Is Walmart Out of the Ammo business?

[Dobe]

I just stopped at a Walmart in Maryland. As I was buying the last of the .223 ammo, another customer came up, and asked if it were true that Walmart would be selling no more ammo after each store sells its current inventory.

A store manager confirmed that this was true.

Just wondering, if any of you have heard the same? It's probably old news by now.

 

[Chui]

Louisiana and Georgia are experiencing shortages, though not just Walmart. In Baton Rouge one has a difficult time finding ammunition. So much so that Jim's Firearms in BTR, LA has ceased selling ammo by the case.

Academy has precious little 5.56, 7.62, 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP as well.

 

[Dobe]

I realize the shortages. I too live in Louisiana as well as a customer of Jim's, but travel for business. I stop at different Walmarts while on my travels, in order to score some ammo.

While I am familiar of the ammo shortages, I had not heard that Walmart would no longer be selling ammo.

 

[bojack2575]

I believe some Wal-Marts not all are going to stop selling ammo. I live in South Carolina and I know of one store that has quite selling ammo altogether. Its too bad because I am sure its only a matter of time before they all quite selling it. Before too long they will be like Target and not even sell fishing rods. Wow has Wal-Mart's sporting goods dept gone down hill.

 

[MYSTERT85]

here in central va the only ammo you can get in wally world is 223, 25 auto, and shotgun shells

 

[Dobe]

I didn't mean for this thread to be another "Oh how scarce the ammo is". I was just wondering, if anyone else has heard that Walmart will no longer be selling ammo.

 

[Walther22lr]

Most likely it depends on the particular store.

If ammo was not selling very well, I can see that particular store dropping ammo in favor of a product that they believe would sell.

Stores do this all the time.

 

[Dobe]

Yep, you're right. This is basic economics, but I don't think that has anything to do with the store I was in. There were several customers, as was I, looking for ammo. There wasn't much left. - a box of .32 auto, and some rifle ammo.

I had the impression that the Walmart I was in could sell as much ammo as they could get.

 

[bojack2575]

I think it has more to do with the politics of the surrounding area as to weather or not they are going to sell or not sell ammo in that store.

 

[Dobe]

I agree. And I wouldn't bring it up now, if a manager had not told me that it was all stores. Perhaps she was wrong. I hope she was wrong.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Question guys....

How could Wal-Mart be so short of ammo but Gander Mountian and Academy Sports have so much? In fact, every gunshop I go to has plenty of ammo, all execept Wal-Mart.

 

[Webleymkv]

How could Wal-Mart be so short of ammo but Gander Mountian and Academy Sports have so much? In fact, every gunshop I go to has plenty of ammo, all execept Wal-Mart.

I don't know about Academy Sports, but Wal-Wart's ammo is often half the price of Gander Mountain's in my area though both are out of certain calibers.

 

[ndking1126]

Not to put down Wal-Mart managers or Wal-Mart as a company, but it wouldn't surprise me if this manager didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about. When I worked retail (not at Wal-Mart), I was constantly amazed at what these managers could come up with on-the-fly to try to cover the fact that they didn't have a clue what was going on.

Having said that, it does appear that some Wal-Mart's have quit selling ammo. That store might be next to quit. I know all of ours are still selling ammo (and selling out very quickly!!). Unfortunately all my friends at the corporate office work on the finance side, not the merchandise side.

 

[Piper Cub]

Not all WalMarts carry guns any more either. It will help the local gun stores if thoes dropped ammo too..
We don't need no stinking WalMart!!!

 

[Dobe]

But we do like their ammo prices.

 

[armedtotheteeth]

Our walmarts here in Abilene Tx have in the recent past had a very good supply of 223 , 45 , 30 carbine, 7.62 x 39, etc etc. Now adays there are many dealers who buy out all of Walmarts ammo, and sell it at gunshows for 100 percent profit. This irritates the hell out of me. I reload most of my own stuff, but i like to buy a box or 2 of ammo every now and then. also, my buds dont all reload. Everytime i see on of Walmarts boxes of shells for "resale" at a gunshow for twice the price it was at Walmart yesterday, I get raving mad and want to drag the dealer across the counter, and out into the back alley for a little "talk"
yeah, I know its a free market, its the "American way" still, those dealers suck, and I hate them. Ill never buy anything from those clowns. I wish other people would stop too. Ammo prices might come back down to reality.

 

[HorseSoldier]

Walmart here in Alaska doesn't seem to be curtailing ammo sales anytime soon, but they (and everybody else) are definitely having problems keeping higher demand calibers in stock on the shelves.

 

[Akgeezer]

I had a conversation with the sporting dept. clerk at our local Wallyworld. I asked why the ammo sheves were so bare. He told me they can't keep anything on the shelves. That as soon as they get anything in, someone comes in and buys in large quantities. The panic is real and, at least here in Ohio, has no signs of subsiding.

 

[44 AMP]

Walmart does this with everything

If they don't maintain a certain volume of sales on an item, they stop carrying it.

Now, some stores might drop an item while another store 15 miles away keeps carrying it. In places where there are two or three stores in fairly close proximity, they might drop something from two of them, even if sales are acceptable (such as guns/ammo) and only sell at one store, due to the expense of licenses and record keeping.

A couple years ago, my local stores dropped plastic model kits, glues, paints, brushes, etc, after have a small selection for years. The reason? Not enough sales. So now, instead of spending $3 for a fine point brush, I have to go to the hobby shop and spend $7!

Went looking for a VCR head cleaner tape the other day. Guess what? Walmart doesn't carry them anymore. But they still sell blank tapes! Grrrr!

Odd how we all love the low prices, but constantly bitch about how they go about keeping prices low!

 

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

In most cases it's due to people snatching it up... It's starting to stabilize here with rifle ammo excluding .223 and 7.62x39... Now if you want pistol ammo thats another story