Gun-control advocates agree that changing the country’s cultural view of guns is an important, and often overlooked, factor in curbing gun violence. Legal changes alone, like expanded background checks, won’t stop gun-related suicides or accidents.

“You have to change social norms,” said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “There’s not enough focus on this big picture. It doesn’t tend to drive enough of the conversation historically.”

Corporate America, particularly the retail sector, has a lot of sway in terms of social norms. And their actions have the distinct advantage of being removed, at least a little bit, from the polarized political debate on gun control.

Think about designated smoking areas or dress codes at restaurants. It’s a lot easier for a manager of a Starbucks to tell a latte drinker that it’s not cool to bring his gun in with him than it is for Congress or state Legislatures to outlaw them at all coffee shops.