Wal-Mart to obscure certain women's magazine covers in checkout lanes

(Fayetteville-AP) -- Wal-Mart will begin obscuring the covers of some women's magazines stocked in checkout lanes. The move comes a month after the company stopped selling some men's magazines

Friday, June 6th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Fayetteville-AP) -- Wal-Mart will begin obscuring the covers of some women's magazines stocked in checkout lanes. The move comes a month after the company stopped selling some men's magazines over their racy content.

Wal-Mart spokesman Tom Williams says the stores will start using blinders that cover up the photos and headlines of Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire and Redbook. The blinders should be in every Wal-Mart store by June.

Williams said the decision was made to accommodate customers who are uncomfortable with the language on the covers.

Last month, the company said it would no longer sell men's magazines like Maxim, which often features scantily dressed women on the cover.

Both moves are supported by the American Family Association, based in Tupelo, Mississippi.

In a news release Thursday, the association said the women's magazines carry "salacious headlines and provocative photos that are inappropriate for checkout lanes."