Walmart will no longer be selling Confederate flags or other associated merchandise, the company announced in a statement on Monday.
The decision comes in the midst of controversy surrounding the Civil War symbol in regard to the recent Charleston church shootings in which suspect Dylann Roof was identified in part due to his
Confederate Flag license plate, according to Gawker.
"We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer," Brian Nick, a
Walmart spokesman, said in a statement, according to ABC News. “We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the Confederate flag from our assortment — whether in our stores or on our website."
Nick explained that the store has "a process in place to help lead us to the right decisions when it comes to the merchandise we sell . . . Still, at times, items make their way into our assortment improperly — this is one of those instances."
On its website, the Confederate flags, women’s Confederate belt buckle decal, Confederate license plates, and “redneck firefighter” T-shirts are listed as “out of stock," according to ABC News.
Walmart made its announcement to pull all products that allude to the Confederacy on the same day that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley encouraged the removal of the flag from outside the statehouse in South Carolina.
“Today we are here in a moment of unity in our state without ill will to say it is time to remove the flag from our capitol grounds," Haley said.
Other politicians including South Carolina senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott also
urged the flag’s removal, CNN reported.
Amazon, Sears, and eBay have also announced that they are removing Confederate flag products from their stocks as well.
The Confederate flag has "become a contemporary symbol of divisiveness and racism," Johanna Hoff, an eBay spokeswoman, told CNN.
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