Well after several years and several more thousands of dollars I have graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in Wildlife Mgt. Not wanting to go into the Forest Circus, BLM, or NM Black & Blue(Game & Fish). I've started thinking of opening a Gun/hunting/optics/ all-around awesome store in SE NM. I am asking all of you to tell me what makes the perfect store. Here are some of the things you might consider. I am open to all suggestions. Thanks to all who reply!!

Brands of guns? Rem, Win, Savage, Ruger
Semi-custom Dakota, H-S Precision etc.

Camo- Predator, Natgear, high end wool? Nothing from Wal-Mart

Mid to high end optics- Docters, Leupold, Minox, Swaros, Leica. Good tripods, rings etc.

Custom knives

Lots of mounts- public picture board?

Pistols

Reloading supplies

Horse tack

Archery equip

Calls

gadgets

Big buck/bull, coyote calling contests

free coffee

One of the shops here has some chairs and a coffee table in a corner of the store where people can just sit and shoot the breeze. All day there's always a couple of people there. Much of the time its a couple of retirees who are always ready to give an opinion about every subject and product in the store. LOL

You should do all right if you pattern it after Cabelas.

Book section and some referance material. The old cracker barrel in the corner. Mounts, videos on all of the time. Info from outfitters. Gunsmith, Archery, Fly fishing, Sell Good cigars. Plenty of used firearms.

A place where people can come and just dream.

Customer service!! even with all the best products unless you have good word of mouth. Unless you treat your customers good fair and honest. The rest dosen't matter.

Tools; chronographs; holsters; shooting slings; carry straps; steel targets; target stands; reloading demonstrations; bullet casting workshops; scopes mounted while-you-wait; a shooting range, even a short one for scope zeroing, chronographing (charge by the shot?); extra-cool shooting range with moving targets; blocks of ballistic gelatin for customers to shoot at and observe terminal performance; gunsmith for a partner; taxidermist for a partner; butchering/packing/freezing; bow service; archery range; gun safes; cheap cast bullets.

H. C.

Thanks fellas!!! Please, keep 'em coming!!

If you get a chance, visit a Sportsmans Warehouse. You would think your in heaven. Although there might be some liability issues, I wish there was shooting range, even if it's only for Archery.

Folks having time for a chat, friendly advice, and taking every visitor serious even if they don't come in waving a checkbook works for me.

Courageous action though, right out of university. Usually people take a good number of years to become frustrated with what they do, only to find that they've become so glued to their spending pattern that they can't afford to start doing something else...oops, that just slipped out

I'm a sucker for bargains too. One shop in the Netherlands where I used to reside always had good optics for rel. low prices. Got my Schmidt&Bender scope there. Dunno how he did it, but he got *my* attention.

Mounts, you must have a few mounts, Predator camo works for me...things neatly and recognizably organized..there's a store here in Calgary where all the camo stuff forms one big undistinguishable pile of cloth...I couldn't tell one thing from the other.

Have coffee on, know who's the best taxidermist in the area, have a hunting tale ready, and be ready to listen to one.

Deliver QUALITY WORK. Know everything...but *really* know it, don't act as if you do.

Put up some of *my* artwork for sale....

In general: be somebody people love to go to...

I'm getting incoherent...time to go to bed.

Frans

You'll never be able to compete with Cabela's so why try. Sell good quality gear/guns/clothing and they will come. Good luck!

First, get a few million for start up. Second, you would have to be in a good location. Third, mail-order, internet.. stores..
Fourth, good luck.
Fifth, build your empire fast before other big name box stores infiltrate your open territory.
Oh yeah, did I mention the millions you'd need?
Unless you just wanted a smaller store.

Pistolero, First things first. I would like to congratulate you on your recent graduation, that tells me a lot about a person's commitment to see things through. There are some good suggestions above, the main thing regardless of what you sell is to treat people how you would like to be treated. Sell yourself, you are the most important inventory you have. If you like people, you'll do fine. Reread WyoJoe's comments. Some good comments there, and remember, girls hunt and fish too. I wish you well in your new venture.

The second part of this post concerns the people with the disparaging remarks. I'm not mentioning names, you know who you are. Without knowing anything about this person's background or the resources available to them, in your mind you have condemned them to failure. America is the land of opportunity as I recall and also free enterprise. Are these the comments and type of encouragement you would give your own kids? Maybe you're the type of parent that doesn't want your kids to be better than yourself. If these remarks ruffle some feathers, I have one word for you, TOUGH!

Find a good accountant and have him build a cash flow projection for the first five years of business. Then make sure you have the funds to make it through that period before you start.

Most businesses fail for lack of funds to maintain cash flow. Entrepreneurs usually have great ideas for a business, but poor ideas about finances. And financing is what makes a successful business possible.

Hire me to field test all of your products.

Also stock fishing gear as well as trail bikes and ATV's make it a giant store for big boy's toy's.

Matt77 mentioned "millions" and KLN said an accountant.
The fact is, in order to compete, you will need a massive inventory.
Go into a sucsessful gun/hunting store and start counting the guns and optics in stock, and add it up in your head, it's a lot of money.
Hire a very very good gunsmith, that will bring in the high end customers.

I've got a humble suggestion...

You should also sell tobacco and liquor as well as firearms...

Then, you could call it The ATF: Bureau of Alchol, Tobacco and Firearms!

What a great name for a convenience store which sells all the important stuff...

jpb

[ 05-15-2003, 16:01: Message edited by: jpb ]

If you're just out of college, and you don't have any financial commitments right now, I'd take a year and go to work for Cabelas and find out what's hot and what's not. Pick up all you can from the big boys and incorporate what you can into your own store.
As for inventory, whatever items you decide to carry, make sure you have a variety and keep them well stocked. Nothing grinds me more than driving somewhere that advertises reloading supplies only to find one box of Nosler whatevers and no primers. Good luck and congrats on your degree.

Pistolero, if you're still hanging around in Cruces, drop by Custom Cartridge and talk with Carl, the owner. He should be able to offer some sage advice. He started in the business just selling some reloading supplies at gun shows. Now he's about the only gig in town for shooting related stuff. He's always been willing to chat with me.

Treat every customer the same, with respect. Who knows, they will probably come back later with the money! I go into my local gun store to BS and talk about guns. I do not always leave with anything other than a new story, but I stay loyal. Bill knows I will come to him when I need things and I of course am always in need of new toys and firepower!

Sit down with a good cup of coffee, and determine how you are going to convince "bubba" to buy his dove loads from you rather than from Walmart at a buck a box less?

Seriously, out of college you know squat. Go work for Sportsman's Warehouse for a couple of years, and then for Cabelas for a couple of years. Build a little nest-egg.

Then buy stock in Walmart.....

FWIW, Dutch.

If someone comes in looking for a rifle or handgun that you don't have, offer to order him one. Fuzz

The problem is mail-order/internet competition beating you on price...in many cases selling items cheaper than you can buy them.

People will come in to look, to evaluate, to get advice and then order from the cheapest source.

To be successful you need to find a niche that isn't or can't be served thru mai-order or the internet....the niche will be specific for your area.

In my limited experience it seems that the small "niche" fishing stores do better than hunting related stores....maybe because the inventory load isn't as high and individual items don't cost as much.

I used to work in a gun store...here are a couple observations I made while there:

1: Inventory. Must have inventory! Nothing pissed the customer off more and made me feel worse when they would ask if we had "X" and I would have to say "No, but I would be more than happy to order it for you." 90% of the time, they would just walk out the door. Don't get me wrong...it is not possible to stock everything. But, if you're gonna' sell it, you have to have it! Specialty items are a different animal, tho. Always offer to order if you don't stock it.

2: Choices. This falls hand in hand with inventory, but give your customer the ability to make a choice. You mentioned some firearm manufacturer's above...add several more as an example. Unfortunately, its going to take alot of your money to make some money, but in order to be successful, you have to build a reputation for having what a guy needs.

3: Service. The most important aspect. Period! In order to properly serve the customer, you have to have the right staff. Anyone can get a job at Wal-Mart, but the bozo's behind the gun counter at Wal Mart generally don't know the difference between an 870 and a 700. Have your staff ask the customers if they need help finding something...Here is the fine line tho, Don't badger the customer! Knoweldgable staff will also draw the guys who want to shoot the breeze a while...the regulars. If you have a shop that a guy can go and talk guns, you have a guy who will see something he can't live without more often than not!

4: Cleanliness. Your store must be kept very clean, neat, and organized. Dirt turns people off. And if they can't find something, they can't buy it!

5: Light. Must have plenty of light.

6: Don't resist "wheelin' and dealin'". Another fine line here, as you will price your items based on what you will have to get out of them in order to make a profit and make it worth your time. Obviously you won't deal too much with the cheapo who wants you to give him a $1.75 Hoppes brush for $0.75. They aren't the good repeat customer, anyway. But when a guy buys a gun, throw in a box of shells or can of oil. If a guy buys $200 worth of reloading components, take 10% off the whole purchase. He will remember that, come back again, get to know the guys in the shop, and always do all of his shopping there. If you see a customer who comes in every week or so and buys a pound of powder, or something, notice him and give him a break every once in a while. Little price breaks like 10% here and there are little things, but it pays the tax and lets him keep a few nickels for his next purchase.

Good luck and I hope this helps you out some.

Trapdoor,

You are spot on here! I worked in a gun store for a few years while I was in school and nothing was more annoying to me than watching the owners kid beat up a customer to get every last dime out of him. Further, the owners were sometimes assholes to some customers who they didn't see as "big spenders" and tried to be too "lean and mean" with thier inventory. I had to get out of that place as it was too damn frustrating to watch!

Best Reagrds,

JohnTheGreek

Again, many thanks to all of the replies and sage advice. Many great suggestions!! One thing Forgot to mention is that I was a double major in business also. The Wildlife degree came first,so even with approx. 1-2 semesters left for the business deg., one was good enough for me. I also already have a accountant "on the payroll" so to speak!!
Keep 'em coming!!
Thanks
Jared

This sounds like a fun idea, but be very sure of the market you're trying to reach before you take the plunge. Don't die for a theory, no matter what you do. I can think of a good many excellent gun and sporting goods stores I've visited over the years in several states that are no longer in business because the money just wasn't there to keep it all afloat.

The stores that seem to do the best sell their new guns and scopes well below retail, but charge right at retail for 'most everything else. They make most of their money on accessories (a BIG selection of same) plus USED guns. Also, don't confine yourself to a local market that may or may not be able to support you year-in and year-out.

AD

jpb,
A few years ago, me and a buddy were hunting in Hill country of Texas. We needed some stuff from town, Uvalde. Our host kept talking about the Guns&Liqour. We thought he was yanking the old chain, but sure enough we stopped at a store that said Guns&liquor. You had to walk through a liquor store to get to a back room that sold guns.We joked that you could buy a gun then rob the liquor store. Only in Texas!!! I was really impressed with Uvalde and that part of Texas. People would over in the shoulder constantly to let you pass, huge signs welcoming hunters, everyone in camo including gorgeous women at the supermarket and deer feed at the convenience store!!!!

Pistolero:

I was just joking around! However, if it was going to exist anywhere, I should have guessed that it would be Texas!

Sounds like my kind of place (and from the few Texans I know, I think I'd like most of the population too!).

jpb

The suggestion of a table and chairs is a good one. One of the most successful gun stores in my area had that and coffee pot. The guys would come in and sit, tell a few lies, have a cup of coffee and usually walk out of the store with a bag of something. The owner made a good living out of it till he was using a walker and breathing straight oxygen.

Sell guns on consignment along with new firearms, charge a 15% sellers fee. You'll make as much money doing this as you will with the new firearms. You won't have the cash outlay for stocking the shelves with rifles you had to purchase upfront. Your racks will be fuller with a wider variety of rifles and pistols and people will frequent the store more often to see what's new on the shelf. Another great thing is most people sell a firearm to buy another one. If you sell a customers gun for him, you hand him a handful of cash and he's standing in a gun store! Pretty good chance you're gonna make another sale on the spot.

If you're retail space is big enough, consider renting a portion of it to a gunsmith. This will help offset some of the monthly rent and will draw in customers that you might not have ever seen.

Reloading equipment, keep a good supply of primers and powder in stock. Stock a decent supply 100pc boxed rifle bullets and sell bulk supplies of the popular pistol bullets .357, .40,.45 etc. most people shoot these in bulk and aren't looking for premiums. Keep a small supply of reloading gear, dies in the most popular sizes, etc, but don't go over board here. This is for customer convince only. Your not going to compete with midway and the others. Most people have grown accustom to mail ordering this stuff any way, but you need to have some on hand, kind of a goodwill type of thing.

The last and most important thing is a good attitude! Some people are gonna come in your store and fondle your guns many times before they buy. Some are gonna fondle your guns and never buy. They are gonna ask some of the dumbest questions you could ever imagine. They will start arguments over things that don't matter and will insist they can get that rifle across town $100 cheaper than yours. These people have to be handled with kidd gloves. Sure you can run him out of store and tell him never to come back, but one one day he might actually want to buy a gun, you can guess where he's not going! Even worse you treat him like the A--hole he is and he goes and tells 10 of his hunting buddies how much of an A--hole you are! Making people feel welcome and intelligent, even if they aren't is an art form and can pay off in the long run.

The best of luck to ya!

[ 05-15-2003, 23:05: Message edited by: TC1 ]

Hey Pistolero,

Congrats on finishing your formal education! Even with a business degree you'll be amazed at what you learn that they didn't seem to get around to teaching in school! You're in a good location to supply the hunting needs for the bulk of SE NM--and the elk units within two hours or less from there are some of the best in the state right now. I'd recommend (in addition to the above ideas) a lot of high quality photos of the area back country and connections with some of the outfitters in the state. It wouldn't hurt to be able to book hunts in NM, the US, Australia, and Africa. These days folks seem to like "one stop shopping"! The only problem you're going to have with implementing all these good ideas (other than capital) is that you will need to clone yourself so that there are at least 6 of you to get all this done! You put this in and I'll come over from Lovington to shop! Good luck!

Good Hunting,

I do not know if you are in a "money area", but the high will always sell. Wal mart does not carryDakota, cooper, kimber, the good Weatherbys, etc. There is about 8 gun shops with in 45 minutes of me. I fregent the one that has remingtons, winchesters, bushmasters, ruger. He also stocks Benneli shotguns.Unlike alot of people, I do not buy shooting, or hunting items from wal mart, or kmart. Support your local gunshop!!!! good luck. I have thought of this too, but I'm not working 18 hour days. I also like to hunt, how could I close a shop like this.

ACRecurve,
That is a good point and as a matter of fact I guide for some pretty big outfits, and know quite a few other outfitters in NM TX and AZ. I have always thought that a good store would do real well in Ruidoso, but there has never been one as long as I can remember, except a few pawn shops.

I would stay the hell away from Archery. Those guys are so specialized and picky about things.

There are plenty of all Archery stores in the country anyway.

With a large store (on the scale of Sportsman's Warehouse) I would recommend several strategically located chairs or benches for the family to wait comfortably. I work in a Sportsman's Warehouse, part time, and it is a regional retailer. We have customers from all over the eastern part of AZ come to spend a couple of hours shopping. I think they are missing out on not providing a nice waiting area for family members that are not shopping....tends to shorten the visit, and loose sales. Plan to mount scopes and bore sight for free as part of the sale, most buyers appreciate that service.

Good luck bro! I graduated from ENMU in P-ville in 97. Now I'm an electrician. Rumor has it that Sportsmans Warehouse is coming to Farmington....who knows. Anyway, the thing you have to ask yourself is what do you want to accomplish? Do you want the business to get big or will you be content with a small hometown set up and playing cribbage in the store on saturdays? When you answer that, you'll know what to do and where to go.......wapiti7

Oh yea, my B.S. is in wildlife Biology!!

You could not find a better example or guide to what to do and how to do it than to visit a Sportsman's Warehouse. There is one in Alb. And if you are talking about Las Cruces, you would probably get a good bit of business from El Paso. Good luck to you.