcement personnel, do not bring firearms into our stores.”

Walgreens’ statement was similar. The retailer is requesting that its customers “no longer openly carry firearms into our stores other than authorized law enforcement officials."

Wegmans on Twitter stated that “The sight of someone with a gun can be alarming, and we don’t want anyone to feel that way at Wegmans.”

Some retailers, including Starbucks, Target, Costco and Panera Bread, have had policies in place regarding in-store firearms for several years.

In 2016, Trader Joe’s stated: “We want to make clear we do not welcome weapons of any kind in our stores. We respectfully request that customers not bring firearms into our stores.”

Texas-based grocer H-E-B has always been no open carry on its premises, even before a 2015 state law that allowed open carry, the company said in an email to USA Today.
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