What do YOU want in your local gun store?

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What I want in a guns shop - in this order:

1. Integrity - be prepared to back up every claim made by your sales staff.

2. Honesty - Don't allow your sales staff to make claims that might worry you.

3. Knowledge - If you can tell I'm new or need help with anything (my aim maybe:D) make my shooting your priority, not your sales. Your sales will follow.

4. If you have a range, having a Cricket available with 10 free rounds for anyone under X age (with parent present) is a h*ll of an idea. A better one is having kid sized muffs and glasses available / for sale.

5. Honest, reputable smithing services on site - at least one day a week - and advertise it. "John Doe is here on Thursdays to answer your DIY questions, etc"

6. Be willing to tell me "No" or "I don't know" when those are the honest answers. If you say, "I can have it here by X date, have it by X date. If there are issues beyond your control that you could not anticipate, call me. Don't wait for me to call you / come in. I'll understand and appreciate your effort.

Remember that your real money won't ever come in one time sales. Every business is the business of relationships. Repeats are what make you money. You may make $100 on one sale. But, you can also make $1.00 a week off one person every week for two years, and he'll (she'll) be talking to every one they can for two years about your store. With any luck they'll know more people than me:evil:

Oh yeah, if you've twice told me you don't have that caliber / brand of ammo, offering it before I can ask the third time would solidify my repeat business.

I wish you well in your endeavor.

IC
 
Some new and used guns at a resonable price to start. Basic shooting supplies-ammo, muffs, targets, etc. Find a gunsmith that you can work with. The little extras that you can offer your customers help. I had two friends that had shops and I did their reloading for them (they wanted certain bullets, powder, brass or primers). After opening, ask your patrons what they want and you can't go wrong.
 
Bikini models and free draft beer would be nice, but I think any successful business (no matter what the merchandise) boils down to competitive pricing and good customer service.
 
You might want to go back and read Boomer's post, number 65 I believe.

Most people want superior service and inventory at Wally World prices. Well maybe not Wally World prices, how about Wally World plus ten per cent.

To have a chance I believe you will have to be extremely accurate in judging your potential customer base and then serving them well. I suspect it will be a somewhat narrow subset of the overall business.

There may be a lot of clay shooters in your area, or none. There may be a bunch of benchresters or none.

Find out who you can serve that will pay you for good service.

You can not be all things to all gunnies.

You might want to take a look at FBMG's web site and see how they are doing for their market segment in the Salt Lake Valley.
 
C96 and Boomber are correct. Customers have to understand why a business is in business in the first place: to make money. It's not to make your life easier or cheaper. They give you products and services, and you give them money. No money, not merchandise for you.

It would be great if all gun stores have an awesome gunsmith, all sorts of accessories, a built in range, etc. But then we would all complain about the prices of their stuff being too high. Customers don't seem to understand that all that stuff costs money, and lots of it.

Read Boomer's post(#60) again, and then tell me if you were the business owner, would you be making any money if you did all of that. And since when doesn't anyone run a business where they try not to make money. You wouldn't do all of that for free, so don't expect other store owners to do it either. Even if you think "the customer is always right."

Products and services cost money. As a store offers more and more stuff to the customer, the prices must rise in response. Anything else would cost the business money and close the store.

Let's be realistic with some of the "what we want" suggestions.

What I would want is for the store to be open for more than a week. And if a gun store owner followed a lot of suggestions, he would be in the financial red within days.
 
Great customer service as has already been mentioned not just employing people who need a job but people who will actually care about helping the customer.

Competitive prices.

Large selection assuming you have space for it.

If you have a range, have a wide variety of guns for rent and throw in a package deal if someone wants to rent more than one gun at a time.

Raffles or some kind of frequent buyers club would be good. Keep the customers happy and coming back.

It it was me, wouldn't sell beer from the tap but I'd sell cases of it. (I wouldn't want people drinking around guns). A big selection of beef jerky is good too assuming the prices aren't high. These things aren't necessary obviously but could help your bottom line.
 
A good, updated, visable selection of 'black rifles' (our store hides them in the back room), and a nice array of 1911s. More bulk ammo specials- I just got 1000 PMC .223 for $350. A good holster selection is a must, but experience dictates that you'll wait forever for your Galco shipments. I also agree with reloading supplies, If my local store would get some nice stuff in there, I could easily be persuaded to load my own. A nice wheel gun display is always appreciated, as well. And finally, don't go ape**** with massive rack displays of 22s and 17 HMRs. Personally, those puppies don't float my boat. I walk right by 'em.
 
I see a lot of comments regarding "cheap" prices, or "competitive" prices. I'm affiliated with a local shop here in my neck of the woods, and I'm just going to state the obvious - you give these things away at or near dealer cost, and you'll go out of business in about 2 or 3 months. Period.
 
The local gun shop/pistol range isn't really a friendly place. The people that run it aren't unacommodating (is that a word?) but people just kind of go in, do what they need to do, and leave. I wish there was more incentive for people to screw around and shoot the bull. Maybe that's bad for business or is distracting? But if it were my gun shop I'd have a couple tables or something and encourage fellow gun nuts to associate.
 
Yes tables are good. If you had a range it would be great to have a place for people to strip and clean/lube their weapons before heading to shoot especially if they just picked up their gun.
 
A bin of SKSs and Mosins that just says "enjoy." I second the Rock Island 1911's for under $500. Also, you need a bunch of those West German Sig P6/225s. If you could order me any gun in the CZ catalog for their price + $20 for you that would make me happy too...:D
 
I don't think, ultimately, that price is the greatest determining factor in anyone's decision to purchase a gun. If you're comparing two guns, and the decision is made on a $5 difference in price, you're probably getting into the wrong hobby.

I think you really need to consider your local market, before opening a gun store. Are there enough "gun nuts" in your area to support a store? Are there enough "old farts" with nothing better to do than hang around a gun store and provide atmosphere? Are you the type of store owner who makes people feel welcome, even if they're a little timid or uneducated? How about the political scene in your area; do they support what you're trying to do, or will you be constantly fending off challenges from antis on the town council?

How about your potential customers? Does your area primarily hunt? Hunt what? Dove? Ducks? Deer? Turkey? Hogs? Prairie dogs? Where does your expertise lie? Smithing? Shotguns? Reloading? Benchrest? Bullseye?

If you're trying to please everyone, you're destined to fail, and/or MidwayUSA already has you beat. Find your niche, based on what your market wants and needs. Trust me: it's not hot dogs and ice cold soda.

The range is a good idea, depending on the weather. You can't possibly stock everything a customer might ask for, so be sure you know where to get what they need, quickly. Find somewhere to get new or once-fired shotgun hulls. Keep reloading supplies in stock and organized. Have the occasional sale. Advertise, if possible. Participate in the local shooting community. Be a responsible corporate citizen.

The one thing I think turns customers off, the most, is being ignored when they're in your shop. Do not let a customer stand leaning over your counter trying to see the price tag waving from the trigger guard of a rifle without asking if you can help, even if it means disengaging from Old Fart #2, with whom you've been conversing since the store opened, this morning. OF#2 isn't going to buy anything, and the leaning customer won't, either, if he can't get your attention.
 
Unlike some of the "I want everything at wholesale prices with dancing girls to boot" fantasies that would put you out of business in a week, Infidel Cowboy has the winning formula.

Someone else mentioned looking up FBMG and seeing what they're doing. I think you're going to find it starts with Infidel Cowboy's formula, a gigantic pile of starting capital that doesn't seem large enough after all, some worry, and tons of hard work. Small businesses are built on acumen and the desire to work 14 hour days.
 
WayneConrad said:
Someone else mentioned looking up FBMG and seeing what they're doing.
Click to expand...

FBMG has definitely found a local niche IMO but I'm not sure The Great Wall O' AK is something that would fly in other states. ;)

The crew over there would be hard to replicate as well. All are from quite varied backgrounds and not typical gun store fare. For example if I go to another store and the guy beind the counter sez: "This is what you really want," I immediately know he's going to show me something I really don't want. But when Larry sez: "This is what you really want,' it usually is. If in the off-chance it isn't; it is still usually something interesting.

Now some of the responses ITT have been pretty much a blue-print for exactly what I hate about gun-stores. A few more have been spot on.

My criteria would be:

Spacious

Clean

Well-lit

Temperature controlled

No dead animals on the walls (that is for hunting lodges IMO)

Well labeled and deep parts inventory (esp. 1911 and 870)

Some sort of easily grokked logic to the store layout

A place to sit. I feel the need to expand upon this one. At a gun store you have to wait a lot: Wait for your preferred sales dude, wait for your background check, wait for the 'Smith, wait for the internet search, wait for the rep call, wait for a lane, etc. etc. It sucks to either stand around, or lean on the signs on the glass counters that say "don't lean on the glass."

Call me uptight but, no Confederate flags or Nazi memorabilia.

Carry something cool that no other store in your area has. A neat collection, a highly specialized arm, a fun video game, a petting zoo - whatever. Just set yourself apart.

Finally, some laughter and smiles. I hate going into gunstores where everyone has their Clint Eastwood on; yeah you're a hard-ass, congratulations.

Note: It wouldn't hurt to hire a guy that is young, knowledgeable yet easy-going, has a piercing or tat, maybe some colored-hair. You want to get the next-gen to feel comfortable enough to throw their Benjamin's in your direction.
 
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Good luck if you decide to start your store.

Some recommendations:

- Just because 1911s and Glocks are popular doesn't mean that 80% of the display case should be stocked with them. Use displays for variety, keep duplicates and extremely similar items in the vault unless you've got empty space.
- If possible, employ a reliable gunsmith. IMO, decent-good work and communication is better than excellent work and having your gun essentially disappear for a year.
- Carry pocket guns. These things are very popular, and from what I see, usually unavailable or severely understocked locally.
- If you have a range with rental guns, have rentals that match up with the best sellers, with some variety, and are focused more on the middle price range.
- Offer reasonably priced FFL transfers. This can't be said enough.
- Have a place to sit down, even if it's just a bench outside the store.
- One thing I like about a local store is that they keep a water cooler with the little cups out for customers. Something like this or a water fountain would be great if you have a range.
- Put some Oleg posters on the walls :p
 
#1: Integrity. If you say you will order me a box of X, and I come back 3,6 and 9 weeks later and you don't have it, telling me each time that you tried/forgot/got it in and sold it, I'll start to realize you don't mean what you say.

#2 A range, with rentals. The hardest thing to find is a place to shoot, and Wallyworld will never be able to provide that. Not to mention the fact that this will help sell ammo (our local range stipulates using their ammo in their guns, which makes sense to me- I would not let someone bring in their handloads to beat up my guns!).

#3 A Carry friendly environment/attitude. If you don't like the idea of a pistol on my hip, I don't like the idea of giving you any of my money. Wally World can't compete in that area either.

#4. A competent gunsmith on site.

#5 Handloading supplies, particularly powders and primers, which are expensive to order in small quantities due to hazmat fees.

None of the gunshops in our area have all these things. Some have most, but none have all.
 
Staff who either know something, or don't pretend to if they don't.
Click to expand...

I'll second that! An "I don't know" is a perfectly acceptable answer provided it is not only followed by ", but I will find out" but by a diligent attempt to do just that, with an answer. See #1 in my post above.
 
What do I want in a local gun store?

1) Website with useful information. Including at least: address, telephone #, current hours of operation, picture of the front of the store. If you open 9ish, admit it. The website and the door should say: "we open between 9 and 9:30 am." That's a million times better than getting to a store at 9:15 and wondering if they will be opening at all.

After you get your website, list it with the most common search engines like Yahoo Local.

2) Offer classes. Advertise the NRA basic class as 'pistols 101' and 'your first firearms class'. Plenty of people are interested in owning firearms, but they don't know anybody and don't know how to get started. If you get a class of 10 newbies, who are they going to buy their first firearm from?

3) Adequate lighting, which means clean your lights periodically. Every indoor range lets the grime and residue build up on the light fixtures until we are shooting in twilight. Install enough lights so that gramps can enjoy your range too, and then maintain them.

4) Place I can wash my hands after shooting. I don't mind if the restroom is employees only, but I don't want to have to stop somewhere to wash my hands after I leave.

5) Place where a man isn't ashamed to bring a girlfriend or wife. Too many gun shops need 'a woman's touch.' Meaning that they are stocked with furniture Good Will won't accept, the floor only gets swept once a year, faded xeroxed crap is taped on the walls.

6) I'm always thirsty when I'm leaving the range. So maybe a vending machine or two.

7) Clean, working rentals that don't have any bullets left in them from the last guy.

8) Maybe -a video game or two in the corner. Or a comic book rack. For the kids that get drug along with Dad to the gun store.

9) A want-to-buy/want-to-sell bulletin board (depending on which state you're in, you might be the required FFL). Maybe a community activities bulletin board.

PS - Adverstise smart. Check every church. Do they allow advertising in their church bulletin? Will they let non-members advertise (usually yes). How much for a year of ads? Can they give you the first year free since you are starting out?

PPS - be sure to separate business finances and liability from personal finances and liability. Good luck!
 
Oh, did anyone mention 'Hire the most attractive young single woman you can' to work the counter? 25-35 preferable, but high-school eye candy isn't objectionable.
 
It might not make much sense because it would take up too much room with all the different makes and models, but I would really like to see a wide selection of holsters for CHL.

Also, lots and lots of OEM magazines at reasonable prices.

A good AK, something besides a WASR. A good AR, something besides a Bushmaster.
 
What do I want in my local gun store?

A good inventory. Of everything. Shooting supplies, guns, ammo, range equipment. I'm tired of running all over town hitting this gun shop for this ammo, this shop for targets, walmart for something else.

Knowledgeable and friendly staff. I could care less about the pretty girls. I'll sit across the counter from the ugliest, fattest guy you can find if he can answer my questions accurately and without belittling me.

And if you're going to sponsor shooters, forget T-shirts. Get nice shirts. Custom embroidered collared shooting shirts. I actually turned down a sponsor in a fishing tournament because he wanted me to wear a T-shirt with his logo on it. Everyone else in that tournament was wearing custom Columbia or UnderArmor fishing shirts. I'm not going to look like a sleazeball just because you're paying my way.
 
#1 Honest?/Knowledgeable staff - If you don't know, tell me so. If you can point me to someone who does.
#2 Range with rentals - And how about something other than every style of Glock in existence.
#3 No trophies on the walls - If I wanted to stare at dead bodies I'd go to Cabela's
#4 WTB/WTS Board - I've gotta come in to your store to check, and if I buy one I'll end up shooting it at your range.
#5 Training - Specific classes for thing like basic safety/handling,CCW, improving accuracy, classes specific to women.
#6 A working website - It's 2008, make sure you have some pictures, and your links work.
#7 Gunsmith - If you sell them, you should fix them too.
#8 AC - I plan on being here a while.
#9 Sales - I'm always looking for a good deal, and I always seem to leave with more than I came in for.
#10 Be open on Sunday - Because unless I'm working I can't think of anything better to do.
 
WOW!!! This is going to be the best gun store ever. ;)

As to the local market versus THR input, the OP knows that the old gun store was "extremely profitable". So is he better off using the old store as a model or catering to folks here who'll never visit his shop?
 
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