Things are tough all over...

[Preacherman]

Another thought... There are usually battered women's shelters in most cities, where victims of spousal/BF abuse can find refuge. I think this would be a ready market for a sympathetic invitation to a CCW class! This would be even better if a woman could do the inviting and/or instructing, as the battered women might be a bit skittish about trusting an unknown male. Of course, if those who run the shelter are liberal cretins, they won't want the nasty word "guns" mentioned in the hearing of their guests: but in my experience, quite a few of them are angry enough with men that they'd probably welcome a "woman-empowering" approach!

 

[Quartus]

mid level crack dealers/Amway reps.

 

[CMcDermott]

One thing I'd like gunstores to do that is to provide at least one "aiming point" target (several would be better, especially if it's a larger store with lots of counter space) - just somewhere safe to point a firearm you are looking at. I don't think steel plate would work too well (riccochet's), but one of those shredded rubber blocks stuck on a shelf with a paper Bullseye target on it would make me feel a lot better about mounting a rifle on my shoulder or pointing a pistol at it. Yes - all firearms are supposed to be checked and empty, but I am not comfortable pointing even an empty firearm in a typical gunshop. And I get VERY uncomfortable with the actions of some other customers and where they are pointing firearms. A paper bullseye target makes it pretty obvious, and a polite hint from the counter staff to even the worst offender would make me a lot more comfortable in gun stores.

 

[Khornet]

In my little NH town

there are no interstates or majur highways nearby. No malls, etc. No Wally World; nearest is a 30 min. drive. There are two gunshops: the oldest is almost a hobby for the owner, and is open Th-F noon to 1600, Sat 10-5, Sun noon-1400. He's a good guy, but he's never open when I need something and can get to his shop, even though it's under half a mile from me. Has mostly commercial guns, antiques, and high-grade milsurp. He has reloading supplies in a limited selection. This would get me by OK if it were more convenient.

The newer one, open about a year, is heavy on the milsurp side but has gradually been expanding its spectrum and picking up some very nice top-end milsurp, e.g. match M1/M1A, and a good selection of used commercial stuff. Open regular hours, good prices, and that's where I do most of my buying. He knows his customers by name, and knows what they like, and will often call my office or stop by to let me know when something up my alley comes in. Whenever I buy something, he looks at the sticker and says "ah, just give me XX", always a few bucks off. I keep coming back. I only wish he had reloading supplies; then I'd go nowhere else. He does order bulk bullets for me though.

Either way, I do my best to get all my stuff from these two. Prices are higher than out of town, but I want to keep local gunshops in business.

So Tam, if it's a small shop you're talking about, I think the basics are: reliable hours, a small but representative selection of the basic categories (defense guns, target guns, milsurp, hunting, maybe collectibles), some basic reloading suplies (bullets, powder, primers, brass, tools, manuals) for the most common calibers (45ACP, 9mm, .30-'06, .38spl, .308, .270, maybe .44 mag, .40 S&W, .357), maybe some bulk ammo deals in common calibers (the new guy here always has some sort of milsurp M2 Ball and 7.62 NATO, .223, 9mm, .45ACP), cleaning stuff for common calibers. And a place to hang out; one place has an old church pew with a rough table and mags/catalogs, doesn't take up much space. Access-prompt access- to good gunsmithing. And get to know your customers well.

Things ARE tough; my disposable income is tight these days and I can't buy much in the way of new guns, but I always need ammo/reloading supplies/cleaning supplies. I think you have to have enough of the small, consumable stuff to keep 'em coming. Kinda like milk, bread, beer, eggs for a grocery.

 

[Keith]

Tam,

All of this advice is good - a knowledgeable, orderly and polite gun shop is a desirable gun shop. Yet, when making large purchases most people are still going to let price be their guide.

An interesting case study could be made of the Wal-Mart showing up here on Kodiak Island several years ago. We're truly isolated - the nearest chain store is an hour away by plane and so there's fewer variables to debate cause and effect. Small businesses made a huge stink arguing that Wal-Mart would put them out of business, as they always do.

And some of them did go out of business, while others actually thrived and increased business after Wal-Mart showed up.

The ones that folded were stuck in a rut and tried to sell the same products they always had - the same products that Wal-Mart carried. They were relying on customer loyalty to see them through. Too bad, because when school starts and mom needs to buy her four kids clothes and supplies, she's going to Wal-Mart no matter many years she's bought stuff at the local shop. She can't afford not to.
And when mom says dad can buy that new hunting rifle, he's going to save that $50 and buy it from Wal-Mart. He already knows what he wants and he's going with the best price. He can't afford not to.

On the other hand, the businesses that thrived did so by finding a niche. One guy that formerly sold bicycles, went into high end BMX bicycles and then brought in a line of kayaks. He did fine since Wal-Mart doesn't carry that stuff. A sporting goods (gun) shop went into archery and fly-fishing gear and did fine.

Chain stores carry the low-end commercial stuff from the big manufacturers - for gun shops that means Ruger, Remington, Winchester, etc.
So, if you want to compete you need to carry what they don't. There's a whole world of milsurp stuff that nobody wants to carry - Mak's, Tok's, etc, and the ammo to feed them. There's an enormous amount of fine quality sporting arms from Europe, Russia, etc, that nobody wants to carry. Do you know how hard it is to find a selection of CZ rifles in a gun shop - and anybody comparing them to Ruger or Winchester (which are higher priced!) is likely to choose one.

Don't go head to head or you'll lose. Find a niche and exploit it.

Keith

 

[Nando Aqui]

Bogie,
Mike's at 1964 Old Hwy 94 South, which is sort of the service road that parallels 94 on the North side. From 70*, go SW on 94 (1st Capitol) to Praille Ln, turn right on Praille and right again on the 'service road'. There is a Domino's next to Mike's. It is sort of across from the Wehrenberg St. Chas 18 theater. Mike's is closed on Monday's.

* Another way to get to the service road when driving SW on 94 from 70 is to 'exit' 94 (turn right) about 1/8-mile after crossing Zumbehl/Friedens Rd. Then turn left on the service rod and you can't miss Mike's or Domino's on your left after about 1/2 mile or so.

Better yet: do a Google search on 636-949-8764 and look at the Yahoo Map, although the Red Star is not always quite properly located.

Alex

 

[St. Gunner]

Tamara,

I pretty much shop at two stores here, Ho-Guns and Powderhorn.

Ho-Guns- friendly down to earth atmosphere, Wayne is a first class crack-up and is always willing to talk. He encourages folks to show up and chat and they in turn promote sorta a campfire mentality. He has a gunsmith who also works as a salesman, but often the regulars help Wayne out on sales, by pointing out various stuff about different guns. My little girl loves to go with me, to talk to Wayne, sit on the counter and eat candy or pastries and most of all play with "Zack" Waynes big ol Weimerainer. Scopes are mounted free of charge if you buy them from him. He offers consignment, for I think 10% of what you sell it for. He carries everything I have ever asked for.

"Wayne do you have any AK mags?"

"Do you want 10,20, 30, 40, or 75rd drums?" He then pulls out the proper box from under the counter and sets you up. Want something he doesn't have in stock, he'll order it for you.

He sponsors training and matches and shoots IPSC and IDPA himself. I busted a magazine late one Saturday night and wanted a new holster for an IDPA shoot on Sunday, I called him about 5 minutes to close and asked if he could bring them to the match on Sunday. Sunday I had them there, I tried to pay him for delivery, but he refused. To me that was service and it bought my loyal patronage.

Powderhorn- Gets most of my reloading business, Wayne doesn't carry massive amounts of reloading stuff the shop isn't big enough. They carry a massive amount of guns and seem to have pretty much one of everything I ever wanted to look at. They are friendly and easy to get along with. The upset me a few years ago when BATF was doing a check and I stared pretty hard at one agent because he was writing down names off of the yellow forms and what gun they had bought, every one was a semi-auto rifle. I sorta shook my head and was disgusted. I went home and wrote my Senator, I never mentioned a gunstore, just that it was a local shop. Well he contacted BATF and they sent a reply that it happened at Powderhorn and they remembered distinctly when it happened and they had asked the owner for my name, because of my reaction to what I had seen. Now I realize he is running a business, but "He is a new customer, I don't know his name" would have been the proper response, instead he told em who I was. I didn't like that, I didn't shop there for a few years afterwards. I still don't frequent the store because of that incident, but if I need some certain powder or bullets I go there. I think today David would handle it differently, but I am a stubborn hard headed cuss and I don't forgive to easily on some things.


Tamara, if you want loyalty from the customer, give them the same. If a regular calls and asks if you still have the "whatever" and they say they will be there to get it soon, pull it for them. To many shops leave it till you show up and will sell it before you get there. I had seen a Springfield 1911 I wanted at a local shop, I called the shop and told the owner I was coming to get it(I had bought a few guns there in a month period or so). I asked if he would hold it and he said sure no problem. I showed up and watched someone else walking out with it and his reply was, "Well he had the cash." I went and bought one from another store and have never done business there again. If you tell me you will do something do it.

Run the annoying racist KKK wanna be's out of the store, i'm White and the sobs offend me. If I hear the word "Ni*&$@" or another ethnic slang term I leave, I don't want my kid growing up exposed to that crap, i'd rather her hear cursing than that garbage that comes out of some skinheads trap.

Insist people check the guns to see if they are loaded, even if you already did, promote safe gun handling.

Offer a raffle for something special every now and again. One shop offers raffle tickets for a safe every so often, if he wants $600 for it, he offers 600 $1 chances. He brings in alot of other business this way. Sometimes he'll make the tickets $10 or $20 bucks to increase the odds of winning. He doesn't do it to make money on the safe or whatever but it does increase customer flow.

Offer your ammo cheap, most folks will make up for it on fairly priced guns. I can order at cost through my father who has held an FFL since the 1970's. I do 99% of my business through Wayne at Ho_guns just because I think he is the best at what he does.

My .02 cents