Walmart has seen “a little bit” of customer-dissatisfaction after the retailer tightened gun and ammunition policies in response to two fatal shootings over the summer at its stores, according to CEO Doug McMillon.

“We think there needs to be change” in gun laws while also “protecting the rights of gun owners,” McMillon said Tuesday in an interview from CNBC’s Evolve Summit in Los Angeles awith “Squawk Box” co-host Becky Quick.

Back in September, Walmart announced it was discontinuing all sales of handguns as well as ammunition for handguns and ammunition for short-barrel rifles that can be used with military-style weapons. The nation’s largest retailer also asked its customers to stop openly carrying firearms, in the 26 states where “open carry” is legal.

The moves came after a July shooting at a Walmart store in Mississippi, where two people were killed, and another one in August at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where 22 people were killed. Last week, the El Paso Walmart reopened with increased security.

McMillon, who said he grew up around guns and still owns them, believes he can see “all sides of this issue,” though it’s ultimately about safety.

In response, the National Rifle Association said, “Lines at Walmart will soon be replaced by lines at other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms.”

Asked whether there’s been customer blow-back, McMillon told CNBC on Tuesday, “A little bit. But no, not much. I think most people understand that we’re not trying to make a political statement here. We’re just trying to help create a safer environment.”

On Monday, another deadly shooting happened outside of an Oklahoma Walmart. Authorities said a gunman killed two people and then himself in what appears to be a domestic dispute.

“It’s tragic, this most recent event. It looks like a personal situation played out in our parking lot,” McMillon said. “But El Paso really thrust us into a situation that we wouldn’t have anticipated.”

Following the summer shootings, Walmart faced backlash over what was perceived as a slow response to change its weapons policies.

McMillon, responding to that criticism, said Tuesday the company “took some time to think through what we needed to do.”

“Our first focus was on caring for the associates that were impacted and the customers’ families that were impacted and all the things related to that,” he added. “It’s a very divisive issue, obviously.”

38 thoughts on “Walmart CEO: We Don’t Regret Stricter Gun and Ammo Policies”
  1. From a non devote of Walmart. An English translation of “a little bit” would be nice, possibly interesting too.

    1. Over 26000 idiotic Gun laws now. How did one work ??? Well the only one that works is this one ( the only thing that works is for one to be armed to take down the violent assailants ) don’t bother explaining it to the brain dead ! Their on a loss of reason paths that any intelligent human is able to define.

  2. I am very dissatisfied with your decision to stop gun and ammo sales. I will shop less at Walmart

  3. We don’t need a “change of gun laws” , what we NEED are the CORRUPT judges to stop coddling criminals, that get caught, and ENFORCE the THOUSANDS of gun laws we already have on the books, as well as “mayors” and “governors” that are setting the criminals free. BTW CRIMINALS don’t obey “gun laws”, so what the hell good will it do to ADD more useless laws that criminals don’t obey anyhow.

    1. Over 26000 idiotic Gun laws now. How did one work ??? Well the only one that works is this one ( the only thing that works is for one to be armed to take down the violent assailants ) don’t bother explaining it to the brain dead ! Their on a loss of reason paths that any intelligent human is able to define.

    2. I agree with you If people were encouraged more to carry. This might be stopped before they change into open shootings of the public. Why would Walmart not carry handgun amo Their is not any reason not to. Amo doesn’t hurt people. Guns can’t be blamed they do not no right from wrong. People need to be held responsible for their actions . Please get off the gun law ,take away are guns as citizens we have the right to them. Criminals are always going to have them. You cann’t Stop them. Let us have are guns ,so we are able to do what we always did through history. Defend our selfs!!

    3. Amen in today’s paper there was a convicted felon still on parole who was arrested again while out on bail for drug charges and his 3rd felon in possession of a firearm charge.

    4. After over 40 years in police work I agree with every word. It’s discouraging to Rick your life to only have the courts turn them loose.

    5. Please identify the mayors and governors who are “setting” criminals free and exactly how they are doing this.

  4. I think Walmart needs to stay out of politics and sell product I stopped near all my money from going to a liberal retailer just I did Target I’ll find other retailers to shop at STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS WALLY
    THE BALLS IN YOUR COURT WALLYMART DON’T FUMBLE IT

  5. When Walmart CEO says “change gun laws and still protect the rights of gun owners” is not possible and is just an attempt to placate both sides. Were any of the weapons or ammunition for any of the shootings purchased at Walmart? No. So how would this policy change effect any of those situations? The anti-gun folks don’t shop at Walmart anyway. I wonder how much “a little bit” actually is, and by me stop shopping there, it will be a “little bit” more.

  6. They said they are discouraging open carry NOT concealed. Walmart is a general store not necessarily weapon carrying.

    1. So if someone is killed in the store by a knife
      Then are you going to ban the sale of knifes
      Also remove knife from your employee

    2. Open carry is one thing (however misguided), but Walmart has restricted sale of handguns, handgun ammunition, and some rifle ammunition for no reasons other than political. They are free to do so. We are free to take our business elsewhere. Remember when Boards of Directors and CEOs protected shareholder profits? Walmart’s doesn’t!

  7. DON’T BUY FROM WALMART GO OUT OF STATE AND ORDER FROM CATALOG COMPANY’S. BETTER PRICES. GET IT SENT TO YOU. GUNS, AMMO SCOPES AND OTHER STUFF. IF WALMART IS GOING TO MAKE THE COMMIE DEMOCRATS HAPPY THEN LET THEM LOOSE THE BUSINESS.

  8. This may very well be the beginning of the complete Amazon takeover! Their delivery process is already unbelievably fast! Just like so many others, a few complain and the rest has to Cary the burden!

  9. Good bye Wal Mart! I have my thoughts and feelings also. I’ll not be shopping at Wal Mart anymore!

  10. You guys bend over for a problem that doe not even affect your stores. Did you ever stop to think that its the person doing the shooting. Its not a gun problem its a mental problem. You sell knives, bats which kill more people than guns.

  11. Kroger and Walmart are two stores I avoid, I’d rather spend my money at Mom and pops (family) stores where you can get real people who knows what you need.

  12. One less reason to go into WalMart and brouze.. which means less of a chance to purchase other things.

    That has been happening a lot lately.

  13. WALLMART FLOADS THE COUNTRY WITH CHEAPLY MADE COMMUNIST PRODUCTS AS THEY WAVE THE FLAG TO GET A BUCK. THEIR BAN ON GUNS DOES NOT MAKE US SAFER. IT ONLY LIMITS GUN OWNERS WHO WOULD NEVER HARM ANY ONE OR BREAK ANY LAWS. MORE PEOPLE GET KILLED OR INJURED BY KITCHEN KNIVES OR BASE BALL BATS. I AM TRYINNG TO AVOID WALLMART WHEN EVER POSSIBLE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TO DRIVE FARTHER TO BUY THE SAME OVER PRICED PRODUCTS. DON’T SELL GUNS IF YOU DON’T WANT TO, BUT DON’T WAVE THE FLAG TO DO IT. DON’T SAY YOU ARE PROTECTING CHILDREN. HOW MANY ARE KILLED AT PROFIT MAKING ABORTION CLINICS. YOU MAKE MONEY OFF COMMIE PRODUCTS MADE IN SWEAT SHOPS.

  14. Well Doug, I can tell you all the people I inform about your policy of not selling self defense ammo but selling sniper ammo and denying my right to self defense carry on your properties, are like myself no longer shopping at local Wal-Mart stores.

    I have to drive further to get ammo at which point I shop with a local grocery store (Bashas) and have discovered the prices are not that different.

  15. …Walmart can go bankrupt for all I care. I have cut my purchases from them down to almost zero. I may not be able to avoid them all-together, but I can go to other, cheaper grocery stores, I can buy my clothes online, and I can buy a gun or ammo elsewhere. I hope their CEO dies of a very painful stroke. And I hope his New Word Order Masters laugh at his horrendously painful death. I hope the creep hears every bit of their scorn. He is an anti-American traitor.

  16. Listen up, Walmart is hiding, what is the address that we can e mail our thoughts to their Board? We don’t need more B/S Regulations form a corrupt bunch of fools in our Government in Washington D C, we need strict enforcement of existing rules with the elimination of those who have abused our people and the laws of our Nation, Execution for the mentally deranged, as for the do gooders help these people prior to their criminal acts against humanity but after the act, no mercy suden death via a choice of 4 or 5 styles. Other than that get off our backs and allow the 99.99 % of American Citizens to purchase and bear arms as they see fit!

  17. Question-If Walmart did not sell the guns and ammo used in these killings,then how would these actions have prevented the murders?
    Question-why do so mny people get so upset over 1 murder that want to destroy all guns and yet we rarely see a small blurb in a home town news paper or TV News when people are murdered every day in alcohol related car accidents. .According to dc.gov/motorvehiclesafety, every day 29 people are killed in car accidents that involve alcohol impaired drivers.That is one person every 50 minutes day in and day out, 24 hours a day. The annual cost of alcohol related crashes totals $ 44 Billion annually and yet these facts rarely make it past the local news while one gun shot victim is plastered all across the nation. Would it be that there are some in our government and some liberals that want to collect ALL of our guns so they can govern as they please?

    1. This collection of guns is worrisome. PLEASE ALWAYS REMEMBER AND NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED in Kosovo and other Yugoslavian countries wherein the citizens were SLAUGHTERED as they did NOT have the right of ownership of guns or the right to use the same. YES IT COULD HAPPEN HERE. The 2nd amendment is VERY MUCH under attack! And WALLY WORLD IS DOING IT’S BEST TO POLISH IT OFF!

  18. I think Walmart is making a big mistake having thousands of stores around the country not selling ammo.
    People who get shot around Walmarts is not because they sell ammo.
    Remember a licensed person with a gun can save your life no matter where you live.

  19. I think it is a joke for Wal mart to carry out this policy of not selling guns and annunciation. Sounds like they are on the Dems side to restrict US citizens from having firearms. If someone had been armed in either of those stores, they could possibly have stopped some of the ones killed. Just another way to gradually strip us of our rights to bear arms. I don’t like it just like I don’t participate in self checkout. Give me a discount for checking myself out. That is another way to cut employees. They don’t have enough full service registers open to handle the business so they try to force you into the self checkouts. Do not like either of these policies and don’t have to support them either.

  20. you americans worry so much about guns you should worry more about people who are not eligible to run for president including pne who already did it and all the corrupt politicians

    1. Surely your talking about Hillary, and if you are not American then you should not be concerned of our worries

  21. I’M a retired police officer from a large Texas city and we don’t need any more useless gun laws. Just enforce the laws already on the books. Walmart is a typical political CEO that needs to sell products and doesn’t know a whit about criminal element. Walmart sell stuff and let the Law enforcement do our jobs and weany Judges do your job.Mery Christmas

    R.E.

  22. I did not stop shopping at Wal-Mart because they chose to stop selling certain firearms. As a retail store they have a right to determine what they will and won’t sell. They lost my business when the CEO decide used his Wal-Mart corporate position to try to influence politicians to deprive Americans of their constitutional rights. Walmart used to be my main source for clothing, household goods,etc. but he convinced me to never spend another penny there.

  23. This collection of guns is worrisome. PLEASE ALWAYS REMEMBER AND NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED in Kosovo and other Yugoslavian countries wherein the citizens were SLAUGHTERED as they did NOT have the right of ownership of guns or the right to use the same. YES IT COULD HAPPEN HERE. The 2nd amendment is VERY MUCH under attack! And WALLY WORLD IS DOING IT’S BEST TO POLISH IT OFF!

  24. You haven’t changed a bit, still on the Liberal Wagon. We all remember when Hillary sat on your board of directors. You’re leftists and borderline communists sympathizers. I just drive by Walmarts now for almost everything, especially sporting equipment.

  25. This will help independent gun shops a little but there are still a lot of large dealers left so increase on line purchases are most likely result of the Walmart decision.

  26. Just keep running your big mouth, McMillon! What goes around comes around! It may take a while, but Walmart – and McMillon – WILL pay for their trashing of the United States Constitution!

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