Inital Store Stocking Order(s)

[spencerhut]

Okay, all done with the state, ready to start selling guns finally.

Any advise on stocking up the store? I've got several accounts setup already, so I think I'm good on wholesalers.

I'm looking more for what to type of items to start off with. Guns, right which ones are the hot ticket these days? I know what I like, but as my wife keeps reminding me, everyone else does not like what I do.

[kemasa]

Just get one of everything :-)

AR lowers and the like seem popular. Expensive guns not so much, but it really depends on where you live and what people around you want. Some places might want hunting rifles, others handguns.

[tenpercentfirearms]

Stock cheap guns. The only reason to stock items is for the guy that comes in and impulse buys. Many of them will go cheap. The guy who wants a really nice firearm that is expensive won't mind ordering it as he already has his mind made up.

[spencerhut]

So by inexpensive I take that as M&P, XD, Glock, 870, and other guns in that price range.
Do the really cheap single shot rifles/shotguns, Hi-Points sell?

[freakshow10mm]

Head to your local competitors and look how they merchandise their shelves and displays. Hit up the new ones and the ones that have been there at least 10 years.

A lot of times you'll find the high margin pistols on the very top shelf in the display, since customers look top down. Mix in one or two moderate margin guns as well, especially if prices are similar.

Keep holsters and cases close to the gun cabinet. Makes it convenient to sell add-ons if they are one step away from the gun display. Put the handgun ammo directly behind the handgun display case. The first thing customers do when they look for a new caliber is look directly behind the case at eye level to check ammo prices. Extra magazines right next to the ammo. I helped the local gun shop merchandise their store display and they saw an increase in profit by 200% simply by rearranging their shelves and display cases.

[tenpercentfirearms]

So by inexpensive I take that as M&P, XD, Glock, 870, and other guns in that price range.
Do the really cheap single shot rifles/shotguns, Hi-Points sell?

Anything cheap is easy to purchase and easy to sell. It didn't take me long to sell two Hi-Points. The DE .44 is still on the shelf.

[CA Gun Laws Suck]

High end guns do move too, like some stores don't carry that many 1911's or especially high end 1911's and when a customers calls and you have Les Baers, Nighthawks, and Ed Brown etc on the shelf people come in and buy them. But you can also easily spend $20,000 filling a shelf. People always want XD, Glock, Sigma, Sig Sauer, HK, Hi-points etc.

[spencerhut]

Did my initial orders with a couple of the big wholesalers. Over a third of the guns I ordered were specific requests and are already sold.

HSC cards and tests came in. Hi-Cap permit went out last week.

I wanted to order a couple of 1911's but there are not very many of them in stock that are on the CA list, none that I wanted to stock anyway. Couldn't even find a Springfield Loaded or Mil-Spec. I got generic stuff, XD, M&P, SR9, LCR, M870, M700, 10/22, Glock, M642 a few .22 handguns.


I'd love to have a little of everything, but I'm doing this all with cash so I'm going to have to start out slow and build up.

It didn't take me long to sell two Hi-Points. The DE .44 is still on the shelf.

Good to know.

[spencerhut]

Head to your local competitors and look how they merchandise their shelves and displays. Hit up the new ones and the ones that have been there at least 10 years.

A lot of times you'll find the high margin pistols on the very top shelf in the display, since customers look top down. Mix in one or two moderate margin guns as well, especially if prices are similar.

Keep holsters and cases close to the gun cabinet. Makes it convenient to sell add-ons if they are one step away from the gun display. Put the handgun ammo directly behind the handgun display case. The first thing customers do when they look for a new caliber is look directly behind the case at eye level to check ammo prices. Extra magazines right next to the ammo. I helped the local gun shop merchandise their store display and they saw an increase in profit by 200% simply by rearranging their shelves and display cases.

We have been to all the local competition. That is why we decided to open our own store

Staging the products in the store, I had not considered doing this in the detailed manner you suggest. Must be a good idea, it burned into my brain as I read it. Thanks.

[CA Gun Laws Suck]

Did my initial orders with a couple of the big wholesalers. Over a third of the guns I ordered were specific requests and are already sold.

HSC cards and tests came in. Hi-Cap permit went out last week.

I wanted to order a couple of 1911's but there are not very many of them in stock that are on the CA list, none that I wanted to stock anyway. Couldn't even find a Springfield Loaded or Mil-Spec. I got generic stuff, XD, M&P, SR9, LCR, M870, M700, 10/22, Glock, M642 a few .22 handguns.


I'd love to have a little of everything, but I'm doing this all with cash so I'm going to have to start out slow and build up.

Good to know.

Springfield has the Loaded, GI, milspec, trp, trophy match, pro, combat, and mc operator all those are on the list.

[spencerhut]

Springfield has the Loaded, GI, milspec, trp, trophy match, pro, combat, and mc operator all those are on the list.

Correct. Who has them in stock?

[CA Gun Laws Suck]

I guess it depends who you set up accounts with. RSR has zeros across the board for all the Springfield 1911's. Or set up an account with Springfield and buy direct

[freakshow10mm]

Springfield is great to deal with. Also get in with CDNN.

[freakshow10mm]

We have been to all the local competition. That is why we decided to open our own store

Staging the products in the store, I had not considered doing this in the detailed manner you suggest. Must be a good idea, it burned into my brain as I read it. Thanks.

A lot of retailers don't stage their merchandise to enhance profit and customer convenience. As a teen when I managed the hunting/gun department in a sporting goods store, I learned a lot about merchandising, staging, etc. I suggest looking to other retail businesses in your neighborhood and getting advice from them about the way they do their staging.

What you are trying to do in staging (or merchandising, really) is control the flow of the customers to the high profit margin products and put them in an area on display that will attract the most customers. Then the sales team motivates them to purchase the product. Rinse, repeat.

Display, pricing, discounts, packaging, sales tactics all play a role in product staging. It's so important, the department stores hire many employees as merchandisers. Real estate market uses it very well.