Question for gunstore owners

[Creampuff]

No, it isn't about the Obama spike.

I was just shopping this afternoon, and I noticed with the small hand full of customers present during late morning, early afternoon - how do you stay in business Monday to Friday? I am a swingshift/graveyard worker so I can shop during banker's hours. Macy's and Safeways have customers 10-6 because of homemakers.

I am curious, how do gunstore owners stay in business during the Monday to Friday 10-6 hours; it seems most of the customers would be coming in on the weekends, and maybe if they fly through rush hour traffic they might make it in during the closing hours.

Just curious...

[NRAhighpowershooter]

while I'm not a gun store owner... I can say that I go to gun shops on weekdays mainly to avoid the weekend warriors shopping in gun shops.......

[dfens]

I'm not a gun store owner but did work in one, I would assume it's the same for all shops.

Most people come in on their day off. Lets face it people usual work 4-6 days a week. Rarely 7 days.
So all you have to do is show up during store hours whenever it's your day off. Now my friend usually works mon-fri and can't make it during the week unless it's towards closing.

But he could ask for a day off or just go on the weekend.

Or what I did if the store is close enough go on my lunch hour to take a quick look, and if I see something come back or put it on hold.

[Lee F. Smith]

make your hours 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm...also not an owner.

[OCArmory]

That's why I am open till 9pm on weekdays. It means I open later but I have a full time job besides running the store. I figure if people have money they probably have a job. And more than likely they can get into my shop between 4-9pm on weekdays and 9am- 8pm on the weekends. Even when I quite my other job I plan on keeping the evening hours.
Mike

[CRTguns]

Me... Gun store guy...

LOTS of folks buy from @ 11:00 am up to @ 2:00 pm. Go figure. They should be working right? well, if you notice the eternal traffic jams on the city streets ALL DAY LONG you'd guess that, maybe that maybe lots of folks don;t work. Really though- hour lunch breaks, self employed people... etc...

My shop is next door to a deli restraunt and a motorcycle repair garage/dealership (Ducati)

So we get lots of folks "waiting"

[FortCourageArmory]

My hours are 11 AM to 7 PM during the week and 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays. That catches the majority of buyers. My Point-Of-Sale software has the ability to track when the majority of sales occur in the store. My sales spike at 12PM to 2PM (lunch time) and 4PM to 6PM (after work). Pretty much says it all.

[freakshow10mm]

I mainly run an online business but do local transfers and such too. I run 9am-2pm then head to a second job. I don't get much local traffic but that isn't the focus of my customer base.

It's nice to have the hours I do because I can spend the mornings building rifles and pistols and then early afternoon (my time) is usually spent answering phone calls and such from the CA customer crowd. Weekends I have erratic hours but am usually trying to balance business work and family time. I wish I was making enough to have this be my full time job but maybe next year.

[tenpercentfirearms]

We have some of the stupidest hours ever, but that is because this isn't our primary source of income. Tuesday through Friday 12-5 and Sunday 11-2. The #1 drawback to these hours is no late nights during the week. Now that we are no longer shipping, I will probably start staying late on Wednesdays until 7 PM. Sundays are pretty busy because that is when everyone who works a normal week comes in.

The primary source of income for my other two partners is a recycling center next door and our hours kind of work around that place. They close at 5 PM and they are closed Saturdays (partner's are Seventh Day Adventists) and open Sunday 9-2.

I completely agree that staying open later is a very smart thing to do. 12 to 7 or 9 is a good set. 11 might not be a bad time to open either.