jpruitt
Member
Online merchants have taken a good-sized chunk out of just about every retail market out there.
Take books: Borders is gone thanks to Amazon (and its own mismanagement), Books a Millions are closing, Barnes and Noble is in trouble, in no small part due to Amazon (and electronic books).
Or electronics: Circuit City is gone, and Best Buy is struggling. H H Gregg seems to be holding its own for the time being, but their business model is a bit different (we'll see how long that continues).
Music, video, and video game stores are pretty much a dying breed, all thanks to the internet.
Amazon is even experimenting with the idea of an online grocery service (if anyone can pull that off it's them).
Are brick and mortar gun stores going to face this kind of trouble? Already, I can go to Buds, Davidsons, or half a dozen other online sellers and get better prices than at my local stores. True, I can't physically handle the gun online, and local stores can offer things like a gun range and supplies that may not be worth ordering electronically. Plus there may be times when someone needs a gun quickly, and may not have time to wait for one to be shipped.
Still, online retailers have had some of these same problems in other areas, yet have still managed to gain ground.
Are online sellers a significant threat to local gun stores? If not now, do you see a time when they will be?
Take books: Borders is gone thanks to Amazon (and its own mismanagement), Books a Millions are closing, Barnes and Noble is in trouble, in no small part due to Amazon (and electronic books).
Or electronics: Circuit City is gone, and Best Buy is struggling. H H Gregg seems to be holding its own for the time being, but their business model is a bit different (we'll see how long that continues).
Music, video, and video game stores are pretty much a dying breed, all thanks to the internet.
Amazon is even experimenting with the idea of an online grocery service (if anyone can pull that off it's them).
Are brick and mortar gun stores going to face this kind of trouble? Already, I can go to Buds, Davidsons, or half a dozen other online sellers and get better prices than at my local stores. True, I can't physically handle the gun online, and local stores can offer things like a gun range and supplies that may not be worth ordering electronically. Plus there may be times when someone needs a gun quickly, and may not have time to wait for one to be shipped.
Still, online retailers have had some of these same problems in other areas, yet have still managed to gain ground.
Are online sellers a significant threat to local gun stores? If not now, do you see a time when they will be?