The Charleston Wal-Mart occasionally bans editions of magazines with “sexually themed” covers from its stores, under orders from Wal-Mart headquarters.

However, certain magazines are not banned as a whole, assistant Manager Jeff Junkins said Wednesday.

While Wal-Mart only bans magazines with a “sexually themed” cover, Junkins says magazines such as Glamour and Cosmopolitan, which have a sexual tone to some of their articles, are not banned as a whole.

“We got that out there,” he said about a February issue of Cosmopolitan being available.

“We are promoted as a family oriented store and every once in awhile we’ll have a magazine that will have a sexual theme and have deemed unfit,” Junkins said.

Junkins could not identify any specific editions of magazines that have been banned from Wal-Mart, and he said while the policy does exist, it is not enforced often.

Charleston’s Wal-Mart does not decide what magazines are banned, he said.

“We don’t do that on a store level,” Junkins noted.

But individual Wal-Mart stores are directed by Wal-Mart’s home office in Bentonville, Ark., as to what issues need to be banned.

The home office could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Junkins said he personally has not heard of any complaints about the banning policy.

Charleston Chamber of Commerce President Greg Staton said he was not in a position to comment on Wal-Mart’s practices.

“It’s a small issue but I should say no comment and we’re not in a position to take or limit the use of their business practices,” he said. “That should be left up to them.”

Charleston Chamber of Commerce executive director Cindy Titus would not comment on the issue either.

“I can’t and will not comment on this,” she said.