Wal-Mart To Stop Selling Confederate Flag And Related Merchandise

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the largest U.S. retailer, said it will stop selling Confederate flags, as well as T-shirts and belt buckles and other merchandise related to that flag in stores and online, said Brian Nick, a company spokesman. "We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer," he told MarketWatch. "We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the Confederate flag from our assortment -- whether in our stores or on our website. We have 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." Nick said many of the items were sold by third-party vendors and added that they were either removed or in the process of being removed. Sears Holdings Corp. also said it would end Confederate flag sales. Amazon.com Inc. , which also lists Confederate flag related merchandise for sale, didn't immediately respond to a request for information on the company's intentions. The shooting deaths of nine African Americans during a prayer meeting in Charleston, S.C., prompted a re-examination of the symbolic flag and led to a Monday call from that state's Republican governor for the removal of the Confederate flag from the state capitol building.