Just a few weeks ago, I ventured to Walmart for a $19.99 oil change. They say that "you get what you pay for" and in this case, it was true. While standing in a line for about 20 minutes, I noticed another patron casually leaning up against the counter with a handgun casually dangling from his hip, holstered, but still dangling. I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture, without any attempt to conceal myself. This gun-toting patron continued to lean against the counter casually and didn't seem to notice. I immediately posted the photo to Facebook (FB) with the caption that I could have easily stolen his gun, just as I stole his image on my phone. My Facebook account blew up for the next 24 hours with a rabid debate on gun rights. As a gun owner, I felt conflicted about the situation. I know numerous people that conceal and carry, with a permit, but I rarely see anyone brazenly walk around in public with their weapon hanging from their hip. It's as if this guy was asking for someone to confront him, or worse, pick a fight. (I've deleted the photo to protect this man's identity and my own sanity.)
Just a few days later, my friend that lives two hours away posted a similar photo of a man open carrying in Chipotle. I casually watched the debate rage on his social media page.
In a roundabout way, this leads me to my next thought, which is this... Who actually wants to venture into public this year for Black Friday shopping?
Not me and I may not be alone.
Increasingly, shoppers appear to be turning to online retailers as well.
As a fundamental investor, I've never really favored a name like Amazon.com (AMZN), but it's easy to come to the conclusion that this online retailer will continue to grow. Even Walmart (WMT) recently purchased Jet.com for $3.3 billion in an attempt to boost their online presence.
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