Fred Meyer Becomes First Major Chain To Stop Selling Guns After Parkland Massacre

Fred Meyer, a superstore chain based in Portland, Oregon, will no longer sell guns and ammunition at its 132 locations.

“Fred Meyer has made a business decision to exit the firearms category,” the company said in a statement on Monday. “The company is currently working on plans to responsibly phase out sales of firearms and ammunition.”

Fred Meyer, which has stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska, said it decided to drop guns and ammunition “after evaluating changing customer preferences and the fact that there have already been efforts to steadily reduce this category in Fred Meyer stores over the last several years due to softening consumer demand.”

Kroger, the supermarket giant that owns Fred Meyer, announced this month that Fred Meyer stores would no longer sell firearms and ammunition to buyers under age 21. The company linked the decision to the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The stores stopped selling assault-style rifles in Oregon, Washington and Idaho several years ago.

Fred Meyer’s statement did not mention the Parkland massacre.

“More recently Fred Meyer has been transitioning away from gun departments as a result of the ongoing work to optimize space in Fred Meyer stores,” the company said. “The firearms category represents about $7 million annually of Fred Meyer’s revenue and sales continue to decline.”

Several major retailers, including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart , have announced tighter gun policies in the wake of the Parkland shooting.