Yeah, I was kind of hoping that, too. Someone scouted for me Sat. morning and told me what you discovered. Glad I didn't have to drive 100 miles round trip to discover this.

theyve been reducing stock in the stores lately anyways, so a sale wouldnt do them any good when they can pack that store up in one 18 wheeler load and be done.  I love a good sale though too.. so i definately would have loved one.  oh well.  it should be interesting to see where this is all headed.

Yeah I've noticed that when I went in looking for a barrel last month (both Columbia stores)- I'd have been happy with one of several types as I just had an itch to build something new but stock always seems low and it seems to be mostly freedom stuff, not the CHF.  Are they not getting FN barrels now that FN has a store?  FN charges a lot more than PSA used to.

i believe they are stillgetting things from FN.  I know they also have a new CHF provider.  the store reset at fernandina will hopefully have a nice barrel selection like they do at summerville.  FN does charge alot of money for their stuff thats for sure.  Alot of the stock reduction i believe is due to the worries of a hillary presidency and it not being fulfilled. but that is speculation on my part.

It's kind of a "catch 22" for those of us that shop at the Columbia stores right now. Obviously no one is buying anything from Farrow for a while and with the reset going on at Fernandina, they're not receiving product as often/in the same quantities as normal. Couple that with reducing excess inventory and it might get a little thin until the reset is complete. Plus, as far as barrels and things of that nature, the stores typically get what's leftover from or what doesn't sell well on the PSA website. That's an issue the stores have fought since they've existed.

I believe the Farrow move and Fernandina reset are going to be good things for both stores and their customers will believe it was worth it when both stores are back up and running at 100%.

Just hearing about this... I've got two suppressors in jail at the Farrow Rd store that I bought in November right before leaving on a 11ish month long deployment. Is it safe to imagine the NFA stuff is getting moved to the Fernandina road store?? Hoping to be home in November to go pick them up (if the ATF gets my approval done by then...).

Anybody got contact info (email) for JD so I can try to touch base with him directly? I emailed them from their site... but we all know they aren't always the best at responding to those.

The Farrow crew is going to be working at the Fernandina store while they wait for the new Farrow store location to be completed so I'd call the Fernandina store and ask them.

The store's themselves don't have generic emails but they do have their own Facebook pages.

Would advise you check on it. After a really long wait I called ATF and found they had approved everything and the Fernandina store didn't bother to open their mail or call me. I asked how long I would have waited if I didn't call them and they didn't seem to give a damn about sitting on my can for weeks. Between that and other interactions I've had there I hope the staff at Fernandina improves.

Thanks all for the input, sadly, being deployed calling on a landline isn't gonna work. I'll remain optimistic that my email gets read, if that fails, i'll try to get somebody from their facebook page to get in contact with me.

I had this same idea a short while ago, and got a short answer to the effect that all the "class 3" things (no specific mention of my $1500+ in things) were in a "safe, ATF-approved location." Not really the update I wanted... but it'll have to do till I get back. Thanks for the suggestion.

So for those in the know how's the new store coming along?

Saw JD at the Fernandina store the other week and he was kinda tight lipped about it, but also busy when I spoke to him.

What? No Fernandina Fanbois out there at Hardscrabble licking the window glass at 3am? I am disappoint.

Perfect!

ive been in the hospital until recently, so ive been out of much of the loop.

there is a temporary store being built/ put together now for Farrows team.  Its in the same complex of the new store. hard scrabble and clemson.

Keep us posted on this.

I used the talkatone app while I was deployed, called a number of places, including shooters choice and another fun shop. Was completely free to call a landline in the US.

i'll share what i can as soon as i can. you guys know that by now ;)

rumor has it, the new temporary store, should be opening as soon as this weekend if all paperwork etc works out.

"Rumor has it..."

Don't get too excited about this "temporary location." From what I'm hearing, the new (permanent) Farrow store is completely going to blow away what they used to have, not that it would take much, but many times larger than the old location and an indoor range. At least that's the scuttlebutt I've been hearing. The temporary location is going to be no bigger than the old Farrow location, only less with a less retail-friendly floorplan. JD, his crew and the retail team are being pushed to open the temporary location only because ownership can't stand the thought of not making a sale. I'm sure some of the old Farrow faithful will appreciate being able to get back in touch with JD and his crew but those guys are going to have to do twice the work because "the Bobs" aren't patient enough to take the time to concentrate their efforts on the main new Farrow location and make it everything it could and should be. That said, I have not doubt JD and his crew will do the best they can with what they have, as they've always done.

Greed should never be the basis of a business decision.

I visited the Fernandina store yesterday afternoon.  

I'm wondering who decided to choose light-absorbing dark gray merchandise fixtures as part of a store reset. Combine this with fluorescent lighting 50 feet above the floor and the place resembles a large cave. Yeah, my eyes are nearly six decades old but seriously the lighting in that store is AWFUL.

While I didn't leave empty-handed the selection of AR mil-spec parts and pieces was the worst I've seen. They had nothing. I've seen better stock during the last panic.

Well the building was originally built as an open bay building for selling boats. The original builder didn't take traditional retail into consideration and PSA had never built/re-designed a building for retail purposes when they began work on their Fernandina store, so there's that. If you travel to the other large PSA stores, you can see how PSA learned from past stores and made suitable and noticeable changes to their setup. That said, the new fixtures are not only good looking and more professional looking, they are far more functional and easier to shop as well.

As far as their inventory, if you would've taken the time to ask (which we all know you wouldn't) you would've learned they are getting ready for a wall-to-wall inventory and haven't been receiving standard replenishments. Plus, they've been diverting some product for the new Farrow location.

ARFCOM should start a "sticky" to see how many things ThePontificator can come up with to complain about at the Fernandina store. I'm thinking that thread would easily hit multiple pages.

I just wish that, as their main store, they'd have a section for the warehouse scratch and dent/blems.

I don't know that I'd say it's PSA's "main store." It was definitely the store that kicked off the movement that has led to what is now PSA's retail model. If you haven't been, you need to check out the PSA Summerville store. It'll blow your mind.

That said, even though that store is just over 13000sq ft, it has very little back stock space. That's always been an issue with that store and the main reason it hasn't participated in the "in-store pick-up" orders. They made an exception since the Farrow store closed but they simply don't have the space to house anything and everything people want. Plus, the people in-charge of what product goes on the PSA website are very stingy when it comes to sending some of that same product to the PSA retail stores. The stores have no control over that. The PSA retail stores' biggest competition is the PSA website. The owners don't care because to them, the money goes into the same pocket but it's extremely frustrating for the retails crews when you're tasked with making sales goals but can't get the product your customers are asking for.

I can verify that last statement.

I live in Columbia, so Fernandina is my “home store”, but I recently headed to Summerville to do a F2F deal for a Mossberg 930 SPX I won on Gunbroker. Since I was there, I figured I’d swing by PSA to look for a shotgun case and test out my new acquisition with a couple boxes of slugs. Walking up to the store was impressive enough, but when I got inside, my eyes really got big. It’s an amazing store, and the range is nicer than Fernandina’s as far as equipment and overall space. They also have it split into rifle and handgun only sections, which is probably a good idea considering the number of dirty looks I’ve received over the years from pistol shooters when running my P415 at Fernandina.

Having said all that, unlike some here I’m very impressed with the renovation of the retail area at Fernandina. Regardless of color, I think the new shelves and cabinets are a huge improvement over what they had before, and I’ve never thought that the store felt dark or cave-like. But then again, I don’t have 60-year old eyes, so YMMV.

yes, i agree. i bet its gonna be as nice as or much better than summerville.  And thats a High Bar to meet, facilities wise.  Staff wise, As long as JD is piloting that ship, well, he's the man.  and i have faith itll be a bad ass store.  

The temp store is an old karate dojo, so its small.  like origional farrow.  the fact is though, my favorite crew has their own house again, and that makes me happy :)   Although i question the business sense and expense in setting up a temp store, especially when they had all year to get on the ball and build the new one.  I've heard this scuttlebutt for over a year now, and from the person that told me about it, this store should have been open already.  I cannot agree more archer with the double work due to the bobs.  but it is what it is, and until big little bob becomes figure head and spokesperson, and they put a change in direct upper managemnt, well.. you know.. i know, etc etc.  

it looks much better in the Summerville store, but remember old fernandina is not desinged like their new building design is... and that is what new farrow will be as well.  The furniture came from like montanna, as its the only place its made or some shit like that.  but the rifle shelves slide out,and are much more easy to work with.  I actually love the new furniture at fernandina, im just not keen on trying to reset that location, when they could/should buy a new locaton / renovation like theyre doing at the new farrow and what they did at summerville.

as for stock, believe it or not, its actually better stocked than its been in a long long time.

man, thats a great idea.  Maybe JD can get that going at the new Farrow when its fully built.

ill float that idea to him to run it up the flagpole.

i think he meant their Flagship store that is going to be right down the road/is right down the road from the new corporate headquarters building.   I agree about summerville as ive stated before.  I bet new farrow will be that way as well.

agreed about the backstock space.  their gunroom is so damn full last i saw you cant fit a piece of paper on another shelf. That said, they do have the white warehouse building that could in my opinion be repurposed for more stock and in store pickup could be arranged by moving all their backstock to that building.  Although i dont know what that building is now used for since the build stations all moved to Dunbar a few years ago.

again we agree on the website vs the stores, and the pockets being lined.  Hey just build another lake house and be happy right.  I feel for the stores staffs because of those reasons you listed above.  Although JD with his personal touch of management has helped a TON getting things for his customers that you cant find in most of the stores.

Also, unfortunately the new farrow did not open today. Licensing is a bitch.

I visited Summerville, Mt P, and Fernandina yesterday. Fern is dark comparatively.  It needs more light and lighter-color walls.

yeah i can agree, but you know its miles ahead of what it was before.  How'd you like summerville?

The Summerville store is very well done.  It "feels like" a true retail store vs. repurposed space with stuff kinda' heaped together by category.  The floor plan, stocking, and merchandise display rival those of, say, a Sportsman's Warehouse or small Cabelas.   Summerville's optics selection is amazing, namely practical/tactical scopes and mounts.  I haven't seen one quite like it other than Nichols Store in Rock Hill or Clyde Armory in Athens, GA.

Another interesting tidbit.  Summerville sent all their SIG P320s back to SIG for the upgrade program to correct the -30 degree drop issue.  The new trigger is nice.  Fernandina still has P320s with the old trigger.

yeah, i figured you'd love summerville. bout anyoen who sees it does.  god knows i do.  I cant wait for the new N.E. Store to open.  JD gonna rock that house.

Fernandina, is leaps and bounds better than it was.  You can see that Chet, Casey, James, and the rest of the crew has been busting ass there lately.  I hope it continues.  But like you said, there is only so much they can do with a repurposed space that wasnt laid out for a specific plan like the new stores are.  It going to be additionally difficult on Chet and the rest of the crew at fernandina now that the new corporate office for JJE capital is literally 2 blocks down the road.  (the building is clearly marked lol)

anyways, im excited still about whats to come for PSA, and their stores.  I hope that with the reset of Fernandina, they will finally let them stock the stuff they deserve and need to be successful.

Slow down, GCO. The new Farrow store will barely be as big as the Fishing Department in the Summerville store (new Farrow indoor range included) so while it will be a HUGE improvement over "old Farrow," it won't quite be at the level the Summerville store. That's a 30,000sq ft retail space alone, excluding the indoor range. They're two completely different types of retail stores and aside from being owned by the same money-hungry group of people, they will share very few similarities.

That said, JD and his crew will definitely be able to stretch their legs and grow as a team a little more and, in my opinion, will exceed every expectation (except GCO's "better than Summerville" expectation) everyone would have for him and his staff. I think the best is yet to come for JD and his team.

GCO, the new fixtures are made by Quality Woodworks at of South Dakota. They are the company that make the fixtures for Cabela's as well. I would assume they would use them for the new Farrow store too but I don't know that for a fact. It would only make sense so that means PSA may not do it.

hey man, no need to slow down, the gates are open and the thoughts are flowing.  I know its not as big as summerville, but im saying it will be as good, physically, and better due to JD's team.  I think that while they need to taylor the stores they put in for the area some, they would be amiss if they didnt simply shrink summerville some and keep the same pattern.

Money hungry is good, if its working.  I dont think its good right now.

i agree about JD's team stretching and growing.  I know they will exceed my expectations and everyone else's.  its what they do.  You cant fake good customer service.  I agree the best is yet to come.

South Dakota, Montanna, both out west and places ive never been.  close enough for this government workers work.  Yeah they do for cabelas lets hope thats not a reflection of the prices though cause cabelas is over priced as hell usually lol.  I'm sure they are gnna use them, its after all what they just reset Fern with.  

its eciting times for the columbia stores without a doubt.  I just hope that the finish stocking Fern properly, as they really need to load that store up with stock, instead of having double and triple pegs of the same items.

sorry brother, no news other than the fact that licensing is holding us up.

Been awhile since I've been in the Fernandina store until last week. There was just one building (now the fishing store) last time as a matter of fact.  Really liked the layout and selection. 

Anyhow, as with most large gun stores and even sporting goods stores there are some interesting critters roaming about. Oddly enough though this trip the most interesting one was behind the counter. Ever seen an employee spontaneously clear their chamber and just start practicing quick draws and dry firing their carry piece in a gun store?  There was an RCSD investigator looking at some accessories while I was there and I noticed his reaction was not nearly as well masked as my reaction. I'm sure we were both stunned.

Was a first for me. Got my firearm and GTFO...

while ive seen those do this with guns that are on the shelf many times, i've never seen this with one they were carrying.  I wish you had said who, as it would be interesting to know if they were still after yesterdays "cleaning of house" where fernandina lost a bunch of managment and staff.  bunch of high ups are gone from there, Store mgr walked a week and half ago, acting mgr, assist and  some others got the deep 6 yesterday.. we'll see. they are in the process of growing and restaffing now. hope its changes are for the good.

Any specific reasons stated for their collective dismissal that you've heard?

nothing heard. just observed. its long overdue. while they were nice folks, i dont think they have the passion.  the lead manager who walked out was a good guy, but didnt need the job, and that can breed throughout the ranks easily.   I mean if you look for instance at the nice new shelves closely enough, you see they merely appear full, but many are repegged 2 3 4 times of the same product.  fernandina needed cleaning, its getting cleaned now.  i hope it is for the better of the store.  there are a select few there i explicitly trust, and they are still there.  that tells you alot when you look from the outside in from what i see.

All kidding aside it's well known that retail has a high turnover.

GCO, I don't know where or who (actually, I probably do know) you got your information from but it's just flat wrong. I'll stop short of calling it a lie only because you got your information from someone else. I happen to personally know a few of the people that were let go and your assessment is misinformed at best. The gentlemen who was the Store Manager at Fernandina resigned. There were issues at work and at home that led to his decision. He was well-liked and respected by his staff and I know for a fact it was an extremely difficult decision for him. It had NOTHING to do with him not needing the job. Ask any of the PSA Store Managers where the root of their issues are and they'll point to the top of the PSA food chain. The people that lost their jobs, THEY DID NOT RESIGN OR QUIT, were not the basis of the issues that plague the PSA retail stores. Regarding your "passion" comment, the only thing that was accomplished by this "cleaning" was PSA lost the only people that were passionate about retail in the entire company. So while you revel in the thought of bettering your shopping experience, good people with families woke up today wondering how they're going to pay the rent/mortgage this month. But don't let that get in the way of you and your reliable source.

The reasons for the "repegged" product go beyond the retail stores' control. They don't have the power/capabilities to order/replenish their own product. The ordering is handled by a procurement department but every single order must be approved by someone else. If that someone else didn't feel like writing the check for that order, it doesn't get placed. Don't get me started on the black hole of a warehouse PSA runs. Countless orders and product disappears or can't be found all the time. All of this leads to what would be half empty shelves if the product wasn't spread across multiple pegs, or "repegged."

What you think you see "from the outside," isn't a factual representation of what's actually going on inside. There's a lot of panic and uncertainty within the retail division right now and nothing about that is good, especially given the fact they're entering their busiest time of the shopping season. This was just one more terrible decision and I assure you, things will get worse with the retail stores before they get better.

Your source doesn't know anything above his paygrade and I assure you, the water is far murkier up there than he is aware. All I know is there are between 140-150 retail employees that now wake up every morning wondering if they're going to have a job when they get to work.

Feel free to reach out to me if you wish to discuss this any further but in the meantime, leave the fake news to CNN. And if your source disputes this, feel free to tell him to reach to me as well.

Yes, retail in general has a high turnover. PSA retail turnover has been below the industry norm.

now i said the person walked out a week ago. I didnt say why, i didnt say exact dates, nor did i say really anything negative of that mgr.  I know you know/ knew alot of the folks, as you used to work there high up, but as i stated, alot of folks (3 is a lot in a store that size) being let go. not including that guy who walked out.  thats top end mgmt, maybe i got a position or two wrong, maybe i didnt.  I never disliked him, and only wish him the best.  the only bad interaction i ever had with him was giving me bad advice about just doing a face to face arms deal with a guy out of state. From what i understood he was military and retired, thus the comments on not needing the job. I agree with the issues of the top of the psa chain and have said so for years.  Although i have a TON of respect for them at teh same time, i think they should stick to what they're best at and let true corporate helmsmen and women run the show from that angle.  I hate that it appeared that i was writing an attack on the mgr who walked otu, as it wasnt.  i never said those folks were the basis of the problems, Im stating they werent helping. for whatever reasons may be.  The passion comment was self observation. i dont view these folks as being passionate about retail. I didnt see this store after a full restaging be stocked with quality products that have been needed in the store for years, instead i see multiple pegs of the same items on new hangers.  thats not just the store fault, its mgmt, and wearehouse, and whoevers cockblockign the store from getting whatever it needs. I never said they wernt good people, I feel for them, ive been unemployed before, i know how it is. i've done retail.  And who says i have a source at all? alot can be gleaned just from standing in store you know.

i know this is some of the issue.  I know that if a company plans a re-staging of the store months in advance, they can plan to hold stock months in adavnce. they did so with summeville i saw the pallets upon pallets when jamin walked me  around them saying this entire half is for summerville.  it isnt just the store that has the issue with stock, thats known, but not getting the stock to be there when you re-stage a full store is only half assing it at best.  I know of the black hole warehouse as ive been there too, at dunbar as well as the old farrow, seen both.  its amazing they get stuff to folks at times in my mind at all.  I'm surprised the entire shebang hasnt been outsorced to  a company who knows logistics yet.  its like they like to think they know how to reimagine the wheel for fun.


ive seen the terrible decisions just on how they rented the farrow store before having a new place up for them only to rent another space and make a store temporarily instead.  its pissing money away.  theres a lot of good at fern, and fern could be great again if they'd stock it with both good folks and equipment / items for sale.  i love the new look and many of the crew left are great folks. but when i cant come in and find a simple PSA branded gas block or 7" barrel as the entire barrel rack is damn near empty, theres a problem.  I dont want to imagine whats going on in the retail deviision anymore than i do as i do now, as i dont want to work in retail. Ive been there, done that spent 20 years getting an education hoping i dont have to do that agian.  If what i speculate from the outside is not whats going on on the inside how big a shitshow is it in the inside?  

again, with the source.  who says i have one, two , 10, or just stand in the store looking at items watching people come out crying.. who knows.  perhaps retail isnt a career they should be in knowing that fact.  God knows i didnt want to live in that environment so i quit.  Granted runnign dollar stores, c-stores, and auto parts stores is a little different than running a gun store.

i wish i knew which source you were talkign about. perhaps if you gave me a name i'd tell them to contact you if this source of mine has an arfcom, as i cant really even remember yours now, other than you were once high up at psa. Look man, you know i love PSA as its my home team, the local boys the palmetto team and i am if nothing more a giant patriot of the palmetto state and want nothing more thanfor it to succed and have the best stores and biggest chains possible, but it really seems like its confusing as to what it wants to do, be and how to get there. their website has 80% of shit out of stock, and when its in stock it may have multiple adds for different prices for the same items, and when you find items you cant find them in stores, and when you do they dont have the right prices on them... and etc etc.etc.