‘We have to help solve the problem’: major US sporting goods store Dick’s hires gun control lobbyists to lean on Congress
After the Parkland, Florida school shooting in February, Dick’s announced it would stop selling assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines; it also increased the firearms purchase age to 21
Dick’s Sporting Goods – which dropped assault-style rifles from its stores across the US following the Parkland, Florida high school shooting – is taking a step further to advocate for gun control, part of a rapid transition for the retailer.
The company, which is a major vendor of firearms in the US, has retained Glover Park Group to lobby congress on the matter, according to a disclosure form filed in late April. The move is unusual for a firm in the retail sector, where few brands tackle such a politically-charged issue for fear it will turn off customers.
Dick’s CEO Edward Stack said at the time that while the company supports second-amendment rights, “we have to help solve the problem that’s in front of us. Gun violence is an epidemic that’s taking the lives of too many people, including the brightest hope for the future of America – our kids.”
Dick’s announced it would stop selling assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in February. It also increased the firearms purchase age to 21.
The company is the biggest sporting goods retailer in the US, and was one of many brands to eschew the gun industry following the shooting. Walmart Inc., Kroger Co., L.L. Bean Inc., and Orvis Co. all made changes to their firearms offerings.