Walmart is crime ridden…or at least the ones here in Houston are. They are percived as dangerous and filthy by most people (I know and for good reason). Yeah, you can save money, but its risky.
Smaller grocery stores can compete with Walmart and take their customers away by making them feel safe…allowing open carry both in the parking lot and inside the store.
This could be one of the best ways for these smaller chains to compete.
Except many cities don’t allow open-carry in commercial zones (unless you’re a security guard).
“Except many cities don’t allow open-carry in commercial zones (unless you’re a security guard).”
So, even though its private property, they cannot allow open carry?
There are usually some people in there who look silly, but I’ve never been to a wal-mart that I thought was dangerous.
And I’m surprised guns aren’t allowed in walmart in Houston. Don’t they have drive-thru shooting ranges or something?
limitgov: “So, even though its private property, they cannot allow open carry?”
Private property status is irrelevant to the state. Zoning laws, no-guns-within-300-yards-of-a-school laws, etc. pretty much make the fact that it’s your property irrelevant.
why limit it to open carry. what does keep and bear mean???
i expect as large as walmrt is that if a store was appeaarign unsafe to many they would increase security of their own and police patrol would increase as well .
small gracers are oftetn in unsafe places.
my dad had a moped stolen from a church and the camera-watched state govt buildign he worked in had his bike stolen under teh security guards watchful eye. i doubt walmart is really crime ridden any more than any other retailer and they are probably better equipped than many small places in combatting the alleged crime you speak about.
I personally don’t know of a Wal Mart that is unsafe, or disproportionatly unsafe to the environment it is in. Though I come from a different part of the country
If they were that unsafe they would probably be out of business due to customers prefering safer options in life. Smaller grocery stores could compete with Wal Mart anyway if Wal Mart was seen a a significantly undesirable environment. It could even be argued that, regardless if it is good for crime prevention or not, advertising open carry could be bad for business
Allowing fire arms (or anything for that matter) into a store can only be calculated as advantageous or disadvantageous by each individual business owner. There is no way of telling what is or is not good for business if you are not managing the business of that specific market.
Walmart already allows open carry…
"Private property status is irrelevant to the state. Zoning laws, no-guns-within-300-yards-of-a-school laws, etc. pretty much make the fact that it’s your property irrelevant. "
that’s unbelievable…and very unfortunate that the state will violate a business owner’s property rights… if they want to allow open carry on their land, so be it…
can you imagine trying to rob a store where 85% of the customers walking around are armed? And all the employees are armed?
You’d have to be one stupid person…it’s sort of be like trying to rob a gun shop…