Selling long guns and accessories
THE RIFLE AND SHOTGUN MARKET IS RIPE FOR SUCCESS - IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PRODUCTS AND ATTITUDE
The old adage: “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!” is very appropriate for the firearms industry today. Faced with the toughest sales winter in years - even Wal-Mart experienced their worse Christmas in their history! - many dealers are working harder than ever to pull off near miracles.
Aggressive, innovative manufacturers haven’t stood around either. New product lines continue to keep buyer interest up. And, it’s paying off. Not everyone’s sales were down in 1995.
“We had the best year in our company’s history last year,” said Tony Aeschliman, of Marlin.
Remington also posted a banner year, the second best in their 180-year history.
So, somebody out there is buying guns. Are they your customers? If not, what can you do about it? Where’s the market now, where is it going, and what are some timely ideas that you can put into action now to immediately affect your bottom line?
Shooting Industry interviewed dealers and manufacturers to get a feel for the long-gun and long-gun accessory market. The dealers, like you, are on the front lines. They are the ones greeting the customers when they walk through that front door, and they are the ones who make or break this industry.
WHERE ARE WE?
Manufacturers’ many recovering from two years of slow-buying seasons, have resorted to aggressive research and development to help break the stalemate in the market. Remington’s introduction of a black powder rifle based on the Model 700 action took the industry by surprise - and by storm. Marlin’s new entry into the centerfire bolt-action department, the Model MR-7, caused dealers and hunters to take note.
If the “big guys” can change their mainstream product lines so dramatically, then so can smaller manufacturers. Interesting new shotguns, rifles and even air rifles are arriving almost daily. To keep up, accessory manufacturers are meeting the demand for specialty products to improve, upgrade or just plain dress-up those new products.
Fortunately, existing long-gun designs also benefit from this explosion of new ideas, enabling dealers to add interest and appeal to their existing product lines. From synthetic stocks, stainless steel models and accessories that will enhance virtually any long gun, to innovative ideas like the carbon fiber barrels on Christensen Arms rifles - the long-gun market is more exciting and diverse than ever before.
WHAT’S HOT?
Smart manufacturers look at the market and either meet a consumer’s needs, or in some cases, introduce products so original they create an immediate market. Today’s industry leaders are actively involved in both directions.
“New products make the difference,” said Bill Wohl, of Remington. “In order for a mature business like ours to move ahead, it must give the consumer something different to buy. That’s why our Model 700 Sendero exceeded everyone’s expectations. It’s still heavily backordered.”
Marlin Firearms Co., also focuses on a success formula. “With a good product mix, the right promotion and pricing value, Marlin has continued to keep the line selling better than ever before,” said Aeschliman.
His advice for dealers? “Stock new items whenever you can, or at least variations on existing lines,” he said. “Look for stainless steel, or laminated-stocked versions of existing blued models. This way your regular customers see change in your long-gun rack. It keeps buyer interest up. The stainless/synthetic-stocked market is very hot right now and much of our success in 1995 was due to the introduction of stainless steel models.”
Everything related to the Ruger 10/22 is selling strong. This includes complete rifles, high-end custom thumbhole stocks, drop-in conversions based on inexpensive barrels and stocks from Midway, Brownells and others.
The 10/22 is becoming the “1911″ of rifles. The surge of interest in turning 10/22s into tack-drivers has caused even hard-core, bolt-action fans to become turncoats. The easy to accessorize, entry-level .22 can become a real focal point for a gun store. Expand your .22 accessory line with stocks, magazines, sights and even reactive targets. The word will soon spread among the plinkers, target shooters and hunters in your area.
AR-15s and their clones seem to be unstoppable sellers. From new gun sales to a flood of accessories on the market, this handy rifle has turned itself into a kind of “every man’s gun.”
Larry Weeks, of Brownells, said they continue to expand their AR-15 accessory lines. “Lots of people are installing accessories on rifles and shotguns, especially the AR models,” he said. “With today’s easy-to-install heavy barrels, almost anyone with a modicum of mechanical know-how can turn their standard AR-15 into a real performer. Augment that heavy barrel with decent sights, trigger, etc., and your customer virtually has a new rifle.”
Weeks also offered a tip for reducing inventory levels. “Dealers, especially the smaller ones, should let Brownells be their warehouse,” he said. “Just keep a representative sample of what’s hot in your area. It might be scope mounts for a couple of basic actions, after-market synthetic stocks, sling swivels and slings. Let us stock the rest for you. When you need something, delivery is just a couple of days away. This helps to keep your overhead down, your inventory fresh and your customers happy.”