MOORHEAD — When Walmart announced this week that it will no longer sell ammunition for handguns and short-barreled rifles, it didn't come as a surprise to everyone.
Greg Serdar, a management professor at Minnesota State University Moorhead said with public cries for gun control in recent weeks following two mass shootings at its stores, Walmart had to act.
According to company figures, Walmart sells 20% of ammunition in the U.S. The company estimates that it will drop to 6% after the change.
Serdar said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon is cautiously sending a message to Congress.
"He's not trying to alienate the gun control customers; he's not trying to alienate the second amendment supporters. He's taking the middle road and calling for common-sense gun control or common-sense gun measures."
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Once its current inventory is gone, Walmart will no longer sell ammunition for handguns. The retail giant will also discontinue the sales of certain types of ammunition for hunting rifles that can also be used with military-style weapons.
Serdar does not think the decision will have a drastic impact on overall sales at Walmart.
"The public expects our corporations to do the right thing — the socially responsible thing — and I expect more and more corporations to take the route Walmart is taking."
Some shoppers at Walmart in Grand Forks on Wednesday said the change doesn't matter to them. In 2015, a 21-year-old Airman shot two employees at the store, killing one before shooting himself with a handgun.
"Let them get rid of it," said Cody Rasmussen of Northwood, N.D. "Let the outdoorsy (retailers) like Scheels and those places take care of it. A lot more people are going to buy it there than here anyhow."
"I'm against people who use them in the wrong way, but I am for people to have the power to protect themselves," said Autumn Melander, from Hunter, N.D. "Other people sell it anyway, I don't think it matters."
