Tackle & Guns Pollokshaws closing down

[thisisdonald]

Its with bittersweet feelings I tell you guys that my local is closing down... sad to see him go after 44 years on the high street but Bruce will maintain an online presence. He tells me it is due to lack of supplies.. he is unable to get lead times better than 1 year on some stuff like powder and primers... other stuff like knives and fishing gear coming from China, just isn't coming due to the cost of sending shipping containers jumping by over 300% !

Anyway, that's the bitter part. The sweet part is that Bruce is having a sale and there are bargains to be had... but you better get there by this Friday, which is the shops last trading day. Myself and Valeboy have had a couple of bargains , and there are more to be had..there are lots of airguns, shotguns, firearms, pellets, lamping gear, fishing rods, scopes, c02 stuff, 12g, .410 ammo... lots of stuff... my only caveat is you take Bruce, his wife and John, his shop assistant, a few biscuits or some choccys to get them through the trauma of packing up after decades of service to the shooting and fishing community.

[ZAKDINGEL]

Its with bittersweet feelings I tell you guys that my local is closing down... sad to see him go after 44 years on the high street but Bruce will maintain an online presence. He tells me it is due to lack of supplies.. he is unable to get lead times better than 1 year on some stuff like powder and primers... other stuff like knives and fishing gear coming from China, just isn't coming due to the cost of sending shipping containers jumping by over 300% !

Anyway, that's the bitter part. The sweet part is that Bruce is having a sale and there are bargains to be had... but you better get there by this Friday, which is the shops last trading day. Myself and Valeboy have had a couple of bargains , and there are more to be had..there are lots of airguns, shotguns, firearms, pellets, lamping gear, fishing rods, scopes, c02 stuff, 12g, .410 ammo... lots of stuff... my only caveat is you take Bruce, his wife and John, his shop assistant, a few biscuits or some choccys to get them through the trauma of packing up after decades of service to the shooting and fishing community.

Such a shame that --I whish they were closer I would have being there for some stuff

[the growler]

All his airgun pellets are half price.

[urx]

Sad to hear this despite me loving a bargain

[VALE BOY]

Aye indeed, it’s extremely sad to see yet another shop/business closing down and resulting in a lost amenity to the local folk and in the instance of airgun enthusiasts, not so local as well..


I like a bargain as much as anyone but I’ve never been at ease at ‘cashing in’ on someone else’s misfortune, ever since I bought a complete 600cc Norton Dominator 99 Cafe Racer for a tenner back in the 70’’s after it had thrown a rod and wrecked the crankcases, thereby knackering the engine.
However, by way of salving my conscience I towed him and his pillion rider up to my lockup and provided overnight accommodation and hospitality at my folks place and drove them to the station to get a train for London… and I gave him the amount he asked for. In all fairness a bike like that, in working, running condition could be had for 40 to 50 quid, at the time.

About 30 odd years ago, there were about still about half a dozen designated gun shops in Glasgow and a plethora of Ironmongers, sports shops, toy shops, cycle shops, and various others that sold a selection of airguns, pellets and accessories…. To my knowledge there is only one place left in the whole of Glasgow, a city with a population of circa half a million people. All the peripheral towns within a radius of 20 miles had Ironmongers, sports shops etc which have all disappeared, to my knowledge….

However this reduction in amenity is not only confined to airgun retailing premises. When I walked along Sauchiehall St, in Glasgow today, arguably the principal shopping and leisure facilty in the town, I was horrified to see the number of once popular and prominent, pubs, cafes etc, cinemas, music venues and department stores all boarded up and creating a depressing environment.
Sadly this demise is largely prevalent throughout the whole of the U.K also and it’s high time local authorities took a realistic look at what constitutes a fair rateable value on these premises in order to maintain a ‘high-street presence’ in the burgeoning age of online shopping which undeniably has its attractions and benefits but surely not at the expense of losing a ‘traditional, personal, shopping experience.

[TonyL]

Beautifully put across as ever, Graeme. And so apt and poignant and, sadly, the case everywhere. A sad loss for all.

[rapidresponse1]

a sad loss for the locals that use the shop

[laverdabru]

However this reduction in amenity is not only confined to airgun retailing premises. When I walked along Sauchiehall St, in Glasgow today, arguably the principal shopping and leisure facilty in the town, I was horrified to see the number of once popular and prominent, pubs, cafes etc, cinemas, music venues and department stores all boarded up and creating a depressing environment.
Sadly this demise is largely prevalent throughout the whole of the U.K also and it’s high time local authorities took a realistic look at what constitutes a fair rateable value on these premises in order to maintain a ‘high-street presence’ in the burgeoning age of online shopping which undeniably has its attractions and benefits but surely not at the expense of losing a ‘traditional, personal, shopping experience.

Very true - the small shop I was recently working in in our town centre closed earlier this year. The out of town landlord wanted over £30k in rent, then there would have been £10k business rates on top. Even the national chain I was working for baulked at that. The centre, which about a decade ago had an award for being one of the most diverse in the country, has lots of boarded up shops.
As the OP said, the supply chain issues are also causing issues - both my previous & current employers (outdoor wear/car & cycle parts) have been having problems keeping the shelves stocked. Partly due to factories in the East being shut (CV19), container ship pricing & border controls all adding to lead times.

ATB

Bru

[bighit]

Aye indeed, it’s extremely sad to see yet another shop/business closing down and resulting in a lost amenity to the local folk and in the instance of airgun enthusiasts, not so local as well..


I like a bargain as much as anyone but I’ve never been at ease at ‘cashing in’ on someone else’s misfortune, ever since I bought a complete 600cc Norton Dominator 99 Cafe Racer for a tenner back in the 70’’s after it had thrown a rod and wrecked the crankcases, thereby knackering the engine.
However, by way of salving my conscience I towed him and his pillion rider up to my lockup and provided overnight accommodation and hospitality at my folks place and drove them to the station to get a train for London… and I gave him the amount he asked for. In all fairness a bike like that, in working, running condition could be had for 40 to 50 quid, at the time.

About 30 odd years ago, there were about still about half a dozen designated gun shops in Glasgow and a plethora of Ironmongers, sports shops, toy shops, cycle shops, and various others that sold a selection of airguns, pellets and accessories…. To my knowledge there is only one place left in the whole of Glasgow, a city with a population of circa half a million people. All the peripheral towns within a radius of 20 miles had Ironmongers, sports shops etc which have all disappeared, to my knowledge….

However this reduction in amenity is not only confined to airgun retailing premises. When I walked along Sauchiehall St, in Glasgow today, arguably the principal shopping and leisure facilty in the town, I was horrified to see the number of once popular and prominent, pubs, cafes etc, cinemas, music venues and department stores all boarded up and creating a depressing environment.
Sadly this demise is largely prevalent throughout the whole of the U.K also and it’s high time local authorities took a realistic look at what constitutes a fair rateable value on these premises in order to maintain a ‘high-street presence’ in the burgeoning age of online shopping which undeniably has its attractions and benefits but surely not at the expense of losing a ‘traditional, personal, shopping experience.

Aberdeen is the same. Oil capital of europe is now almost a ghost town shop wise.

Buildings are being pulled down if they are empty as the rates are higher than pulling them down.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.eve...ess-rates/amp/

There has been offices built here and never occupied due to the costs.

We have a number gun shops but spread out all over aberdeenshire. I have one 5 mins from my house but I only use him in emergencies due to his prices. He is more interested in the shotgun , centre fire and rimfire users. His secondhand prices are not far off new prices elsewhere.

I go to one near my brothers 150 miles from me to buy my shooting goods as they are a better shop.

[maximus]

Councils need to have a rethink over business rates, they are killing shops and businesses.

[Scott.]

That's a shame, he is miles better than the arrogant clueless one who manages GFS
Admittedly, I drive through to Scott & Yvonne's shop when I need anything as even though Bruce's is closer it takes longer to get there from my house.
GFS is on my daily commute but I'd rather burn my money than step foot in that shop again.

[thisisdonald]

Agreed... GFS is shocking.. I once seen them clear the barrel of a S16 in the shop by hammering a cleaning rod up the muzzle... some guy walked into the shop, pulled it out of a bag, and they seemed happy to brag about being a 'gunsmith' before taking it off him in front if everyone and batter away at it without so much as a check of the rifle!!!

[bighit]

That's a shame, he is miles better than the arrogant clueless one who manages GFS
Admittedly, I drive through to Scott & Yvonne's shop when I need anything as even though Bruce's is closer it takes longer to get there from my house.
GFS is on my daily commute but I'd rather burn my money than step foot in that shop again.

Scott and Yvonne is my goto shop . As I said above I go in when I visit my brother.