Aldi announced on Twitter last night that they are asking that customers do not openly carry firearms in their stores. This statement comes after a wave of other companies —including Walmart, Kroger and Walgreens — revamped their gun policies.

In their statement, the German grocer famous for their store-brand products said they "are asking that our customers refrain from openly displaying firearms in any of our stores, except for authorized law enforcement personnel."

There's an Aldi in both Staunton and Waynesboro.

Aldi and other stores are able to make this request because they are private businesses. The Second Amendment prevents the government, not private entities, from making laws that infringe on the right to bear arms.

See the list:Which stores besides Walmart, Kroger want you to leave guns at home

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The new wave of store gun policies began last week, after Walmart announced that they would discontinue sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition, handgun ammunition and handguns. Walmart also requested that "customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores or Sam’s Clubs in states where 'open carry' is permitted."

Walmart's decision came after a summer of deadly shootings in their stores, including the El Paso shooting that left 22 dead.

Many companies who have made similar policy changes say they did so to make customers feel safer and more comfortable.

"This is something we've talked about for some time – it's something our customers told us would make them feel safer if we did it," Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen told our USA TODAY Network. "We're really just listening to our customers."

While some customers and advocates are praising the stores for their decisions, others are calling for boycotts and claim that they now feel less safe.

From our readers:Readers react to new gun policies at Kroger, Walgreens, CVS and more

Share any questions, comments or story ideas with Leanna Smith at lsmith@newsleader.com. Connect with her on Twitter @LeannaCSmith.

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