Walmart removes Cosmopolitan magazine from U.S. checkout aisles
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart says it was a business decision to remove Cosmopolitan magazine from its U.S. checkout aisles, but some groups have raised concerns about the sexual content of the publication marketed to women.
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation says Walmart’s decision makes it a “leader and trailblazer in corporate responsibility.” The group says Cosmo “places women’s value primarily on their ability to sexually satisfy a man and therefore plays into the same culture where men view and treat women as inanimate sex objects.”
A spokeswoman for Walmart Canada says the decision to move the magazines only applies to U.S. stores, and that the company evaluates their selection based on customer response and needs.
Walmart senior director of corporate affairs Meggan Kring says U.S. customers can find Cosmopolitan in the magazine section of its stores.