Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Increase Bullying of Kroger on Firearm Policy

It appears Bloomberg's gun ban groups have not given up on bullying Kroger to change their policy related to open carry of firearms in their stores. Forbes reports that Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety and  Moms Demand Action have joined together to released a video ad targeting Kroger that the groups plan to market online. They've also stood up a "microsite" called Groceries not Guns where supporters of the gun ban groups can enter the total of groceries purchased at Kroger competitors:

A representative of the two groups made it clear they’ll carry on pressuring Kroger until the supermarket chain agrees to ask customers to forgo their guns while grocery shopping. Their expenditure on this campaign is just shy of the $1 million mark to date.

Interestingly enough, of the competitors Moms Demand lists as alternatives to Kroger that I frequent (Costco and Target), I don't recall seeing signs posted regarding firearms in Virginia Costco and Target stores.  Please continue to let Kroger know you appreciate them honoring the firearm laws of the states in which they do business.

Update: It appears Costco does have a policy against firearms - they just don't post it.

Panera Asks Gun Owners to Not Bring Their Guns

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports Panera Bread has asked customers to not bring their guns with them when they eat in the chain:

The restaurant chain is joining Target, Chipotle, Starbucks and a number of other companies that already have asked customers to refrain from bringing firearms into their stores.

But, it should be noted, like Target, Chipotle, and Starbucks, this isn't an out right ban on firearms:

Shaich told CNBC that the company will continue to abide by state and federal firearms laws. He also said that store employees won't be asked to enforce the policy or put up signs about it. 

So, it appears this is another company who wants to appear to be bowing to Shannon Watts and Mike Bloomberg without actually doing so.  Apparently Panera doesn't have the gonads that Kroger possesses.

Bloomberg Spends Six Figures on New Kroger Ad Blitz

It appears that Bloomberg isn't taking no for an answer from Kroger when it comes to allowing customers to carry firearms in stores.  Forbes reports that Bloomberg is spending six figures on a new ad blitz targeting the chain:

Moms Demand Action’s blitz includes a billboard near Kroger’s corporate headquarters in Cincinnati as well as print and digital full page ads and wraps in both the local Ohio press and national titles like USA Today.

The ads come after the group, backed by a $50 million investment by billionaire Bloomberg Bloomberg, failed to convince Kroger to ask shoppers to leave their guns at home with a petition and social media pressure. The campaign can be seen in full here.

Here's one of the ads:

One of the ads in this campaign shows a man without a shirt -- not allowed in Kroger stores -- alongside a woman with a gun. Firearms are permitted inside Kroger stores in states where it's lawful.