Yeah, really.  

 

Why LOL? This isn't an idea I just pulled from the top of my head, my local gun shop has an indoor range with rentals... If a gun shop in California can pull it off then i'm sure it's possible elsewhere.

 

Unlike Somolia, milsurp is drying up here in the states

Oh yes dear God this.

So what's the running total so far? 15 million for the facility and another 50 in merchandise?

Keep your store organized. Don't put your clearance in a store. That makes the sales floor look like crap. Sell that online.

Don't overstock lots of stuff just cause you can get as loads of displayers (magpul) that's called defensive merchandising.

Don't make up bullshit stories. If you don't know then say you don't know and have a computer nearby with a printer to find the answer or back up any claims you make.

You need just as much middle of the ground product as much as you do high grossing items. Keep that shit balanced. I don't want to see a desk full of fish bowls with Chinese crap hoping for an extra sale.

Have your rules posted clearly. In extra large print. But don't ever be a dick about it.

I'd like to see a better section for tooling instead of the random AR barrel wrench.

By the way. If your an elitist. Then get used to dust.

That is all.

Mostly having a good selection of quality firearms at reasonable prices. It sucks walking into a store and having nothing on the shelf but being told "we can order it for you". I want to cash and carry. Also if you are opening a shop, kick out the "coffee guy" and Douchebag behind the counter guy who just feel the need to tell everyone who walks into the store their experience and what the NEED to have and everything else is crap.

This. If it takes 15 minutes per transfer and you charge $15 per transfer, think of it as earning $60 per hour. Don't think of it as, "that asshole should have bought the one I had in stock...for an extra $50".

Carry some of the popular guns new, but focus on cheaper used guns. I'll usually buy a used gun, even if it only saves me $25, because I know I'll probably just beat it to hell anyways.

Utilize the internet. Have an internet storefront to help supplement your B&M store. Have your inventory available online (and current). Make purchasing online an option if possible.

For some unknown reason, my LGSs can't wrap their heads around this concept and think their only way to make profit is to sell over-priced junk and "WTF kind of price is that?!?!" reputable merchandise. That was a good enough business model 20 years ago but not so much today. Strictly B&M shops can't compete with the Online sellers unless they utilize the online model.

A gun store with reasonably priced guns.

Show me a dealer  W /  computerised FFL Guard that can pull one off that fast.

Takes the same amount of time as any transaction.

For you. Not for them.

Gun store near me has a couple class 3 weapons you can try out in his indoor range

Cheap, used guns.

Seriously, I know there isn't much profit margin with old beat up guns, but I just wish more gun stores had a " junk rack" that I could go to to find a project gun to fuck around with.

And a good selection of AR parts. Not just lowers and uppers, ALL the parts necessary to build an AR. Everything from cheap crap to expensive stuff. Again, shitty profit margin for the gun store but it would make a loyla customer out of me since I'd stop in constantly to pick up a new spring, lever, grip, hand guard....whatever.

A well kept range and or cheap transfers get me in the door. I will proceed to impulse buy tons of crap once there, if it is well displayed and enticing.

For products, I want to see inventory, (firearms, targets, holsters, glass, ammo, etc) at prices that are comparable to internet pricing once shipping is factored in.  I am ok with paying a few dollars more for smaller items such as ammo, targets, cleaning supplies, etc. and will pay slightly more for bigger ticket items (such as firearms and glass) in a shop in order to have it now.    

Nothing bothers me than walking into a shop with almost no inventory, being asked what I am looking for, and told that they can order anything I want.  Hell, I can order anything want from the comfort of my own home.  Often times I am not even looking for anything specific, I just have cash burning a hole in my pocket and will spend it if I find something that calls out to me.

As far as brands go, you can't go wrong with the usual Glock, springfield, colt, etc...but what I like when walking into a shop is seeing the unexpected. Such as Noveskes on the wall or a Les Baer in the case.

I also like reasonably priced transfers.  A couple of shops near me are charging $40 - $50 for a transfer...no thanks.

Lastly, be mindful of who you hire to work the counter.  Nothing worse than know it alls and people with no people skills working behind the counter...I've walked into more than one shop ready to spend big fucking money only to walk out empty handed because the guy behind the counter was a fucking asshat.

A National Firearm Dealers Network website. Those that do it right have good prices.

My LGS has a wall full of AR's and cases full of plastic pistols, stuff I could buy anywhere at anytime.  I'm interested in Mil-Surp and older pieces so I end up spending my time and money in pawn shops......  Give people a reason to shop at your place

OP everyone has their idea of what a LGS should be. They have no clue what it takes in $$$ just for items other that inventory.

Since I have a retail shop, offering general gunsmithing, with rifle and pistol ranges for training. I'm 65 and don't know it all for sure so in the end you'll have to make up your own mind about it. I'm out in the sticks, a long way from main street.

You are not in business to compete with the internet. You are not going to be the lowest price on everything so get use to that. Remember you are trying to earn a living by offering a service to your community. Do the transfers for people, even if you have the same item in stock [set your price] and stick to it.

Leave the horse trading stuff in the barn, Price marked is what it is. Remember you can't please everyone and you are trying to earn a living.

Your inventory, there will always be items to dust. You are a LGS, stuff is not being delivered in the back and going out the front in an hours time. Sometimes you order an item at a great price and a name brand you think will fly off the rack. A year later its still there, the joys of a LGS. Other times you are thinking I wish I had ordered more of them.

There is a whole lot more, but let's cut through all this typing.

Find a niche in the market in your area, and fill it. If everybody is doing hunting stuff, do tactical, and so on.

Here's an idea for those wanting to start a business I think will work. Why not a store with just accessories. Everything but the gun so to speak. Your inventory cost will be way less, displays will be less of an investment. Lots of possibilities, just something to think about.

The things that have me going to the local gun stores are reasonably priced transfers and items we're shipping doesn't make sense. Ammo cans, small parts. 1 gun store owner I met at the last gun show had something to offer that  interests me and I may take him up on it. He offers to help you build your AR 15 in his shop with his tools if you buy the parts from him. His prices were reasonable if not the cheapest in town. For the first time builder for somebody who is going to be doing something a little different it sounded very appealing. I would pay a little more for the parts than PSA but I wouldn't have to buy tools I'm going to use once or twice.  And I would  be getting advice and knowledge from someone besides  YouTube.

A friend of mine runs a dog grooming shop and a gun store.

His inventory is mainly a few handguns, and then guns he gets in on consignment.  However, he has catalogs for many different places to order guns.  That is the mainstay of his business, he can order your gun, with whatever options it comes with and only charges the transfer fee.



 

Didn't read the whole thread so some of this may have been mentioned but after working in gun shops over a number of years I found the fatal flaw was the guys behind the counter. Hire based on knowledge and people who are focused on the customer's interest, not your buddy who took a carbine course and think he's high fucking speed. When you start making money incentivise your employees to go to trade shows put on by distributors and others like shot to keep them in the know and to create relationships within the industry.

I recently visited a store that had a pretty long workbench outfitted with all the parts needed to assemble ARs and othet gunsmithing tools. Was free for anybody to use. Thought that was a great idea.

Also, don't focus on black guns alone and be sure you and your employees are well versed in many types of shooting and hunting sports as well as self defense needs.

Don't be afraid to give out cards to local smiths, ranges and other shops either. Building a relationship with them will only come in handy.

ETA: Don't be afraid to tell a customer he or she would be better off saving for another month or two to get what he or she really wants buy also understand budgets they set forth.

Only take advantage of assholes.

There's more to add but I'm tired. Good luck.

 

I think we're seeing a pattern . . . a good local gun shop should stock everything that is available on the Internet at prices competitive with Internet prices. These items should be sold by highly trained and professional people (or strippers) in a comfortable friendly environment with some freebies (coffee, sofa, etc.) for the customers. The store should stock all the exotic guns at rock-bottom prices but still offer dirt-cheap transfers so people can buy the same guns somewhere else.

Shouldn't be any problem, right? I mean a fella ought to be able to build a business, hire top staff and make a living selling $9 Magpul mags for $8 each and offering guns at 5 percent over cost. Sounds like a perfect business model to me.

A business can offer price, selection and service -- but only one or two of these at a time. Chose what direction you want your store to take. If you want to stock every little do-dad, accessory and add-on and have trained professional staff on hand to educate the customer you're going to have to concede price to the Internet. If you want to be the low-cost leader you're going to have to streamline your delivery process and you won't be able to afford to have trained professional staff wasting time with tire kickers. You just can't do it all and expect to stay in business.

Whatever course you take, understand that the retail gun business is really tough. Lots of guys think they'd like to do it but they don't understand the challenges. If you're serious about pursuing it, remember that the gun business is mostly about business, not guns. The FIRST thing you need to do is write a good business plan. Sharpen your pencil and run the numbers. Really think about the challenges and how you will address them. Many a fella has lost his ass thinking all he had to do was get an FFL and put an open sign on the door.

http://www.sba.gov/writing-business-plan

Cheap transfers <- $20
Small parts for common, ar's glocks ect
Mags for decent price

Lowers and lpk's

Carry a wide variety of the major players in rifles, pistols, parts and ammo (The brands people from ARF would buy) Also carry some left handed stuff and ambi parts as well.  Competitively price to the internet and add 10

to 15 to match the shipping charges. I haven't been able to find any parts I want for any my AR I'm building or for my pistol at any gun show or LGS in my area. Everything I have bought has been online. I would much rather

go to a store and walk out with my gun or part then and there. I wouldn't mind spending the extra 10 to 15 bucks because I would spend that anyway in shipping.

Most customers are completely unaware how little profit there is in guns these days. There was a time when a gun dealer could sell a $500 gun and make a couple hundred bucks. Those days are over. A dealer is lucky to make $75 on a $500 gun. Most dealers recognize that they are competing against low-cost online sellers like Bud's Guns, etc. They try to price their guns so they are at least in the ballpark when a customer compares to the online sellers (factoring in shipping and transfer fees).

Often the thing that kills the local dealer is the sales tax. A lot of customers will pay $20-$40 more to buy local and not have to wait for a gun bought online to arrive. Add in another $40-$50 in sales tax and the math changes pretty strongly in the online seller's favor. The best thing that could happen to local gun shops would be to tax internet sales.

This.

My god man, have you ever dealt with gun customers? Customers in general are fucked up......gun store customers are the worst.

The major thing I want in a store is decent customer service. Friendly, knowledgable employees that won't condescend to me. People that actually listen to what I want and then help me try to find it.

I don't mind paying more to shop local if I get the customer service and they have access to the products I want.

Oh, and the bouncy stripper ladies would turn away the female customer base, which is composing an increasing portion of the market. If you were to want those customers, offering some options for the ladies wouldn't be a bad idea. Concealed carry pocketbooks, concealed carry holsters for the ladies, firearms-related apparel in ladies sizes, etc.

You are right on both counts.

OP the majority of your customers won't know that AR15 is a forum on the internet.

I know what I want is not as popular but I want parts, diy type stuff. I like an "as is" gun rack of junk I can buy and fix up for fun.  Mark them up 30% and put them out.  Some of us like the challenge.  Lots of AR stuff because that is DIY too. Bubba'ed milsurp.  Most of the hunters don't shoot that much. Don't just cater to them.

That's true. The flip side of that coin, though, is that if you stock the stuff that AR15 owners want, the AR15.com hometown forum will drive customers to your store. You can earn a lot of customer support by stocking the little things like springs, detent pins, end plates, crush washers, etc. If the local black gun community knows they can come to you for a replacement spring when they send one flying across the shop you'll gain a bunch of good will. No, you won't make much, if any, money on these little parts but it's good to do anyway. Think of it more along the lines of a promotional thing you do as opposed to a revenue generator.

I am a tactical/CCW shop stocking all the things you mentioned. Checked into the Hometown Forum. Have a look, the LGS can't afford that for the few sales in your area. Way over what I can afford for one thread in the Hometown Forum. May be worth it if someone is in a big city, but my being in the sticks is a deal killer. Have to be careful of how I post or COC will get you if someone thinks you are promoting your shop. Other shops in the area send customers my way for the black gun stuff since their focus is on hunters.

BTW, the little springs you mention, if a regular customer I just give them one and we laugh about doing the gunsmith crawl [looking for little parts on all fours].

Edit: Almost time for me to go to work. Got several to do on the bench, classes on the 11th and 18th, plus wait on whoever shows up, answer the phone. Oh yeah, got to vacuum the shop too. The joys of a one man shop. Not to mention closing out the 3rd quarter and writing the check to the state for sales tax, but that's tomorrow morning before opening.

There is every reason not to get into the gun shop business. The rest of the retail world prices items 70-100% over cost. Industries where MAP agreements are common always help as well.

It's easy to make money off little parts.  Just but wholesale and mark them up 40%. If I have a choice between buying a list pin online or buying it local so I can go shoot,  I'll buy local. I just won't spend 100% or 200% more

Put a little internet cafe in your shop so customers can surf for deals online and have their purchases shipped to your store where you do the transfer for a fee.  Keep a 10/22 and a .38 revolver in stock just so it looks like a gun store.

Where are you buying AR parts "wholesale"? Serious question . . . . I need to stock up on some more small parts. Yes, I'm an FFL.

Employees that aren't condescending neck beard assholes would be a good start.

Ammo.  Case quantities of popular calibers in stock at a reasonable price, and willing to order something specific I want.  The one shop around here who offered that shut down/retired a few years ago, and all the others have the typical 2-3 boxes on hand at $10+/box markup.

I know it might be a few $$ more than ordering online, and I'm willing to pay it for the convenience and keep your doors open.  If I want to order a case of something you don't stock, make me a deal and I'll pay in advance.  You have zero carrying cost since it isn't in inventory, so make it worth both our time.

Yeah, I'm not suggesting that the local shop post or advertise on ARFcom, just that gun guys talk and they'll talk up shops that treat them right. I've had several nice plugs from members who respond to "where can I find X in Y town" sort of posts. Word of mouth is always the best advertising.

And yeah, giving away a spring is what I mean by thinking of small parts as a promotional thing. If a fella needs an end plate, you sell him that. If he needs a pin or a spring, you usually just hand it over and ask them to think of you the next time they need something.

Guns? Less know-it-alls that don't know shit. Cheap 22lr.

I don't think that what I want in a gun store actually works from a business perspective.

I would like to see higher end products. In stock. That I can walk out of the store with today.
I would also like to have access to smaller parts that I can walk out with today. Like if I am doing a build and drop a pin on the floor and can't find it.
And of course I would like to have a sales staff that knows what they are talking about that can off the cuff give me the pros and cons of stuff compared to other stuff.

All at a reasonable price.
If there was a shop like this, I would pay more than I could order it for online (within reason).

There are stores in my area that have nice people working in them that do know what they are talking about. However, they don't sell stuff like higher end AR accessories. They sell mostly garden variety guns. Which is what 95% of their customers are looking for. But usually that isn't what I am looking for.

I thought I had an insightful response for you but after reading this guy's advice, there is ABSOLUTELY no way that I'm not shopping at this place on a weekly basis. I know guys that aren't even the least bit interested in guns that would become frequent shoppers of this fine establishment.

Find out where the online dealers are buying.  I'm not a retailer.

I agree.  

I don't think I would even consider opening a store front right now.  Internet shopping will slowly kill of the remaining smaller shops.  

I'd think a nice indoor range would be the key to success in the current market.  Keep money coming in even when sales are slow.

ARFCOM guys are not your typical guys and gals who visit gun stores. I'd pay attention to the actual shop owners for advice.

Most people who come into a shop just want to touch and feel the guns, talk a bit and then leave. The money is in training and ranges. That is a huge investment. ymmv

 

The main stores I frequent regularly and actually purchase from have a really good selection of used guns.

At least several large racks of them or I'm probably not coming back. I am always looking for a good deal or something different to try out or add to the pile.
I prefer them to be priced reasonable as well....

The whole "here is a used gun and it is marked just a few dollars cheaper then a new one" is very annoying. I really don't care if its a marlin 30-30 or a browning .22 or some super special serial number mosin nagant hand made by Helga on her back porch. If you don't price them to sell then your inventory stays the same and I probably wont be back. Just last week I stopped by a store I hadn't been at for a year. He still had most of the same crappy beat up used guns on the racks. Mosins for $299, beat up enfields for $500.... No reason for me to ever go back because he doesn't have anything new for me to look at.

Keep your used gun inventory fresh and rotated and you will sell more of them.

Also as a long time sales person/ business owner / manager:

You want to do your very best to get your customers contact info to keep in touch with them. Email them gun deals, and new specials. What would be even better is to get them to give you a short list of their "holy grail guns". And build a database. That way each time a used gun hits your counter you can contact them and maybe get it sold before it even makes it back on the floor.

Just opening the doors and hoping people will come in will end your business quickly. You will have to be the king of marketing, sales strategies, community involvement, sponsorships, and follow up... to gain those valuable relationships that will make or break your business.
Ask yourself if you can spend those hours devoted to growing your business. I spend countless hours shaking hands and calling people, just last Friday we spent $2500 on a one day event to get in front of some customers. My event budget for the first quarter of 2015 is about $27,000.00 and that is just event fees. Doesn't even include supplies or the labor costs for my guys to attend the events.

I'm not in the gun business but the most successful gun stores around me are always the ones sponsoring events, and showing up at matches. I have met the owners of at least 3 stores I frequent at local banquets and fundraiser events. One even joined the chamber of commerce and was on a charity golf committee I was helping with.