Walmart Consolidating Firearm Service Counter Amid Ammo Removal

(Bloomberg) -- Walmart Inc. is reducing the types of ammunition it offers, but that’s not the only way the company is changing its strategy on guns.

The world’s biggest retailer is eliminating the dedicated service desk it has for sporting-goods sales, and instead will ask customers to wait at a combined counter that also handles paint and automotive supplies, Chief Merchandising Officer Steve Bratspies said at an investor conference Wednesday. The change began as a test in a small number of locations last year and will now occur as stores are remodeled.

“Traditionally, we had the paint counter, we had the sporting goods counter, and in many stores we had the auto-care center desk,” Bratspies said. “We’re moving now toward combining all of those into one desk which is easier for the customer to shop, easier for us to staff.”

The move comes as Walmart phases out sales of ammunition like the .223 caliber that can be used in assault-style weapons. It’s also ceasing handgun sales in Alaska -- the one state where they are still offered -- and requesting that customers not openly carry firearms in its aisles.

Additionally, the consolidation is part of Walmart’s broader efforts to keep a lid on store costs, including labor, which entail other changes like shelf-scanning robots and more self-checkout counters.

Walmart remodels between 350 and 400 stores a year, U.S. Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said in March, and those remodels present an opportunity to test out new layouts. The company has made improvements to its entertainment and produce departments, and is now testing changes in home decor, apparel, seasonal goods and hardware, Bratspies said at the conference.

“We’re looking at the entire store to make it better and make it more convenient for customers,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Matthew Boyle in New York at mboyle20@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Crayton Harrison at tharrison5@bloomberg.net, Jonathan Roeder, Lisa Wolfson

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