Retailer MEC to stop ordering from Vista Outdoor in response to Florida shooting
VANCOUVER — By stopping the sale of brands tied to gun manufacturing, the chief executive of Mountain Equipment Co-op says the company can play a role in advancing discussions around gun control.
David Labistour announced Thursday that MEC will stop selling several outdoor equipment brands owned by Vista Outdoor Inc., which is also a gun manufacturer.
MEC doesn’t sell guns, but has faced a petition calling on it to stop selling brands owned by Vista Outdoor because the U.S. company also develops and manufactures firearms similar to the type of weapon used in a recent mass shooting in Florida.
The retailer said its existing inventory of Bushnell, CamelBak, Camp Chef, Jimmy Styks and Bolle gear will remain on its shelves until it is sold, but it has suspended further orders of the brands owned by Vista Outdoor.