Planning on opening a gun shop...

Well by now you should know your customers. A bunch of demanding tightwads that want Caviar for the price of a can of tuna.

don't be biased on things that are merely opinion, like 9mm vs 45.

Really know your products, be able to show the clients how to break them down. Dont be condescending, inform without insulting. Have patience with the lookers, eventually they may be buyers. Respect your customers, have a posted, adhered to reasonable return policy. Support the community: give the scouts a place to meet, throw a bone to the Ducks Unlimited dinner, sponsor a big buck contest, give people a reason to come in even if they arent shopping.

Don't hose customers on their trade-ins.

I'll expand on a point I made before about "cross pollination."

Any worthwhile shooting activity, organization, supplier, etc., should be on your "close personal friends" list. Make it a point to be in contact with the local shooting clubs -- offer their membership discounts, free coffee and doughnuts, t-shirts, whatever it takes to get a relationship going. Same thing with the local IDPA, IPSC, and/or 3-gun crew. (And SASS, and whatever else is popular in your neck of the woods.) You WANT these guys in your store, often.

You want their money, of course, but you also want their advice and experience in your establishment regularly. You want the association that comes from being the place for folks who really know guns. You want to occasionally be able to say to a customer, "Wow, that's a good question, but hold on a minute, Bill Johnson just walked in and he's the IDPA Match Director over at Statesville Gun Club a few miles from here. I'd bet he knows the answer to your question, first hand. Hey Bill, come over here...!" Everyone wins when that happens. You got your customer a better answer than he would have gotten, your customer is impressed with your "status" in the shooting community, the M.D. just got a possible new customer for his matches, and will probably stop by more often trolling for shooters and enjoying the recognition.

If you are on a first-name basis with the area gun club presidents and gun-sports match directors, it gives you more information (and credibility) to direct your customers to places they can use your products and good people to know. Of course, you also get the benefit of all the word-of-mouth advertising that comes from all those local "head honchos" having your name on hand when a shooter, competitor, or club member needs a part, an accessory, ammo, or a gun. As you get to know them, get to know what gear THEY like and advise. Stock that stuff. It builds symbiosis.

In a similar way, get to know every local NRA instructor, hunters' ed teacher, and CCW instructor (if applicable). If at all possible, provide a classroom space for them -- for free if you can. (In good weather that could even just be a tent and picnic tables in the parking lot.) Lots of happy and excited consumers walking through your pleasant, well-lit, well-stocked shop and talking to your polite, cheerful, and clean-cut staff. And going home to tell all their relatives, friends, and co-workers to stop in.

-Sam

General store Can we guess that you allready own a genaeral store.What kind of area is this shop in? Who do you think your main clients will be. In my area our best gun store is part of a general store and they sell everthing from basic foods to live stock feed and supplies to work and hunting cloths ,boots and have a regular firearms selection that would put bass pro to shame. Go down the road 25 miles and there is a first class hunter store for bows,guns ammo and reloading along with fishing gear.. This is not big city america. Do your own homework and see what is in your area and just try to slowly top or at less egual them. Leave the smithy work to a independent shop,offer a business card or maybe even pickup at your shop but don't do the work. Offer member ships to the gun range and specials for leos. My local general store will order anything for you at a discount and most everthing the sells is already discounted and you do have to look at the guns prices as one thats been there awhile might be 50 bucks lower than the latest he got in. He does buy in large volume to get better breaks. Good luck

Give away hats.

Don't hose customers on their trade-ins.

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And customers shouldn't expect full retail price on a trade-in, let alone on the typical abused junk they want top dollar for..........

My local gun stores carry 50 different versions of the same darn gun.... yet not a single CZ unless it's a used trade in. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! They have dozens of Remingtons but not a single Tikka for miles and miles and miles around!?

1) Stock a variety.
2) Offer classes, even free ones, such as how to use a gun. For novices this is important. Offer classes on how to strip and clean guns. How to build an AR 15 from parts.
3) Sell stuff people want. I see so many shelves full of junk at some dealers but I'll go in there with a checklist of 5 things and they might have like 2 of them. For instance, my dealer didn't have ANY AR15 buffer tubes/springs! REALLY? Come on!
4) Have the guns out so people and pick 'em up, hold 'em, play with em. The BEST setup I've ever seen was at a big box hunting store. ALL of the rifles were on a wall. They each had a gun trigger lock and were cable locked to the wall. But you could go up and hold and cycle the action of all the rifles. It was a beautiful thing. I HATE having to ask permission to see this gun or that, and not being able to read the small print of what it is or how much. And the employee is always bothered by my being there wasting his time.
5) Have the prices CLEARLY marked with large bold print. No squinting.
6) Concealed carry permit holders WELCOMED at your store! None of this "No loaded guns" crap!

I visit my not-so-local gun shop over the close ones. My reasoning is-

- they pay fair prices for used firearms
- they stock lots of reloading components <- huge
- employees are professional and knowledgeable
- they don't give me attitude because I am a 'kid' (early 20's)

At first glance it is a relatively simple list, but I believe it requires constant improvement and attention to detail.

All the shops I do not visit share one thing; elitism. Whether its racism and sexism as noted in previous posts, or ignoring me because of my age, it is all based in elitism.

Most of which was already mentioned:

1. Gun shops being hang outs for the owner/employees and their friends. A customer walks in the door, you need to stop what you are doing (unless you are active with another REAL customer) and ask if they need anything. No need to be pushy, but just let them know they aren't bothering you.

2. Tags that are easy to read, with price and gun make/model. I can't tell you what every gun on the planet looks like. I'll walk past many when I'm browsing because they all look the same.

3. Prices that are less than MSRP. Or, if at MSRP, put a sign up "If you don't like our prices, make an offer." Most people aren't going to expect $150 off a gun, but if you can take $50 or throw in some ammo or an extra mag or something they are going to feel better. I also realize that not the entire world is as stingy as us. Many stores that I see that are still in business (not strictly gun related) are because they aren't cheap. I'm still a cheap ass and will buy a gun online if your pricing is out of whack though. I don't expect all your other customers to be the same as me though.

4. Don't make me feel incompetent on the range. I want to be able to practice. Have your rules but if I'm the only person in there, emptying a mag quickly isn't harming anyone. We don't all buy guns because we want to shoot bullseyes @ 75 yards. Sometimes we just want to empty the thing and have some fun with it.

5. The concealed carry thing being allowed there. I'm going to carry in your store anyways, please don't make me feel unwanted.

6. Don't kill yourself trying to stock all sorts of stuff that is going to be a hard sell. Too many holsters and other accessories is a waste. I know we all want a selection but it isn't realistic to carry 4 different holsters for every gun. I'd rather see more gun selection.

7. Self-defense ammo. It's not the end of the world to waste a few boxes of different ammo making displays so the customer can see what they are getting. Pull the bullet out, pop the primer, put a screw through it and a few other rounds on a piece of wood. People love displays.

8. Make the customer feel comfortable with their purchase. I know of a stereo shop that has a lifetime warranty on everything they sell. That includes labor. You know that if you have a problem you are going to be taken care of, period. I'll pay higher prices to support someone that makes me happy with my purchase.

4) Have the guns out so people and pick 'em up, hold 'em, play with em. The BEST setup I've ever seen was at a big box hunting store. ALL of the rifles were on a wall. They each had a gun trigger lock and were cable locked to the wall. But you could go up and hold and cycle the action of all the rifles. It was a beautiful thing. I HATE having to ask permission to see this gun or that, and not being able to read the small print of what it is or how much. And the employee is always bothered by my being there wasting his time.
5) Have the prices CLEARLY marked with large bold print. No squinting.

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yeah those things are huge for me too.

Another point:

Make your store a clearinghouse of valuable information.
Have a local info board near the counter or front door that lists names and addresses of all local clubs / ranges.

Post upcoming match schedules for all the local shooting sports: USPSA, IDPA, SASS, Bullseye leagues, CMP/High Power, Small-bore, or whatever else your customers might do or might like to get involved with. Any time one of your customers gets involved in the shooting sports you make more sales.

Post upcoming class / training advertisements. Everything from nationally known trainers who might be teaching at a local range to hunters' ed to Red Cross first aid/CPR. Anything your customers are likely to want to learn about.

Keep these schedules current and fresh. Make it the responsibility of a specific employee, if you aren't inclined to do it yourself. A morning's worth of phone calls or web checking once a month would keep this relevant.

-Sam

It just came to me that a local gunstore has a huge banner sign outside on top that simply says "Free Guns". He has a drawing for a free firearm every month. Frankly, that's what got my attention the first time. Must be cheaper than traditional advertising. To get your name in the hat, you just visit the store and put your name and phone number on the sheet. It must work for him because the sign has been up for a least a year. Needless to say, I haven't won yet. (Maybe it's a ruse). It's a very nice, almost upscale store. Very professional staff of one. A place you'd take grandma, or even your mother-in-law.............

The question of a "regulars' hang-out" is a double-edged sword. Do you make it inviting for the loyal loiterers to kick back and enjoy your coffee? Or do you want an "all business" personae that doesn't let the gun-counter-flies land?

Having a regular gang of good-ol'-boys ever present does keep your shop from looking deserted (which you don't want), and can exude an atmosphere of friendly, lively conversation. Or it can draw your attention (or that of your employees) from the customers which is a bad thing. Even worse, you can draw a posse of know-it-alls who butt in, intimidate the less confident customer, and drive off sales. You and your employees may exude confident professionalism, but if the most noticeable fixtures in your shop are Elmer (who hates any guns made after 1964, semi-autos in particular, and gets personally offended if anyone tries to buy anything you have in stock), Marvin (who's T-shirt reads "Militia of One" and who blouses his size 52 fatigue pants into his sneakers and who believes the government is out to confiscate his CounterStrike game), and Eddie (who really, really needs a friend and follows your salesmen around the store incessantly engaging them in an un-pausing 8-hour conversation every...single...day) -- then you as the owner will end up having to do a little pruning, which is not going to be easy and will bruise some feelings.

It may be possible to provide a customer lounge of sorts where you can keep the lingerers happily chatting away without getting in the way of the paying customers. Especially, this could work if it doubled as the classroom for your local CCW training or Hunters' Ed instructors. But you'll have to keep an eye on it. Make sure it is helping your sales, not hurting them.

One of the nicest shops I remember didn't have a customer lounge exactly, but did have a set of nice Adirondack style benches which faced the gun counters. They weren't overstuffed club chairs, but they did give folks a comfortable place to sit to read over a catalog or just wait for a salesman to get free to speak to them. Your sales model may be aimed at getting folks in and out smoothly and quickly, but I'd still suggest some benches. Folks will wait a lot longer (happily) for your attention if they have a place to park it.

-Sam

6. Don't kill yourself trying to stock all sorts of stuff that is going to be a hard sell. Too many holsters and other accessories is a waste. I know we all want a selection but it isn't realistic to carry 4 different holsters for every gun. I'd rather see more gun selection.

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Store owner may or may not be able to pick and choose. I had a small business that sold educational materials. To get the real popular stuff, I also had to buy the dogs that don't sell well as a unit to be able to get stuff at a cost I could tolerate.

To be a "Master Dealer" for many lines, you typically have to buy certain assortments of guns, some of which may or may not sell well in your location - part of the deal and the carrying costs that eat up cash and profits in a hurry

CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!

I think that a lot of good things have been mentioned so far, bur CS is what keeps the business coming. Don't hire people just because the seem to know a lot about guns. Hire them because they do know a lot about guns and are capable of sharing their knowledge without treating every other customer like a child.

I get so sick and tired of grumpy old men who treat everyone like idiots if they don't fit some messed up profile of what they think a gun enthusiast should look like. Around here there are a ton of gun store employees who seem to think if you are not a middle aged hunted or veteran, you must need to be condescended to, disregarded, interrupted at every possible chance, told not to buy what you really want and then fed a bunch of "father knows best, you don't know crap" "wisdom".

Being polite and respectful can go a looooong way when it comes to keeping customers in the the small gun store world. I know I won't buy from stores who don't have the sense to fire their clerks that treat half the customers like dirt.

Sorry if that seems like a rant, but it is very important. Many businesses in my area lose a ton of money due to their reputations for having rude employees.

Sorry if that seems like a rant, but it is very important. Many businesses in my area lose a ton of money due to their reputations for having rude employees.

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I think EVERY retail store and service business needs to remember that - from tire stores to restaurants

Some good ideas in here:
1) know your customers. example: don't open up relying on selling reloading supplies if there's already several shops doing this and you can't beat their price. Another: chances are someone buying an AR from you is a newb; offer the rifle at a good price and offer a package of common accessories to add profit.
2) comp shop other shops. Know what you competition is asking for their stuff and figure out which items you need to beat them on, which to match them on and which you can use as add-ons.
3) I wouldn't try to compete with the Wal-marts and Academys on guns such as Ruger 10/22s, base model Remington 700s, etc. You'll never beat them on price because of their volume. Not saying I wouldn't carry 1 or 2 but profit will be minimal to 0, you need add-ons like scopes, mounts, ammo, etc. Other guns like ARs you could probably compete with Academy pretty well just you won't have huge margins, again add-ons like mags are a must.
4) you might consider a lay-a-way program
5) you can't compete with on-line shops like Buds or Atlantic so don't. USE THEM as your on-line ware house. I'd say have internet access in your shop and let customers order direct from Buds or Atlantic if you don't/can't stock it. Charge $20-25 for transfers even it they want to order direct from your shop.
6) used guns are where you can make profit but you have to know what the items sells for and what you're willing to pay; say try to get the gun for 50-60% of what you think you'll get.
7) use gunbroker, etc. a sale is a sale and a great deal is a great deal even if you got it online to resell.
8) you have an in door range that's a plus; you can charge for range time and sell ammo as well as have customers try out guns before they buy. I guess you could just rent the guns too. I don't know if you want the risk in selling reloads for range use but it's a option.

The biggest advantages that my local dealers offered me were the following:

1. When I was starting out, they carefully explained the calibers and what would be reasonable self defense firearms.
2. They ALWAYS have ammo, because they carry a range of ammo at different price points. Walmart will always be cheaper, but in a pinch, the local dealer has what I need that day.
3. They will BUY BACK! This is their huge advantage over Walmart. I wanted to try out a centerfire bolt action for 1/2 moa accuracy when I got tired of 22LR-- and the dealer was willing to tell me exactly what he'd buy that gun BACK for, 6 months later, if I wasn't happy with it. You can't get that from Walmart. So I bought the used rifle from him for just about what I could have gotten it for by ordering at Walmart.....but HE would take it back later and Walmart will not.
4. One local dealer has reloading supplies, which Walmart doesn't. He doesn't have EVERYTHING, but he has the most common powders and bullets (and when I started, he actually had primers!). That was huge. I bought the press kit online but I bought powders/primers/bullets from HIM. He can't compete on the press kit, but that is a one time purchase, and all the extras are continuing purchases.....and he had a used bolt action that I noticed at the same time, and bought.
5. Be sure to have the stuff one needs to put on a scope. And know how to do it. I had to help one of my favorite dealers who thought this was a job for a gunsmith.....I can't afford gunsmiths. The instrucdtions are easily available online for a top quality job. Set of alignment rods will pay for themselves quickly. One laser boresighter will pay for itself quicklky.

good luck!

You have to carry things that people can't buy online or the first you'll hear is I can but it cheaper there. But they want you to carry it so they can look at it and take up all your time. Then figure you can give it away.

You have to carry things that people can't buy online or the first you'll hear is I can but it cheaper there. But they want you to carry it so they can look at it and take up all your time. Then figure you can give it away.

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Problem is, what is left that you CAN'T get online? Usually it's quite the opposite problem. I can get ANYTHING in the world online, but only a very small selection of low-end chocies in my local shop.

That's why I say the local shop has to offer something that the online places can't. Like the abiliy to try out holsters, grips, CCW garments, etc. in person. Sre, you can buy all that stuff on line but you stand a better than 50% chance that it won't be just right or just won't fit you and you've got to mail it back and wait to get a replacement and so on.

The message for the local shop is, "where can I add unique value?" Why should a customer want to leave home, drive to my shop, and deal with my higher prices and more limited selection when he's got the world at his keyboard and FedEx will have whatever he wants here tomorrow?

-Sam

you should offer me a discount on everything

Since it already has a range there is already a reason for customers to come. If it was me I would offer usual firearm and ammo sales and honestly scrap most of the rest. A few budget scopes or maybe an entire product line from Nikon so you can go through a rep and get the best prices. I would stock only holsters for popular carry guns and special order everything else. Holsters are a bottomless pit of money to keep in stock as there are just too many of them. I would like to tell people to just get them online but that would be bad customer service.

Maybe some Crimson Trace Lasers but honestly try to stay away from too many accessories its another stocking nightmare. Reloading is too. Reloading components can be very lucrative if you are the only one in town with them. If not I would stay away from them completely because once again it is a stocking nightmare.

A bunch of decent yet budget friendly gun cases. No one is buying Pelicans all the time.

Oh yeah, the big money maker these days is safes. You have to be specially equipped to handle them but you can make loads off them. Probably too much overhead at this stage but you get the idea.

I just thought of a reloading item: carry Lee products. So far, I've found exactly ONE store that actually carries Lee equipment (more than just dies, I mean). We might argue which color loading gear is best, but no one beats Lee for initial cost savings. I suspect lots of reloaders get into Lee initially because of low start-up cost. I did. My local shop only carries RCBS. Great quality stuff, but out of my price bracket. I ordered from Grafs & Midway, but I get my powder and primers locally.

Edit: I thought of something else. Be a stocking dealer for Missouri Bullets!

Edit one more time: Hire rcmodel to man your reloading counter!

Q