Bass Pro's Curious New Ammo Sales Policy

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daniel craig said:
Simple capitalism they make more money if you buy a gun from them then if you buy ammo...
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That isn't true. The markup/percentage/profit margin on firearms is actually quite low. It's much higher on ammo. (It's much, much higher on a lot of simple, trinket type stuff that is relatively low cost.)

When I worked at a big box sporting goods store, I saw the prices we paid our distributor (RSR) and I saw the sell prices. I don't think I ever saw more than a $50 markup on anything. That's $50 on a $700 rifle. Less than 10%. Meanwhile, the golf shop was selling little 50¢ clips for golf bags for $3. A 600% markup, and they were flying out the door.



daniel craig said:
They probably also make a decent amount of money sending you ads and rewards points because they know you’ll come back If you have points or a coupon or something.
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That's probably true.
 
D.B. Cooper said:
It is; I've seen it myself. My local BPS, Cabela's, and Sportsman's Warehouse are all doing it, as well as some of the LGS.
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Well then, I guess these scalping jagaloons really screwed us over big time. Not my LGS but the next closest one has been doing the one box per day thing, which I get. Makes it a less worthwhile endeavor for scalpers, deterring them, but then shooters who are looking for range time/security are still able to get it. But reserving ammo only for those buying guns? Outrageous. If everybody did this, the vast majority of us will not be shooting, or worse not having any ammo at all....
 
What's curious to me, is that it seems there are a good number of folks here that either seem indifferent or in some cases resentful of people searching high and low trying to find ammo and buying it when they can.... I've got to be missing something here. We aren't all looking to resell it, just looking to continue pursuing our thing.
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Well, speaking only for myself, I'm not at all indifferent or resentful of people who need ammo and can't find it and are doing their best to come up with some so they can continue their normal activities.

I do get a little irritated when I see someone (this was on another forum) say that they just bought some ammo because they found some available even though they "didn't really need it." Not because it affects me directly--I buy my ammo in bulk when it's really cheap and keep a large stock of it at all times so I don't have to mess around with the craziness of shortages and panics--but because that kind of activity perpetuates shortages and shortages cause a good deal of distress in the gun community.

I also think that stores have the right to make their own policies to try to deal with shortages and panics. Not that I agree with all of them, but it seems like they're definitely within their right to try to prioritize things the way that makes the best sense to them. I think that if we can all just step back and take a deep breath, it should become obvious that they are NOT trying to screw over their customers with these policies, they're just doing what they can to deal with the situation in their own way.
 
I hear an advertisement on the radio where a business promises ammunition with every firearm purchased.

Sounds like a great idea to me, if I were a business owner that had more guns than ammunition.

Here is the “thing”, if you don’t like that, avoid the business. Not just right now but forevermore. If you don’t, you are complicit in the practice, an enabler.
 
My LGS has the same policy. About a month or 2 ago I asked if they could order ammo online for me so I could avoid the FFL number hassle. They gave me a better offer. They ordered me a case (500rds) WWB 165gr FMJ .40s&w that was more ammo at a better price than I was going to get online. I have no problem with stores reserving ammo for gun buyers. There are others doing far worse.
 
DustyGmt said:
Well then, I guess these scalping jagaloons really screwed us over big time. Not my LGS but the next closest one has been doing the one box per day thing, which I get. Makes it a less worthwhile endeavor for scalpers, deterring them, but then shooters who are looking for range time/security are still able to get it. But reserving ammo only for those buying guns? Outrageous. If everybody did this, the vast majority of us will not be shooting, or worse not having any ammo at all....
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It's basic economics. Guns and ammo are associative products. People who buy one, buy the other. No sense in buying one if you can't buy the other. It's not unlike hot dogs and hot dog buns. Who would buy hot dog buns when they can't buy hot dogs?

Why would you buy a gun, presumably to shoot (as opposed to a wall hanger), for which you knew ammo was unobtainable? Likewise, who would buy ammo in a caliber for which they own no gun, knowing that all of the gun stores are sold out of guns in that caliber? (I suppose you could make the argument that a person might buy one hoping they could the other elsewhere and/or at a later date.)
 
jmorris said:
I hear an advertisement on the radio where a business promises ammunition with every firearm purchased.

Sounds like a great idea to me, if I were a business owner that had more guns than ammunition.

Here is the “thing”, if you don’t like that, avoid the business. Not just right now but forevermore. If you don’t, you are complicit in the practice, an enabler.
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That's virtually ever gun related business in America right now. You're going to boycott the entire gun industry forever?
 
I went my "local" Bass Pro (1 hour drive) to check for powder and primers since I was in the neighborhood. There was a line of people in front of a sign to scan a code with your phone to get gun counter help. The sign said to continue shopping an you would be texted when someone was available. I didn't have my phone and I didn't want to wait and be told they had nothing, so I left.
 
I think its a local thing.

In the last week, I visited 5 different locations of chain stores (4 different chains) and none of them had a policy that you had to buy a gun in order to be able to buy ammo.

I haven't been in a basspro since last Oct but I will be visiting one in LA next weekend.
 
BassPro/Cabelas are large enough to have their own source of supply my guess is they deal with manufacturers directly and stock their own regional warehouses. That small LGS or Pawn Shop has to go thru some regional distributors who’s own clout is nowhere near the big national retailers.
 
I've stopped into my local BPS randomly over the months. The last time was 2 weeks ago. No ammo except some turkey shot shells. They had plenty of guns and there was no waiting. Maybe in the morning its different but any other time I walk around as I please. 9mm has started to drop it seems at my local stores. Was as high as $45 a box and now its about $30. In fact the one with the range probably had over 500k rounds of 9mm and had a big sale with no limits, tables of ammo. Cheapest was $27 for a box 147gr brass or $17 for a box steel case. They were offering 1k round cases for $650.
 
DustyGmt said:
It's surprising to see so many that seem unbothered by this. You have to buy a gun to get ammo?
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I'm bothered by it, but they're free to do business as they see fit. If they lose business as a result of this policy, it'll change. Vote with your feet if you don't like it and don't want to be part of it. It's still a free country.
 
I understand holding back ammo for gun purchases, but the membership thing seems odd. This person I was talking with didn't know if they charged for this membership, so, it could very well be part of their rewards program but it alienated them enough that they said they wouldn't go back
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Ok - I checked out the "Membership Card".

It is a World Mastercard (From Capitol One)
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/club

One way a lot of retailers have been "fighting back" at the surcharge credit card companies charge them is to come out with their own credit card that offers special perks to cardholders.
Walmart does the same thing.
Lowes has one backed by American Express.
I forget who backs the Menards card I have.

Anyhow - after going back and rereading the OP.
It sounds to me like BPS there is low on ammo. What they have in stock is reserved for people that purchase a gun. If you want to be alerted to a shipment, they can do that if you order the ammo on your card & they will inform you when it comes in.
 
Their house, their rules. Odds are, the hope is that by limiting the sale to one box of ammo per visit, that more visits equals more sales in other areas of the store while the customer is there. Maybe bringing the wifey along to buy a box too, makes for a sale in the woman's clothing department. Limiting the sale to one box means more left for the next guy to do the same. As for the membership that informs of ammo arrivals, it's probably no more than the giving of your e-mail address for other advertising too. "Hey Joe, we might get an ammo shipment tomorrow, and we also have Traeger grills on sale!" My bet would be there is a limit for sales to these "members" also.
 
Let me state again: Having ammo available for gun purchasers sounds like a wonderful idea to me ( I wish the shop I worked at would do that instead of sticking it all on GB). The thing I thought was curious was that they seemed to be moving from the five box limit (eight if you are part of the rewards program) to some sort of notification system that you have to sign up for. Some have said I'm full of BS, but that doesn't matter to me because I don't know them. As stated this came from someone trying to buy ammo from them and couldn't get any.
 
It's rather simple. If they only have 50 boxes of ammo and they let each person buy one box than they have 50 people who got something if not all they wanted. If they have no limit than the first two people will buy all the ammo and they will have 48 unhappy customers who won't come back.
 
Bass Pro has a 5 box limit unless you have a club card in which case it becomes 8. They keep stock back to sell to gun purchasers. Good practice IMHO. They stock ammo in mornings before doors open here. It is usually gone within minutes. Other times they sometimes stock in evenings. Kinda randomly to what I’ve seen. Makes it hard on the pawn shop people to get a rhythm.
 
Phydeaux642 said:
Let me state again: Having ammo available for gun purchasers sounds like a wonderful idea to me ( I wish the shop I worked at would do that instead of sticking it all on GB). The thing I thought was curious was that they seemed to be moving from the five box limit (eight if you are part of the rewards program) to some sort of notification system that you have to sign up for. Some have said I'm full of BS, but that doesn't matter to me because I don't know them. As stated this came from someone trying to buy ammo from them and couldn't get any.
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In favor of politeness, I'd just like to point out when I said "it probably wasn't true", I certainly wasn't implying that "you" were full of it, just that maybe the employee got it wrong, which actually happens all the time. It appears the OP and employee were right, in this case....
 
DustyGmt said:
In favor of politeness, I'd just like to point out when I said "it probably wasn't true", I certainly wasn't implying that "you" were full of it, just that maybe the employee got it wrong, which actually happens all the time. It appears the OP and employee were right, in this case....
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I get that...believe me. After working at a gun counter I hear all kinds of silliness. I guess the reason I tended to believe them this time is because I knew that BPS had been doing the five box limit thing and they walked away with nothing. Crazy times. Craziest I've ever seen.
 
DustyGmt said:
It's surprising to see so many that seem unbothered by this. You have to buy a gun to get ammo?
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If their supplies are not such that they can routinely or regularly offer ammo, what's wrong with holding some back for sale to go with guns? It's theirs to do with what they wish, the practice probably helps 'em sell guns and the gun buyer can, if he or she chooses, actually shoot the gun they just bought.
 
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