Handgun accessories - marketing
If dealers are to survive they must be tuned into every possible way to increase sales, even in a soft market. When handguns are selling, there’s a market for handgun accessories. When handguns aren’t selling, the market is still there for handgun accessories. Shooters may not need a new handgun but they may very well be open to embellishing the handgun they already have.
Mark Shapel, a gun dealer in Idaho, points out that a dealer often makes more money on a $100 sale of accessories than from a $500 handgun sale. Dealers not stocking accessories are losing substantial profits.
What can you do to increase accessories sales? SI called dealers around the country to gather sales ideas that work. Ideas that can help you increase sales even when firearms are not selling.
In our informal survey, SI found that approximately 30 percent of dealers do not stock accessories while 50 percent indicate they do. Dealers interviewed were asked about holsters and related equipment such as padded rags and hard cases, grips, sights and compensators. We covered all parts of the country, talking with successful dealers in Idaho, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and California.
One common factor reflective of these dealerships was a combination of friendliness and enthusiasm. Such conduct costs nothing and requires no extra space but pays huge dividends.
Shapel & Sons in Boise, Idaho, is a third generation gunshop that has expanded with each generation. Through wise use of space it is able to stock more products than shops two to three times its size. It is also the type of store where one feels comfortable just dropping in for no particular reason except to see what is available.
A customer is not pounced upon, nor ignored. If one wants help it is available. Conversely, if someone simply wants to browse or just “hang out” in a friendly place for awhile, Shapel’s is the place. I have been there at least once a week for the past 30 years, and I have yet to see a customer treated disrespectfully. Nor have I ever run into the “know-it-all” attitude that can destroy a gunshop or any other business. Again, this is an attitude that costs nothing but pays huge dividends. It builds repeat business.
Shapel’s maintains a large, easy-to-see display of holsters covering approximately 72 square feet and featuring items from Brauer, Hunter, Safari-land, and Uncle Mike’s.
“If we have leather, they want nylon. If we have camo, they want black,” said Mark Shapel. “For that reason we stock over 200 packaged holsters plus maintain two large barrels of used holsters. It is difficult to stock large quantities of so many different holsters but we must. I try to sell a holster to every handgun purchaser, while having what the shooter who already owns a handgun wants.”
Shapel’s also maintains a large stock of zippered padded cases.
The market has changed dramatically for handgun grips. Instead of the unusable - call them user unfriendly - wooden grips found on many revolvers just a few years ago, most revolvers now come with entirely adequate rubber grips. This was a cost-cutting step by manufacturers which cost the dealers an important accessory sale.
However, the market is still there for quality wooden grips for revolvers and especially rubber grips for semi-automatics. Shapels maintains a large display of aftermarket grips featuring Hogue and Pachmayr models.
“We always suggest these grips to those who purchase magnums that are not equipped with rubber grips,” said Shapel
With so many types of semi-automatics available, Shapel’s maintains a full gunsmithing operation with three types of add-on adjustable sights stocked: Millett, Trijicon and Pachmayr. They do not stock compensators.
Russo’s, in Tallmadge, Ohio, gets a sizable number of walk-ins looking for holsters. The gun shop has over 100 holsters stocked and displayed. Most are Uncle Mike’s nylon, in sporting and police styles, as well as Bianchi leather.
“We especially cater to police officers and order equipment for them as well as keeping a large stock of padded hard cases and zippered rugs,” said Robert Stone.
“Wooden grips, especially those of exotic woods, are beautiful, but they are expensive and hard to move so we stock at least 100 of the rubber grips from Hogue, Pachmayr, and Uncle Mike’s,” Stone said. “Most semi-auto purchasers want Hogue or Pachmayr, so these are an easy sell.”
Smith Gun, in San Angelo, Texas, does not stock the regular line-up of holsters but specializes in one brand. Connie Smith says the “word is out” and customers know they can get an excellent concealment rig by Law Concealment Systems at Smith.