The National Centre on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) said they had been in "collaborative dialogue" with Walmart for months.
In a statement, Walmart said the change was "primarily a business decision" but "concerns raised were heard".
They said that while it would be removed from checkouts, Cosmopolitan would still be available to purchase in designated magazine sections in store.
Cosmopolitan, which has a print and online reach of tens of millions, has yet to comment publicly on the decision.
Founded originally in the late 19th Century, the magazine underwent a feminist renaissance in the 1960s when it became known for pushing the envelope for sexual content, fashion and entertainment gossip.
That reputation has continued today, with dozens of international editions, which Cosmopolitan says cater for the "fun, fearless female".
Walmart's decision - celebrated by NCOSE as a #MeToo development - raises more questions than answers about where lines are drawn.
Promo girls have been the axed from some sporting events in the UK for similar reasons.
Hayley Halverson, Vice-President of Advocacy and Outreach for NCOSE, the magazine sends the same messages about female sexuality as publications such as Playboy.
"It's filled with articles that are extremely sexually graphic, encouraging its young readership to engage in everything from sexting, to watching pornography. It's also promoting things such as group acts and other forms of risky sex," she says.
Ms Halverson believes the magazine targets a "young female demographic" with its bright covers and cover stars, such as former Disney actors.
Her organisation, formerly known as Morality in Media, has already successfully lobbied US hotel chains including Hyatt to stop providing adult films to guests.
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Supporters of the NCOSE applauded Walmart's decision on social media, while others questioned its logic.
"The magazine has a lot of hyper-sexualised images of women, something that has unfortunately become ubiquitous in our society," Ms Halverson says.
"We think they're really contributing to a culture that is normalising male sexual entitlement which gives rise to things like the #MeToo problem."
'You can't conflate sex with sexism'
Both Kirsten King, who has written for Cosmopolitan on women's issues, and freelance feminist writer Suzannah Weiss disagree with the characterisation of the move as part of the #MeToo conversation.
As if the language of feminism and #MeToo was being co-opted in this particular argument.
"You can't conflate sex with sexism and say everything related to sexuality is morally wrong," she said.
"I sort of agree with them that Cosmopolitan can be problematic.
"But I don't know if they're the worst offender. They have some valid points but I don't really buy that it's corrupting people in the way they're saying."
Kirsten King describes folding Walmart's decision in with #MeToo as "a stretch". She said that she believed the move was unfair because it created "another double standard for women" as magazines such as Men's Fitness weren't getting the same treatment.
"When women talk about sex, people tend to get incredibly uncomfortable. I don't think it's Selena Gomez in a crop top that is making people uncomfortable here," she says.
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