There's no WalMart where I live, only a KMart which I refuse to do business with  - not because of Rosie O'Dogma, but because the people who work there are incompetent, lazy and apathetic.

The only thing that even approaches a 'local shop' is an Ace Hardware store that sells some limited ammunition (actually a rather bizarre selection) at insultingly high prices...but I buy a lot of other little knick-knacks for fixer-up projects because they are close and employ some of the friendliest, most helpful employees I have ever known.  Their prices are probably item for item higher than Home Depot or Lowe's, but neither of them are as close and the employees sure as hell aren't as helpful.  I consciously do business with them because of that, knowing that I am paying more than I might elsewhere.

Face it - the WalMarts and Home Depots of the world will continue to dominate the retail scene because they have the purchasing power to do so.  What will allow the 'little guy' to survive is customer service - making the extra effort to make the customer not only feel welcome but wanted and important - something that WalMart could care less about.

Wally World is growing like weeds around central Pa.  I refuse to go there, long lines, no place to park, slow fatasses, etc.  I do have a local dealer who is pretty decent, his wife is a real b!tch, if she's there and he's not I split.  Most of my ammo is gunshows or mailorder.  

I think you did the right thing. I've worked in a gunshop for the past 6.5 years while going to school (I'm a little slow). The difference is the service that you get when you shop at a real gunshop. I don't know what you guys do for a living, but you have to get some mark up on your products if you want to stay in business. A good gunshop should have great service, this means hiring knowledgeable and helpful staff, good selection and good prices. There are numerous costs involved in running a business.
The valley I live in is probably one of the most competetive places in the country when it comes to gun prices. There is one dealer, that mostly does pawns, and used guns. He has a limited selection of new guns, which he marks up about ten dollars. He does more business than any one else in the state. But, his service is notoriously bad. There are many customers who won't even shop there due to prior bad experiences.
Anyways, the shop I work at has continued to increase in volume and profit every year I have worked here. We did it through service, selection and reasonable prices.
Walmarts is not even a factor here, their prices are high,except on Federal shotgun shells and 22lr, service is nonexistant and they don't carry much stuff.
There are more tactful ways of creating a loyal customer, but sometimes you have to do, what you have to do.
Jay
I too

I think there is a good side and a bad side to Wal-Mart. It's good that they are actively selling guns and ammunition, and making at least some attempt to buck pressure to stop. K-Mart here still has a few lame guns, but seems totally disinterested in actually selling any. Shopko stopped selling even ammo.

It is also good that they sell "entry level" .22 rimfire ammo and similar items so cheap. Before Wal-Mart came to my area the best deal I could find locally was 10 bucks for 500 plain lead .22long rifles -- on sale. Wal-Mart regularly sells 550 of the plated ones for $7.99 and I can pick between 2 brands. Having this cheap ammo available acts like bait to entice more people into our gun culture, from which they can never escape. This actually helps local dealers in the long run, and my local dealer said he feels the same way.

On the other hand, lots of "beer hunters" probably do find everything their simple minds could desire at Wal-Mart, and that could be bad for small shops. And if the small shops go under, we've got all our eggs in one basket then. That's scary -- just look at how UPS is screwing us.

As far as imports go, I am a bit sentimental and would prefer to buy American-made. But my brain tells me that active free trade between countries is a good thing. Even in the case of China, if there is any chance of friendship between our two nations, or any chance of defeating communism as an economic system, it is going to come about by free trade. You think those Chinese workers building all those stereos and TV sets and GPS units don't get a longing to enjoy that type of lifestyle themselves? You think the Chinese plant managers and sales representatives don't consider how their profits could be higher if only they could shake that strict communist government off their backs? Therein lies our chance to bury communism once and for all.

By the way, I'm a machinist myself, but I HATE how our labor unions here pat themselves on the back for supposedly raising our standard of living. Sure, union workers get higher pay, but my gosh that obviously means the products those workers make cost more to manufacture. So everybody, including those very workers themselves, must pay more to live. It's like a dog chasing its own tail. It wasn't fat lazy union workers that raised our American standard of living, it was men like Henry Ford who figured out better products and better ways to make them.

I never buy firearms or firearms related merchandise from Wal-Mart.  They never have what I need, and besides they don't carry reloading stuff.  

Businesses/people who blame others sucess for thier own failure are exactly why small businesses/people fail.

Look to provide a service that Wal-Mart does not. Putting in the extra effort is how your business will succeed not blaming your failure on your competitor.

He was just being a smart shopper and looking for the best deal. You were an ass.

Sporty...  You must have a ton of business to be running off customers like that....
You should project the better Image for us small business owners by not taking things so personal.... We sell service, and have more knowledge of our products than any minimum wage earning lackey's working for Wall Mart...  

I do shop at Walmart for price and 24 HR convenience...  I just bought the Gerber "Gator" Knife and sheath for 29.99    and their 20 gauge shotgun by New England firearms for 79.99.... Both of which are US made....  I go out of my way not to support the PLA by buying Chinese, but when a Tasco BSA red dot scope is 54.95 at my local gunshow...  what's a poor man to do?    

I might suggest you not bring your problems from Home to work next time....  [;)]


realist

I'm not a big fan of WM either.  I think most of their stuff is crap.  The only thing I buy there is oil and shotgun shells.  I did purchase a winchester shotgun there though. I prefer to buy American when I can, but its hard to pay more for something when I can get it cheaper at WM.

Like it or not, that is the free market economy. And it is how America became as prosperous as it is.

To bash Walmart's buying power and their resultant ability to provide the lowest price is anti_American and anti-free enterprise.

How they treat their employees is an entirely separate matter.

Personally, I do almost ALL my buying from FFL's. Walmarts shotguns and deer rifles bore me.

If you gonna bash Walmart, let's take it the next step. You gotta bash those dang internet dealers who can undercut the local FFL dealer as they also have greater volume and lower overhead.

Consistency, people.

Some of you guys must be real jerks.  Wal Mart employees are generally very polite to me. Some of them are kind of dumb, and so are worthless if I need some help finding something, but they mean well.

Maybe you all expect too much from minimum wage workers, or maybe it's because  I live in rural Louisana and we are just a little more well mannered than you yankees.

Why single out Wal Mart?  Every city in America is stuffed to the gills with Targets, K-Marts, PetCos, Bed Baths and Beyond, Lowes, Home Depots, and other large chain retailers.  There obviously must be a lot of competition, even with Wal Mart.

People flock to these stores because they like to save money.

Just for the heck of it, I drove to Monterry one weekend and stop into Cold War Relics. Local guys trying to provide a needed service while trying to make a living. My kinda of store. Sure do miss them now that they are out of business due to PRK laws.

I avoid places like Walmart and Fry's Electronics. You are depressing your local economy. Not to mention what you are doing to the trade balance.

I agree with you 100% Gary.  We just got a Wal-Mart and I HATE it.  I always pay the few extra bucks to help support our local merchants and especially the gun dealers.  I avoid wall-mart - it is the LAST place I look for anything!

The way I see this, we should look upon stores like Bass Pro Shops and Target more harshly than Wal Mart.  The former are traitors to gun owners, and the latter refuses to even sell targets (come on, it's called Target, for Pete's sake!).  There are many levels of seperation between the traitor Bass Pro Shops, liberal commie owned Target, and Wal-Mart.  If I couldn't find something first at my local dealers, I would try Wal-Mart before crappy old K-Mart or some online place that doesn't employ locals.  WalMart still sucks, just not as much as these others.

When I want to buy ammo for my hunting rifle I have two choices.  First, Wal-Mart.  The shells cost $12 a box.  Second choice, local sporting goods store.  The price is $14 a box.  I buy Wal-Mart, not because it is cheaper, but because the sporting goods store gouges on everything and is run by a bunch of pricks.  I WANT them to go out of business.

When I buy guns, I go to another local shop.  Their prices are fairly competitive with Wal-Mart.  I buy there because I want them to stay in business.  If this shop sold hunting ammo I probably would buy it there, even if it cost me a few bucks more.  But if they threw me out just because I told them that Wal-Mart had ammo for a few dollars less, I would not go back.

You are what is wrong with the Wal-Mart shoppers of the world.

See post above.

I Really started something with this Walmart Thread. For those of you who thought I was kind of rough on that guy who wanted the mag I guess you all are right. The customer is always right even if he is an Asshole. I can see I should have been nicer but hell you all don't know this guy. He is so F#@king tight he tries to come in here and trade me used brass he picked up off the range for 22 shells.
Thanks to all of you guys who see things my way. I enjoyed your posts

I try to buy EVERYTHING gun related at my local gun shop even if it costs a little more.  It's a real gun shop, not some mega-sporting goods store. Most of them don't even sell baseball bats, only designer clothes.  My local WM started stocking reloading supplies.  For some reason they didn't stay with it.  If my real gun shop doesn't have it I go where I can get it.  They are not real good at keeping small items in stock.  WM may be an option, but not my first choice.  At least they have not turned PC and refuse to sell guns.  I spend a lot of time "visiting" the gun stores.  Sometimes I don't buy anything.  Other times I drop a bundle. One up scale store here would send customers to buy 22 ammo to WalMart.  They didn't want to be bothered stocking such small stuff.  To bad they are now out of business.  I'm rambling.  I don't blame you for being insulted by the guy with his HighPoint problem.  I hope that shops like you run are around for a long time.  Best.  Watch-Six  

SPORTSMANS SUPPLY, did my order for a [u] phased plasma pulse-laser in the 40 watt range [/u] come in?  Somebody said you can get me one in about a week.  Wal Mart wouldn't EVEN try to order one for me!   [:(!]

[b]-RoadDog[/b]
 [img]http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/Gif/scooby1.gif[/img]

That's exactly what many gun dealers (and motorcycle dealers in my experiance) are lacking.  They behave as if they are doing you a favor by taking your money...

I have bought 2 motorcycles from a dealer 6 hours away because he greets you at the door and busts his ass to make you happy (and doesn't rip you off).  I walked into my local dealer's showroom with $15,000 in cash.  The only person around was a high school chick at the parts counter.  She went in back and told the owner that a customer was waiting... 30 mins later he graces me with his presence..  I told him that I was buying a bike that week and was paying cash.   He wanted about $1000 over MSRP...   I didn't even bother to dicker with that ridiculous start.   He had that smirk that said "you'll be back".  I came back alright, 2 days later on my new bike and bought a $5 cup holder just to let the guy know he lost a big sale.

The point is, many local businesses are not going under because of Walmart, they are going under because they drive customers away with their attitude problems.

Yeah, I'll bet that you've never haggled on the price of a car, used a store's price matching policy to get a better price, or offered less than the ticketed price to stretch your dollar and get the best value. You reek of hypocrisy. Quit making an ass out of yourself and spare us your phony sense of elitism.

Hey Guys you all will love this!! Mr. asshole Walmart lover sent his buddy over here today to get him to order the Hi-point mag. I acted like I didn't know what was up and ordered it for him. I could see Mr asshole Walmart lover sitting out in his truck waiting on him. I am still laughing my ass off. I guess he couldn't get it anywhere else. I still made him a deal on the mag as well.  

Just out of curiosity, would do think would have happened had you gone out to the guy's truck, offered even a half ass apology, explained that you were having a bad day, and that it is frustrating trying to provide excellent service and compete with Wal-Mart at the same time? Would it have hurt anything? You may have just let a good opportunity pass you by. I suppose it's much more entertaining to ridicule him and make gross generalization about people who shop at Wal-Mart, though. Probably a lot easier, too.

Boomer,
I see your point. I'll probably extend the olive branch when the guy picks up the mag. I still don't give a damn if that tightass gets my point or not. I was not having a bad yesterday. I sold over $5000.00 worth of stuff. But I don't need that guy pissed off at me anyway. Thanks for the advise and have great day yourself.
Gary

I don't know about the rest of the country but here in So. Cal. the guys working the gun rack at Wal-Mart don't know shit. I do look at the prices sometimes and think that that's a damn good price but I believe Wal-Mart can make it without me buying their ammo,motor oil,tools etc.
Here in Cal. we have Turners Outdoorsman, they're like a chain of gun stores that has good prices. There are probably a dozen Turners around and can usually get what you need and seem friendly. At my local indoor range I hear people saying all the time that they support the small business owner and won't buy from Turners. Turners is owned by a local business woman that does more for our rights in this f'ed-up state than any one firearm dealer.Where do we draw the line?
Can you imagine this site if people only bought their stuff from their local dealer and Wal-Mart stopped selling firearm related products?
 

Bravo SS. You probably have won that guy for the long haul. He was probably ashamed of his attitude and didn't want to show his face. If he knows that you know that he was out there he will know that you already extended the olive branch. And let's face it, how many guys need .45 Hi Point Mags?

Best of luck in the future.

Maybe I'll stop in when I'm in your area.

I was tired of all the McUzi crap so I went and brought this old thread back again.

[blue]WAL-MART[/blue] says "all your cash are belong to us"

I'll tell you why I am willing to pay a lot more and shop at my local dealer's place.

1)He spends even more time than I do fighting the commies in the state house.

2)He knows a good powder/bullet starting point for just about any caliber that I plan on hand loading.

3)He has things like primer pocket brushes, and decapping pins in stock, waiting for me to REALLY need one. He has a full line of bullets, (including cast lead), powders, primers, brass and dies.

4)He has a superb inventory of used and consignment rifles, and I love to spend hours talking poltics while fondling that Winchester Model 1917, the Swedish 6.5 Cavalry carbine, and the old Krag.

5)Every once in a while, I walk in and there's THE rifle I have been waiting for all my life.
Tonight, I picked up my very lightly used (30 cast bullet rounds) Ruger M77 SS HBar .308.
Price: $450.00
Just for good measure, I bought 2 boxes of Federal Premium 165 grain Sierra Gameking.
Price $22.95 each.

6)He is a just a plain good ol' boy! [:)]

Not to change the subject I just want to put a little twist on this thread. First let me say I try not to shop at wally world. I have NEVER bought anything firearm related at wally world. I want to know isn't using the internet or mail order hurting the local gun shop owner just as bad as the Wal-marts of the world. Where does one draw the line in being loyal to the local gun shop. Being 35 years old I have been intrigued by, and use the ability to sit at my PC and order things I need or want for my hobby Mags, ammo, and other accessory. I still purchase my guns from my locally owned gun shop, but am I doing the right thing by buying smaller ticket items at better prices on line. Something I will have to think more about.
Craiger

My local gunshop is VERY high on prices. They had a pistol that I was interested in. I know they paid about $500 from the distributor. They've had it for about a year. I wanted it, and was willing to pay $600-$625....all I could afford. They wanted about $700. Wouldn't come down. I went and ordered it through a FFL for $525 +$25 transfer.

    I like the guys at the shop a lot, and I'd really like to give them my business, but I can't afford them. I joined their range and I buy as much ammo there as I can afford. I believe in supporting my local shops, but I also have to try and protect my financial welfare.

Craiger,
You bring up a good point.  I Started out selling on the internet and built my business up to the point I could open a store full time. The future gun shop owner will be using the internet or he won't have a future.

I buy all my stuff at gunshows,i know most folks there after seeing themn for last 6 yearsa t eah show. I hate to walk into a store period and know more than the guy behind the damn counter but have him act like Im the dumbass!

This is a little off-topic, but those door alarms Walmart have Pissed me off.  I went there today to buy a few things.  I bought some batteries, 35mm film, a few cases of soft-drinks, and some other snack items.  I go through the registers, pay for my items, and the cashier bags them.  I pick the bags up and proceed to the exit.  When I go through the doors the alarms sound.  This freckled faced punk and a heavy set woman come rushing over and grab my bags.  At this point everyone is watching.  I show them my receipt, and they go through the bag item by item.  Then they cram all the items back in the bag and I try to leave again, alarm goes off.  They call the manager over because they suspect I have something in my pocket.  He tells me the police will be called if I do not empty my pockets.  I tell him what a joke this is, hand him the bag, then walk through the door. The alarm DOESN'T sound.  I tell him to walk through, the alarm sounds.  I then tell him that they should call the police because he just shoplifted!!  It seems that the cashier did not cancel one of the security tags on a package of batteries.  I told the manager that I should get all today's purchases for free and he should give me a complete apology over the load speaker in the store, along with running an ad in the local paper.  

I have polled the guys at work, this isn't the first time these alarms have gone off on innocent customers.  The worst place is Home Depot.  They love selling tools, but hate taking the anti-theft tags off of them.  

OSA

Coming from a small town in Pennsylvania it seems like second nature to shop at small businesses.  Here in Anchorage there are many small gun stores to chose from.  Without a doubt they are my first choice when shopping for firearms.  I'll gladly pay 10-30 bucks more for friendly personally service then be another number at Mal-Mart.  I've got two stores that I frequent and in some cases I've gotten deals that matched Wal-marts prices.  I'm more then happy to give the same amount of cash to a small business them Mally World

I could see this guys point IF he was buying a big ticket item, and trying to save 75.00 or more by going to a big store. BUT for so little money, come on!!  Guess he is a real J.O..

One of our local gun dealers has a little message on the bottom of his receipt.  "Support your local Gun & Ammo dealers.  K-Mart and WalMart don't care about the Second Amendment.  Exercise your Rights!".

GREG3 Which Wal Mart in Louisville???

I have the misfortune to live in this same small town that Sportsmans Supply has his store in.  Until he opened up, there was a 110 mile trip to Lubbock, Texas to buy ammo and reloading supplies.  The Wall Mart here never stocked any of the ammo I needed - even common items like 223 and 357.  When they did, I was not shooting the bullet type in the poor selection they had.  He has always treated me right, and I will continue to support his business.  I generally roll my own ammo, and unless I order truckload quantities of bullets and powder, he can match the prices I am paying to mail order them in.  Unless Wall Mart has a sale, I am able to get as good as buy on rifles at his store.  Plus he sells Armalite and Bushmaster.

I always buy my .22 ammo from WW.  They are by far the cheapest and they carry the copper-coated stuff, not the nasty lead-bulleted stuff.  There are several gun dealers in town, but they all charge rediculous prices.  All the gun stores are still charging $3.95 for a 20 round box of 7.62x39 russian ammo.  About $6-7 for a 20 round box of .223.  And they all try to sell SARs for $450.  There's definately a difference between trying to make an honest profit and trying to screw people over, and $4 for a box of russian 7.62x39 is screwing people over.  I order all my ammo over the net from dealers that deserve it like Cole's, AIM Surplus, and Ammoman.  I only buy my guns from the message boards, either from a private party or a reputable dealer and have them transferred to a local dealer for the $20 fee.  I always end up getting my stuff far cheaper than what the local gun stealer charges, and usually get a better product.

Oh yeah, when the alarm goes off when exiting WW, just keep on going.  The alarms are usually pretty quiet, "you have activated the....", and by the time the "greeter" that never greets notices it, I'm long gone.  I haven't been stopped yet in the half-dozen or so times it has happened.

And I never purchase anything at Target.  They're the only department store that doesn't sell firearms or accessories.  KMart has pretty much the same line of firearms and accessories as WW, but their prices are much higher.  They're also out of stock on items a lot.

Another place that I shop for ammo and accessories for is Longs Drugs.  When I first moved here, the last place I expected to find ammo and guns was a Longs Drugs, but they've earned quite a bit of my business.  They're the cheapest local place that sells 7.62x39, at $2.19 a box.  And they even carry military surplus ammo and guns.  I've seen Makarovs a few times at Longs.  Anyone else shop for their ammo and guns at Longs?

I WAS AT WAL-MART ON ONE OCCASION, IT WAS X-MAS TIME AND I HAD A NINETENDO FOR MY KIDS. WELL I GOT UP TO THE REGISTER AND THE ASST.MGR. CAME UP TO ME AND ACUSED ME OF EATING CANDY AND NOT PAYING FOR IT. THEN AFTER A DISPUTE IN FRONT OF THE CUSTOMER'S SECURITY CAME AND APOLOGIZED AND SAID HE HAD TOLD HER THAT IT WAS THE MEXICAN GUYS. I LET IT GO BEING UNARMED BUT I'M AS WHITE AS AN ALBINO!

I buy 12Ga. target loads there when I'm too lazy to reload. They used to sell a 'cheap' Federal load that worked well in my autoloader. I would never purchase a firearm there, I'm not sure the people working there even know which end of a shotgun the pellets come out of.

Guys I hate to say this but the real problem with Wal Mart is the CUSTOMERS. Most people will drive around town all damn day long to save 50 cents and then brag about the great deal they got.  Most people don't give a flying damn about the small, independent business owner. All they care about is price and they are willing to be treated like cattle in the process.

My father owned/ operated an old style Pharmacy from 1951 until he died in 1982. My brother kept running the place but finally closed it in about 1986. By then we were buying from the drug companies for more than places like Peoples (now CVS) were selling for. SAME STORY DIFFERENT BUSINESS.

THE ONLY THING MOST PEOPLE GIVE A CRAP ABOUT IS PRICE.

DID I MENTION THE ONLY THING MOST PEOPLE CARE ABOUT IS PRICE?

There, I feel much better now.  [:D]

I Am glad to see that I am not alone in my feelings about Walmart. I don't know how they can get away with treating customers like they are criminals. I guess so much stuff is stolen  off of them they think we are all theives and can be treated as such.