Gun Store Owners/Employees: How are sales?

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Jessica Wellman

New member
I hope I can get some honest answers to some of my questions! Unfortunately I do not have a network of fellow shop owners to exchange ideas with. I searched for forums of the like hoping to find a place where owners and or employees could share strategies. Nothing was to be found. Hopefully if someone knows of such a “hang-out” you will share the link.

Firstly, if there are gun store owners here on TFL, how have sales been for you since January? Way up? Way down? Fairly normal? And can you tell me what region of the U.S. you are in? Is the surrounding business area where you operate experiencing good or bad retail sales since January? Tell me what is happening in your neck of the woods.

Thanks in Advance,
Jessica
 
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BPNovum

New member
Sales feedback

Our sales people have been visiting stores in various parts of the country. While our sales to the stores have been very high because of our new product line. Most of the stores we called on reported a very slow summer.

However, most seem to be picking up quickly as hunting season approaches. Hopefully this trend will continue, as we have seen steady re-orders from customers as a result.

One very disturbing report comes from California. Our rep was in LA. He went with a list of many gun stores in the LA area to call on. When he got there he found that many had closed in the past year. While he was there, the good governor of CA, signed the bill removing the protection of gun manufacturers from law suits.

Two of the gun stores he sold our products to last week, called and cancelled their orders, stating they had decided to close their stores immediately because of the new law. This is very disturbing.

Locally owned gun stores provide a great service to the gun owning community. They provide a great deal of expertise to consumers who need it. They tie up a great deal of capital in providing a good selection of firearms for us to touch and feel before buying. They are deserving of our support as consumers. I wish all of you much continued success.
 
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Jessica Wellman

New member
Thank you for the replies.

I fear that our area (Southern Indiana) may be suffering more so than other areas. For what reasons, I’m not sure. Businesses in my town are closing right and left. I don't mean just small stores, but large establishments as well.

The only one not hurting is Wal-mart. :rolleyes:

I guess I just needed to hear that this was more of a nationwide problem and not just a local epidemic. Unfortunatley, that doesn't seem to be the case! :(

Thanks anyway,
Jessica
 
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Art Eatman

Staff in Memoriam
For the last four or so months, a local store in south Georgia has sold about all the self-defense and para-military stuff he could get in. Through the summer, though, no sales of scopes.

Art
 
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popeye

New member
I live in N.W.Indiana and frequent 3 or 4 shops in the area. I myself was laid off a year ago and there are zero jobs around here. Business's here are closing along with small industries. Walmart does a booming business selling Chinese made crap. Everytime I visit a gun store a customer walks in wanting to sell a gun cause he's outta work. I'll be doing the same by Christmas. I went to a gun show in Porter Co. last W.E. and new gun prices were down by quite a bit over last year. These people with lower prices represented shops not "kitchen table FFL's"
 
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Jessica Wellman

New member
That's the way it is here Popeye. Borden is closing their Louisville plant which I'm sure will not help many of our locals. Hopefully things will change for Indiana soon.

Thanks for letting me know how it is north.

Jessica
 
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Jessica Wellman

New member
I shot the last guy that called me Jessie. :D

Hey right back at ya Sensop.
...moooo!

I've been busy selling guns the last two years. I have little time to post! ((((Sensop))))
 
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dairycreek

New member
I am a gun shop "junky".

I'm retired and spend a lot of time hanging out in my favorite gunstores here in northwest Oregon. Same story in all of them. Sales down anywhere from 15% to 20% and all of them hurting badly. The economy in Oregon is heavily oriented toward high tech and is taking its own sweet time rebounding. Good shooting:)
 
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