Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) cancelled all of its firearms-related deals amid the current debate on gun control following the shooting incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which killed 20 children and six adults.
According to an e-mail statement from Julie Mossler, spokesperson for Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN), the company suspended the category on its site while reviewing recent feedback from consumers and merchants.
Mossler wrote, “All scheduled and current gun-related deals featured on Groupon North America, including shooting ranges, conceal-and-carry and clay shooting, have been placed on hiatus while we review internal standards that shape the deal inventory we feature. The category is under review following recent consumer and merchant feedback.”
The spokesperson did not provide further details regarding the reasons behind the cancellation of the deals.
A report from Aol cited that a gun shop owner in Texas encouraged everyone to boycott Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) after the company cancelled his promo for concealed-handgun training course on Tuesday. The owner said the deal was supposed to expire on Saturday night or before its purchase limit of 600 people.
Michael Cargill, owner of Austin’s Central Texas Gun Works said, “I’m asking everyone in the Second Amendment Community to boycott Groupon because the message they’re sending is; Look, we do not want to support law-abiding citizens taking the time out of their schedule to learn the safety surrounding firearms.” The concealed hand gun training covers topics regarding the requirements in obtaining a concealed-carry permit in Texas, live-fire training, non-violent conflict resolution, and safety training.
According to Cargill, he received more than a hundred e-mail from people supporting the boycott. He added that he will honor all purchases prior to the cancellation of his deal on Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN), and people can still take the training at a discounted rate until further notice.
Gun related deals are popular on Groupon’s website. A thousand people bought a deal for shooting range package in Atlanta with a 58% discount last year.
Last month, Cerberus Capital Management, decided to sell its investments in Freedom Group after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Cerberus made the decision following an announcement from the California State Teachers Retirement System (CALSTRS) that is reviewing its gun-related investments managed by the private equity firm.
