Why Local Gun Stores Go Out of Business

[Nathanael_Greene]

On another forum, a guy in my area announces he has a new gun store website.

I check it out; lots of headers, zero inventory.

A couple of months later, he reminds us again of his presence.

I check it out; lots of headers, zero inventory.

A couple of months later, he reminds us yet again of his presence.

Will the third time be the charm? I check it out; lots of headers...and...mirabile dictu...some inventory!

I ask about a particular item. After a delay of several days, I get a response.

He tells me he can get this item for me...at $35-60 more than the price listed on his website!

Argh. Why post a price if you have no intention of honoring it?

I give up. I'm a patient guy, and I wish him well, but I just don't have enough patience for this kind of stuff, and I doubt that many others will, either.

 

[Technosavant]

Some folks just don't understand what it takes to run a business. Of those who do, not all of them understand that the website needs to be kept up. If you plan to treat it as a billboard (toss it up there and not touch it), then don't list inventory or prices, since you'll need to keep on top of it.

Any store that can't keep that in mind will fail.

 

[highorder]

agreed. one of my biggest online pet peeves is a website that does not have live inventory. It's easy these days if you have any sort of inventory control that doesn't include index cards and a three ring binder.

 

[WinchesterAA]

Would you go to a gunshop with -

Large, varied inventory of midrange to high priced pieces, a decent sized staff of extremely well versed individuals who are neither kind nor inconsiderate, strictly business and able to answer most questions +find answers to questions previously unanswerable with reliable and accurate service and prices at slightly sub-average? Ultra quick monetary exchange, good policy, no BS?

TBH, nothing pisses me off more than the gunstore clerk who won't stop talking to some idiot about mallninjary instead of taking my money and giving me a gun.

 

[Wes Janson]

Large, varied inventory of midrange to high priced pieces, a decent sized staff of extremely well versed individuals who are neither kind nor inconsiderate, strictly business and able to answer most questions +find answers to questions previously unanswerable with reliable and accurate service and prices at slightly sub-average? Ultra quick monetary exchange, good policy, no BS?

If you have a large inventory, and high costs, people b**** about the high costs. If you have a small inventory, and low costs, people b**** about the lack of selection. There really isn't a middle ground for retail (except maybe one of the big-box stores, and then the staff are frequently less than well-informed).

 

[Tribal]

Some of them also seem to think we don't have the internet to look up prices. One store near me has a used PLR-16 (no upgrades) for $600...which is interesting, seeing as new ones go for as little as $450. At this same store, I asked what the price would be for a NAA Mini-Revolver and they quoted me about $400.

I mean, look: I can accept that there are overhead charges and that sometimes you pay extra for convenience, good service, "store goodies" like a range time coupon, and so on. Seeing three USP Compact Tacticals for $959, $999, and $1,049 isn't all that bad. I know roughly the dealer cost on those and those prices are reasonable. It's just that when I see a hugely-overpriced gun sitting on display for months and months I'm inclined to wonder what's up.

 

[highorder]

Some of them also seem to think we don't have the internet to look up prices.

boy, I'll tell ya'.

I saw a Butler Creek blued heavy barrel for a 10/22 at the gunshow the other day. It was used, and had tool marks from careless handling and assembly. I inquired about the price, thinking it might be a real deal. He wanted $150.00 for it! When I politely refused, he told me I couldn't find one new for less than $229.99

I probably shouldn't have, but I googled BC barrels on my phone and got dozens of hits. The cheapest was $88.01. When I showed him, he looked at me like I stole something from him, and walked away from me.

 

[drphil]

My theory on local guns shops: I don’t expect them to carry everything because I know gun inventory is not cheap. I will always buy local if they have it in stock and NIB. I don’t mind paying a slight premium to be able to deal cash, not have to wait, and get treated with a little respect. Even for more of a premium, I will give my business to a family run shop over a large sporting good store.

With that said. If a store does not have an item in stock and cannot quickly acquire it, I expect a decent deal on transfer fees.

Perhaps I am lucky because I found a shop with good prices (comparable to online + shipping + transfer fee) and great customer service. They don’t carry a lot of hunting stuff or accessories so they are not trying to compete with larger retail chains. The down side is the lack of used and C&R guns and there is not much to browse through.

I also don’t ask a lot of questions when I go to a shop. I know what I want and have called ahead to see if they have it (I like to think shops appreciate customers like that).

When it comes down to it, without local shops we could not acquire any firearms. Things could be like CA where there are so few small FFL dealers that they can charge an arm and a leg for transfers (and since most chain stores in CA will not even do transfers) you have no choice but to pay the outrageous prices, put up with poor customer service, or pay the exorbitant transfer fees.

 

[John828]

I made the intentional decision to buy locally even though it will cost me a slight premium, but, hey, I just started buying guns again. Got a Taurus PT 1911 blued with wood grips for $599.95 and today ordered a Ruger MKIII Target stainless with a 5.5" barrel for $419. (Gonna put a brick through it tomorrow if UPS gets there before three pm and NICS is in a good mood.)

To me the money is secondary. I can walk in and hear "Hi, John" and I just met the owner on Saturday. That has to be worth something. Besides they are pretty competitive with the Gomermarts.

Here in Little Rock we have one gunshop south of the river and two north of the river in NLR.

 

[jrfoxx]

Some folks just don't understand what it takes to run a business.

I think thats the biggest issue with ANY new (especially small) business. I have never done it, becasue to me its seems EXTREMELY difficult, expensive, and risky, and I just dont think I have the personality or skills to run a business.Some people just dont see that, the yonly see the "I get to be my own boss now!" part, and forget the rest.

 

[xjchief]

I just went to a large local retailer this week to arrange for the transfer of 3 guns and it took me almost 45 minutes. Not because they were busy either. I guess 35 bucks x 3 for doing pretty much nothing doesn't warrant any kind of customer service.

Every once in a while I am surprised though and get really good service and a fair price.

 

[scrat]

Specialty shops for me only. Of course for guns.
i have two local gun shops that i can go to along with at one of the local shooting range that has a reloading store. So for the most part i can get stuff locally. for hard to find parts or stuff i get from the internet. however i only buy from reliable places not the fly by night guys.

 

[F4GIB]

Most, if not all, gun shops around here have horrible customer "service." Ignorant, arrogant, and patronizing all at the same time.
I only buy at gun shows (on Sunday afternoon) and online.

 

[DigitalWarrior]

When I go to work, I have one boss. When he comes to work, he has to answer to a hundred thousand customers.

My job is easier than his.

 

[jlbraun]

I particularly like the fact that my LGS posts what has to be their entire inventory on Gunbroker. All I need to do to see what's in stock is go look on Gunbroker. I buy all my guns from them.

 

[ftierson]

I'm not sure why this thread has 'local gun stores' in its title when it looks like we're talking internet sales...

Did I miss something?

Forrest

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

Did I miss something?

Yes, I think you did. Responses 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 all have references to local stores.

These days, any local retailer had better know more than just what he wants to charge--he needs to know what the going rate is for an item, because we can all comparison-shop on the internet (and that's true of anything, not just guns, of course; I found a watch battery much cheaper on Ebay than from a local store). If he can't add any value, he's in trouble.

My particular complaint had nothing to do with an internet sale. The store in question doesn't offer internet sales; it has a website for promotional purposes only...and that promotion seems quite detached from reality.

 

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

Dont think that high prices will close a shop. We have "Dons Guns" here in Indy. That criminal (former union enforcer, or so the story goes) sells Glock pistols, with two magazines, 1 hour of range time, and a fobus holster for 1000 dollars. There is always 30 dollar boxes of WWB too! He make money hand over fist. Unfortunately, he is in a bad part of town, where most of the folks that buy guns arent using them for defense (check the amount of guns used in crimes tracked back to his store, he is number 3 I think in the nation!). Sometimes, I wish that place would go out of business. Alot of bad things happen because of that store. he has very loose scruples and tends to sell to anyone. There have been alot of guns sold there to someone, then that person sells em on the street to those who should not have guns.

Location can sink alot of gun stores. Rising property rates and dwindling sales can sink a business almost overnight, especially with guns.

Unless you sell alot of volume, guns arent the best business investment b/c you must attract sales, but at the same time keep a low price. We also have a store in Plainfield IN (awesome place) that sells new guns at only 10% markup. He sells alot, but does not make much on new gun sales. He will not negotiate his pricing on the new guns b/c he only gets 25 bucks or so per gun. Used guns, however, you can get awesome pricing out of him because he makes alot more (doesnt give much in the sense of trade ins, but who doesnt?).

 

[Essex County]

I have the luxury of three good gunshops close by. Two of the three will order me anything at a very modest mark up. They are competitive with Wal Mart. Thrir service is exceptional and they do appreciate my business. I've been a stocking dealer twice and I am firmly convinced that most Gun Nuts are poor businessmen. A lot tend to be arrogant and opionionated. They fail to esses their customers correctly........Nothing pisses off a knowledgeable like being talked down to. My two cents . Essex

 

[RNB65]

I agree that poor customer service is an issue. But I think high prices and poor selection are the primary reasons that most local gun stores go belly up. If someone has the gun I want at a reasonable price, I could care less about the attitude of the person behind the counter.
-

 

[S4Lee]

Since getting into guns, there was one local shop that I dropped a few grand in. Then I go in one day for a set of sights for one of my handguns. I make the mistake of not bothering to ask how much, thinking it'll be within a few bucks of prices I've seen online. Well, turns out they had to send the gun back to the manufacturer to swap the sights, plus all the shipping et al, but on top of it all, when I got the final bill, the total was double what I could've done online. The worst of it was the price of the sights themselves were 50% higher than most places online. I decided from then on to shop the best prices (service wasn't the best, either...). A few weeks ago, I priced a .22 rifle at the same shop - $2.50 off MSRP. Another local shop offered $35 off, and yet another I could've gotten it for ~$55 off w/ a coupon, but would've been a longer trip to go pick it up, so the second shop got my business.