Fear & Loading: New Place to Shop

by
posted on April 7, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
gsagi2015_fs.jpg

Last week Fresh Market announced it doesn’t want customers to bring their guns into its stores. Although the grocery store chain admits it has been in discussions with members of the anti-self-defense organization Mom’s Demand Action, the statement claims the decision was not the product of special-interest-group pressure.

I won’t be going back unless the policy changes. There’s a Harris Teeter down the street from the Southern Pines, N.C., location I frequent, so it’ll get my business unless that company also sides with the bunch of coupon-clipping granola-munchers with weekly political action committee meetings at the unemployment office.

Rather than taking my money elsewhere without notice, though, I dropped a note to corporate customer service. I suggest you do the same here. Keep it polite, businesslike enough to share with staff and brief.  

I went one step further. I’ve sent a note to Harris Teeter letting it know I’m shopping there because their policy so far reflects a genuine concern for its patrons and safety—and that’s the most basic principal of customer service, something its nearby competitor recklessly abandoned.   

The response from Harris Teeter’s customer service was better than I expected. “Good Morning Guy, thank you for your e-mail and support. Harris Teeter has and will continue to adhere to the firearms and concealed handgun laws as outlined by states in which we do business. We believe this issue is best handled by our lawmakers, not retailers.” 

If that doesn’t make you nod with an approving smile, check your pulse.

 

Latest

More Suppressors 2
More Suppressors 2

NFA Wait Times Continue to Drop

In early 2021, it took the ATF about 280 days to process a Form 4 NFA transfer. In August 2026, using the recently implemented eForms system, that wait time had dropped to only nine days.

Pelican Air Carry-on Case Review

An industry staple just made air travel more convenient.

The ROSE Program by SIG Sauer: Empowering Women in Shooting Sports Across the Nation

The ROSE Program is a shooting program created specifically for women. It aims to create a community of women in shooting that can learn about shooting and self-defense.

I Have This Old Gun: French MAS-49

Despite being early adopters of several semi-automatic rifles for military use, the French army took several decades to work out a standardized semi-automatic rifle for general service use. The rifle that finally came to being was the MAS-49.

Polite Society Industries Launches with Complete Suppressor Line

"An armed society is a polite society," goes the famous quote, which is also the inspiration behind Polite Society Industries, a new suppressor manufacturer that now has a complete line available to consumers.

NRA-ILA Names Smith & Wesson Official Partner of the 2026 NRA Gun Bus Battleground Tour

Iconic American firearms maker Smith & Wesson will join NRA-ILA on the road as nation's leading firearm group turns out voters ahead of the 2026 midterm.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.