Walmart Inc. is pulling Cosmopolitan magazine from its checkout counters, bowing to pressure from an activist group that sees the publication’s racy covers as “sexploitation.”

The world’s largest retailer will now sell the Hearst Corp. publication just in its magazine aisle, spokesman Randy Hargrove said on Tuesday. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation -- a group with roots in fighting pornography -- said it had been working “behind the scenes” with the retailer for months on the decision, which makes Walmart’s checkout aisles “family friendly.”

“While this was primarily a business decision, the concerns raised were heard,” Hargrove said in an email.

Walmart’s move comes amid rising sensitivity to sexism and gender discrimination. Internally, the firm has made gender diversity a bigger priority over the past decade, yet is still facing lawsuits from women who say they were denied opportunities for promotion.

“Cosmo sends the same messages about female sexuality as Playboy,” said Dawn Hawkins, the Washington-based group’s executive director. She portrayed the campaign as a part of the #MeToo movement, which has focused on sexual harassment and discrimination, especially in the workplace.

Cosmopolitan’s removal from the checkouts represents “an incremental but significant step toward creating a culture where women and girls are valued as whole persons, rather than as sexual objects,” Hawkins said.

‘Bible for Fun’

Hearst calls Cosmopolitan a “bible for fun, fearless females” that reaches more than 17 million readers a month. It’s published in more than 80 countries, according to the title’s website.

When asked about Walmart’s move, the media company said that Cosmopolitan is focused on empowerment.

“Cosmopolitan is the most successful global media brand for young women, with award-winning content produced by leading female journalists,” Hearst said. “We are proud of all that the brand has achieved for women around the world in the areas of equality, health, relationships, career, politics and social issues.”

(Updates with Hearst comments in two final paragraphs.)

--With assistance from Gerry Smith

To contact the reporter on this story: Matthew Boyle in New York at mboyle20@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Crayton Harrison at tharrison5@bloomberg.net, Nick Turner, Lisa Wolfson

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