Will the Small Dealer be squeezed out of Business

[Rustystud]

Will Cerberus Capital Management follow the lead of Baretta and take the firearms under their corporate umbrella and make them only available to the large stocking dealers. Remington, Bushmaster, DPMS, and those firearms under the Marlin Group have been available to the small dealer through distributors. Baretta on the other hand has taken all the firearms under their umbrella and made them direct sales only. They require large volume initial purchases, followed by additional yearly purchases to get to sell their product. Are these corporations going to put the little guys out of business? The firearms buyers need to be aware of the dim future for the local mom and pop gun shop. As a dealer I was asked to purchase a rifle for a good friend for Christmas. I ordered the rifle from a distributor, paid UPS to deliver it and charged only the required sales tax. The cost was $404.52 my exact cost. I wenbt into a Dicks the day before Christmas and they sold the same rifle for $379.00 and it was on sale for $354.99.

Rustystud

 

[Twud]

In Baltimore we're already seeing it. The Bass Pro store is moving a lot of guns. If you want a rifle, all the other bits and pieces are right there. Rings, bases, scopes, gun cases, and ammo. No schlepping around looking for a part that Mom and Pop didn't have. No guessing what that scope you want really looks like.
I still buy used guns from my local guy and the occassional new one because there are times when I need him.
Wish Bass Pro, or any other store, still carried reloading components. Wally World sells no guns at all in MD.
With in the last year the BATFE has shut down 2 shops.

 

[Spotcheck_Billy]

Providing the best customer service possible is going to be the most important thing that a small gunshop can do to retain customers. A mom and pop business will never be able to compete on prices with the big discounters. Sorry to say that if they won't or can't feature those added value services that the small gunshops were able to offer in the past their future looks pretty bleak.They've got to attract and retain those loyal steady customers who are willing to spend a few extra bucks on a rifle purchase in order to reap the advantages that a small shop can provide. The price buyers and discount shoppers will continue to buy from the mass merchandisers, just as they always have.

Unfortunately, for every proprietor who treats each prospective customer who walks in the door like gold there's another shop,maybe down the street) where a grumpy old fart or a gunstore commando is waiting to literally drive a customer right into the open arms of the large volume national chains.

 

[Rust]

Well, one thing about a Mom and Pop, they can develop a market that a big box store can't. My local small retailer supports Cowboy Action,SASS), vintage military and reloading. Plus they will special order anything which is a pretty good chunk of their business, and take lay aways.

Now days it would be difficult to start a new store but keeping one going is possible.

 

[HappyGunner]

I like to deal with a family owned store where I live they have been around for many years and I trust them. If you don't support your small local stores they will be gone and then all that is left is the BIG BOX stores. There are a few other small family owned stores that I really try to deal with but some of them sure make it a hard thing by treating me pretty raw.

 

[Blaserrman]

I used to be a Dealer in MD . I worked on a small profit. when someone came in for a certain weapon that I knew I could not buy and sell for what Walmart, K-Mart, Sports Athority I
sent then and told them they can buy it less than I can sell it to for.
In the last 5-7 yrs ATfE has closed about 10 shops in the Balitimore area, now lot of the Owners have made stupid mistakes in paper work. I knew all who lost their license.
No such thing as fair trade any more.Now I pay the same as most $45-50 + cost to Transfer pistols or Rifles.

 

[rayjay]

The local shop I use most often is a pawn shop/gun shop. They have a good assortment of powders, some primers and bullets, new and used guns, a good ammo assortment, etc. I buy my new guns from them as their prices are competitive with the internet when you take into account the shipping and transfer fee [ only $10 at this shop ].

The only guns I buy off the net are rare or unusual so it would be very unlikely that a local shop would ever have one. Whenever I have something transferred into this local shop I always buy some powder or ammo to show my appreciation.