• by Thom Forbes , Featured Columnist @tforbes, Yesterday
• https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/333127/dicks-sporting-goods-pulling-hunting-rifles-from.html

While announcing a dip in sales for the fourth quarter of 2018, Dick’s Sporting Goods yesterday revealed it will remove all rifles and hunting supplies from 125 more of its 729 stores in the U.S. — where they don’t sell so well anyway. The retailer will utilize the freed-up space for features such as batting cages and “more in-demand merchandise.”

“CEO Edward Stack said the move comes after the sporting goods retailer replaced hunting merchandise in 10 of its stores in last year’s third quarter. Those stores posted strong sales and profit margin numbers in the fourth quarter, he said,” the Associated Press reports.

The hunting gear will be replaced with “merchandise categories that can drive growth, each based on the needs of that particular market,” Stack said in a conference call with analysts that has been transcribed by