Rifles, ammunition, and ‘anything associated with hunting’ will vacate shelves at Dick’s Sporting Goods stores across the country this year.
On an earnings call Tuesday, Dick’s Sporting Goods executives confirmed the retailer will stop selling firearms at 125 stores in 2019. The move follows a smaller initiative Dick’s took last year when it halted gun sales at 10 stores.
The decision accompanied the report of a lackluster fourth quarter in which Dick’s net sales fell 6.5 percent. And its stock value responded with an 11 percent drop, Yahoo Finance reported. According to Dick’s CEO Ed Stack, removing gun sales bolstered the brand’s sales last year. And Tuesday’s announcement aims to build on that trend.
“If it goes as well as expected, we would probably take another batch of stores next year,” Stack said.
Dick’s Halts Gun Sales
The news also comes on the heels of the one-year anniversary of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. It shook both the nation and retailers like Dick’s, which began its rollback of gun sales by banning assault-style rifles and instituting age restrictions for firearms in the wake of the tragedy.
The brand told reporters it would replace hunting goods with outdoor equipment, and athletic footwear and apparel, based on regional needs and performance. Dick’s will not stop selling kayaks or gear for other outdoor activities. But the shift will impact products in the hunting category, including rifles, ammunition, and “accessories associated with firearms.”
