Gunshops for sale

[Baxterbasics]

Having a mooch around t'interweb I have noticed several of the better known shooting supplies business's for sale-listed as retirement sales. Has the internet finished off the humble local shooting supplies shop or are the owners all ageing and needing a rest?

[bighit]

the internet will only kill off the supplier side of a gunshop.

the gun sales can't be done online unless via Europe or the likes of Pax that delivers to your door.


in the engine recon place I worked at my boss would sometimes make more money on a head gasket set that the skimming of the head. so he would ask if they required one and they would say no they have one. he would then say well get the internet to skim your head.

he was turning away a jib but in a way he was right. online sales are closing shops everyday.


or as you say, the owners are old and tired and want to retire and enjoy what life they have left.

[Funnybucker]

Whilst I don't like paying "over the odds" any business needs to have a reasonable margin to survive and I think the internet has bought everything down to one thing ....... cost

It's going to leave us all with one or two major suppliers that make a profit on mass turnover and squeeze your local business's out of business.

Whilst "The Net" has some advantages I see it as a necessary evil and think what's it's done to business's has played a large part of why this current recession has been so long and drawn out.

The companies like Amazon who offered such an amasing deal to start with .... lowest price goods ... shipped the same day you ordered them ... free delivery ..... now their boots are bigger ...... free delivery if your order value is £20 plus and even then unless you're signed up for Prime the old "shipped the same day" service has become ... we'll ship it in 5 or 6 days when we eventually feel we should unless you now want to pay for premium shipping ... it's certainly not what it was a couple of years ago and is all just orchestrated to extract more money from us!!!!!

Sorry bit of a rant and maybe a tad side tracked but in essence I do think the internet will have had a major impact on their business as they're forced to sell the air gun that much cheaper and then have to cope with what you can get a scope, sling, pellets and anything else you can think of posted to you for ... all of which used to help make their business viable and sustainable.

[jonnyone]

Recently chatted to a shop owner who is winding down to close end of the year and he puts blame fair n square on the net.
A shame
Dave

[Muskett]

Many products have seen a squeeze on margins just look at white goods market.
People will still pay a premium on quality products if their income allows.
Gunshops are just another retail specialist business. A retail shop has to compete against the competition which the internet is just one. The additional costs of running a shop and the inefficiencies of a shop add to their difficulties. Shop retail has never been easy. When so many gun related products have such poor margins and plenty of competition from bulk buyers then its one tough trade to be in. Success is what added value is brought to the business, or specialisation that others don't provide. The bulk buyers have to sell quantity and spend more on advertising. Depends on the business model.

What value a retail shop? My view not a lot. Client base really isn't loyal enough and competition too fierce. Its a vocation with at best a moderate salary if and only if you can make it work.
Added risk is just like a pub and drinking licence, a gunshop has to have a RFD; lose that even for a few months and its going to be tricky if not terminal.

Do support the gunshops you like because otherwise they will be gone.
Lastly they have to deal with some of the most forthright and tight fisted bunch of shoppers going. I'm one

[Phil Russell]

I try to buy locally whenever possible; that applies to all things not just shooting supplies. But, particularly with the odd household items needed to repair something I am forced to use the internet because no one stocks what I need locally. For instance, in the 'good old days' I had no problem getting electric motor brushes locally but not now. Local shops advise to buy a new machine. Similarly with some fastenings and fixings ... it can be difficult to find them locally. I can appreciate why ... the shops cannot afford to keep the stocks of spares. But still very sad as there are now times that I turn to the internet without trecking around the local shops as I feel I would waste my time if I tried to find stuff locally.
Sign of the times I guess.
Cheers, Phil

[Blackrider]

I try to use my local gunshop when ever possible, ok not always possible but I try !
Use it or Lose it !

[Shed tuner]

Gunshops are just another retail specialist business. A retail shop has to compete against the competition which the internet is just one. The additional costs of running a shop and the inefficiencies of a shop add to their difficulties. Shop retail has never been easy. When so many gun related products have such poor margins and plenty of competition from bulk buyers then its one tough trade to be in. Success is what added value is brought to the business, or specialisation that others don't provide. The bulk buyers have to sell quantity and spend more on advertising. Depends on the business model.

Agree. e.g. SFS doing tunes. Unless there is going to be added value (tunes, repairs, servicing, etc), it just isn't going to compete against a lower cost base internet supplier.

VCR act would actaully help retail shops due to mandating F2F, (but it's still dumb), except for the fact that Euro sellers are unaffected
PX makes them some money and has to be F2F.

With shooting under so much pressure, through legal and "social" influences (however misguided), who'd want to run a shooting shop ? I enjoy guns, but it's not a great way to earn a living these days.

[mikehill]

Not too sure that they are all suffering though. Two near me, BAR and McAvoys always seem extremely busy. I personally buy nothing off the web apart from card targets.

[TonyL]

Agree. e.g. SFS doing tunes. Unless there is going to be added value (tunes, repairs, servicing, etc), it just isn't going to compete against a lower cost base internet supplier.

VCR act would actaully help retail shops due to mandating F2F, (but it's still dumb), except for the fact that Euro sellers are unaffected
PX makes them some money and has to be F2F.

With shooting under so much pressure, through legal and "social" influences (however misguided), who'd want to run a shooting shop ? I enjoy guns, but it's not a great way to earn a living these days.

Absolutely.

I've dreamed of having a shop for years, but fear it will always remain a dream, especially with a mortgage and bin lids to consider - far too much risk.

As you say, John, people that can specialize and build in extra value will / should thrive. I think the waiting list at SFS will be fairly lengthy? The waiting list for V-Mach is certainly very, very long.

And, where possible, I'd always prefer to give my business to people who live, breath and eat Airguns with a passion. So, when Venom Arms existed and had a retail shop, I bought EVERYTHING that I could from them. And then your repeated business gets appreciated and rewarded. I have pretty much the same sort of relationship now with my local RFD (16 miles away). He knows I won't go elsewhere. Loyalty is rewarded and it's a two-way thing. And he gets lots of referrals from me, too.

Working in retail myself, I value and try to deliver genuine, honest service. I get stacks of repeat business. A great proportion of my customers from the previous shop where I worked until 7 years ago prefer to come and buy from me and that's with a 140 miles round-trip rather than a couple of miles down the road. I never take their business for granted, reward their loyalty and they're happy to keep coming back.