Dick’s Sporting Goods gun and ammunition sales have decreased.  For a very good reason.

On February 14^th, 2018, Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people in a school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Edward Stack, the CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods, learned that Cruz once purchased a firearm from Dick’s. Even though the firearm was not used in the attack, Mr. Stack took it upon himself to say it easily could have been. Writer Jena McGregor, a journalist of The Washington Post said, “When Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Edward W. Stack took a stance after the Parkland, Fla. school massacre, most of the attention was on what his retail chain would stop doing: it would no longer sell assault weapons, no longer sell high-capacity magazines and no longer sell guns to customers under age 21.”

One of United States biggest supermarket chains, Walmart, raised their age to purchase firearms and ammunition to the age of 21 as well. According to Tiffany Hsu, writer  for The New York Times, “On Tuesday, Dick’s said that it would strip firearms and other hunting products from 125 of its stores and replace the merchandise with batting cages, ski apparel and other sports gear. If the switch is successful, as it was at 10 stores where it was tested starting in the fall, it will be expanded.’’ Doing this is a positive and lucrative way of promoting business because it’s going to be a gateway for new hobbies people may want to pick up. Te’ Vante Johnson, Honor Roll student of Hampton High School said, “It’s amazing how someone would go great lengths to better the world and protect their companies name. I have a lot of respect for Edward Stack.”

However, The adjusted same-store sales fell 3.1 percent in the 12 months that ended Feb. 2 from the comparable period a year earlier. In the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, which included the holiday shopping season, adjusted same-store sales were down 2.2 percent. Net income for the quarter fell to $102.6 million, or $1.07 a share, from $116 million, or $1.11 a share in the year-earlier period. These numbers simply show how the age increase effected store profits in guns and ammunition.

A lot of positive as well as negative outcomes came from the actions and decisions of Mr. Stark. Dick’s Sporting Goods has found ways to promote business without the sale of firearms. Young adults who are 18 years of age can no longer purchase firearms and ammunition at will. Though not a lot of teenagers hunt, many enjoy shooting for sports like skeet shooting, and participate in Rifle Competitions. John McKenzie, a senior of Lafayette High School said, “I think it is not smart because it is a gateway for profit loss and it doesn’t stop the overall purchase of such firearms because you can have an older sibling, parent, or friend by you a rifle and ammunition.”  We live in a society where if someone shoots someone else, there’s a huge investigation, they find when the gun was purchased, where it was purchased, and why it was purchased.

The glass-breaker in the situation is where the gun was purchased. If Dicks Sporting Goods sold the gun, they would be blamed and shamed for the incident because their name was behind it. If they didn’t say anything about the situation they’d probably get boycotted and their companies name would be ran through the mud. Ultimately they’d lose profits because the actions of one person affect many. Chris Konstantinou, a Senior of Lafayette High School, said, “The actions [of] Edward Stack has no lasting effect and it promotes a misuse in guns, it plays no supporting role to the legislation to provide gun control, lastly the only effect it will have is grey market dealing.”

 Edward Stack wants protects the integrity and name of the well-known company. It’s an overall good way of bringing change. He is trying to change Dicks Sporting Goods into a safe, responsible, and reliable outdoor athletics store.