Online price and in person pricing

[mygaas]

One must remember that L.A. City residents, anyway, have been prohibited from having ammunition delivered to their homes.

LAX Ammo's retail location was a great way for an Angeleno to get stocked up back in the day before prices got stupid.

Now it's all of California that cannot order ammo online, iirc, right? Must go to an FFL to get their ammo transferred. LAX is an FFL but for ammo only. They do not FFL firearms (though the LAX Firing Range does rent firearms for use inside their range).

I don't quite understand how that explains their pricing discrepancy.

[mygaas]

FUD from mygaas Must end with ffl, CAN ORDER ONLINE

I actually asked LAX AMMO if I can order from them online and that's what they told me. So they lied to me about that too?

[mygaas]

I disagree.

Their retail walk-in vs. online pricing is different because by the time you have paid the online order handling fee and the cost of shipping, you're right about where the retail prices are, and both before sales tax.

Of course, don't take my word for it. Call them again, be patient, and ask why.

Absolutely not true. 1000 rounds of cci blazer 115gr 9mm from an out of state vendor I buy from is around $319.00 for a thousand rounds as of today.

Tax is about $30 bucks and shipping is around $20. That makes it $369 total which is still around .36 cents a round. LAX AMMO sells their horrendous reloads for .50 cents a round and this was at their lowest. Blazer, PMC, Lawman are even more. I'm talking plinking rounds here, not defensive rounds. It is not the same. Also I've never seen out of state vendors charge me "handling" fee.

[M1NM]

As to your question, brick and mortar operating costs are much higher than online direct to customer. .

Online still has to have a brick and mortar place to operate from - and when they are the same facility it's a wash. Retail uses more display space than storage racks of goods. Walk in customers take more time to wait on vs some guy grabbing pre ordered stuff off the shelf. Online has packaging and shipping to add on.

[mygaas]

Here are what LAX Ammo's website explaining your question.



SHOPPING AT OUR BRICK-AND-MORTAR LOCATION

Our brick-and-mortar store in Inglewood, California is a great place for Southern California residents to purchase their ammunition and firearms accessories. Because we have to pay employees and overhead expenses on our building and loading facility, our in-store prices are slightly higher than what you pay when you buy ammo online at times.

https://www.laxammo.com/website-only-deals

They have two business models (Online and in-store). And they seem to have enough in-store customers to keep them afloat. There are people out there willing to pay $1 a round and they think its the norm.

If they can get away with upcharging that much more power to them but I don't believe for a second their explanation. You need a brick and mortar for online sales too. You need a physical location for storage and employees to process the orders. I order from true shot gun club in AZ and they also have a brick and mortar and they don't have walk in retail rates vs. online rates. How are they able to do business at the national average price and stay in business? I suppose "slightly" can be subjective but 30~50% is not slight in my books.

[mygaas]

Nobody is forced to give them business. Me included.

As to your question, brick and mortar operating costs are much higher than online direct to customer. Who knows they might not even paying rent either as it could be family owned land or etc. But they can spin it every way possible to make themselves look good but in general an online business does have less overhead to begin with.

Whether in person or online ordering, the business needs a brick and mortar location to run the operation, not to mention employees. That business owning their own land can apply to walk in retail too so I don't see how that reasoning applies to the grossly over priced retail price compared to the national average.

[Sure Shot 45]

It's obvious what's going on here. They advertise decent online prices, ship and sell out of state. They use the CA ammo ban law in their favor and gouge the locals because we can't buy ammo online and have it shipped directly to our door (without FFL03). IMO the way they conduct business is quite scummy, hard pass for me.