Five years ago, I wrote letters to Kroger headquarters, asking them to ban open-carry of guns in their stores.

"I immediately abandon my cart and leave the store when someone walks in with a gun," I wrote. "It's terrifying. Your customers and employees are not safe when you allow people to carry guns in your stores." The store manager said he and employees agreed.

Last week, Kroger, the country’s largest supermarket chain, announced that it would ask customers to stop openly carrying guns in its stores. Its announcement came on the heels of a similar decision by Walmart after a deadly mass shooting at one of its stores in El Paso on Aug. 3.

The two major store chains opened a floodgate, and in the days since, Walgreens, CVS, Wegmans, Aldi, Meijer and Publix and others have said they will ask customers not to openly carry guns. The change signals a seismic shift in corporate willingness to engage in the gun debate.

While this pivot comes after a spate of mass shootings, the foundation was laid by activists across the country who’ve spent years applying pressure to stores.

Behind the scenes, an army of women has been boycotting shops and signing petitions. The message was loud and clear: They want safety while shopping with their families.

“Five years ago, none of these companies were willing to move on this issue,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “It has been the unglamorous heavy lifting of women who have said to them that they won’t shop at their stores until they change their policy.”

[huffpost.com]