Starting up a gun shop ?

[pegasus bridge]

yep - i would visit it (well - at least once to test the water), i prefer an 'out of town' type location - so you are not piddling round for parking and carrying guns back and forth - euroguns in doncaster has done well with this layout - you are right about the shortage of gunshops now in the sleaford-nottingham grantham triangle.

 

Bingham would be ideal for me!! - how about the site of a disused garage? - lots about - good prominent site ; get a good website up and running; a lot of traditional gunshops have been slow to take this up - well worth doing.

 

ps - you are talking about Slingsby shutting ?

[kent]

Never owned a gunshop known a few who have. Consider how many buisnesses need to submit a buisness plan to the police before being granted a licence to trade? This is good protection against someone steeling you model and under cutting you just up the road often with the sole intention of seeing you off then raising prices dramatically. On the face of it all is good then BUT

The number one issue though is actually buying the stuff, try contacting the likes of GMK and setting up an account. Then if you manage this before you have traded ten years and turn over in access of £1 million that is you need to then toe the line and do no direct importing of goods companies like they distribute also. Talking customer service? well the buck stops with the retailer, make a small margin on a gun and the customer brings it back with a fault you can well end up standing it when the importer/ distibuter tells you there is nothing they are going to do about it.

Free trade is the only way to make real money in guns bypassing all the middlemen but then you need to turn over stock very fast, watch currency and spend lots to get the right prices.

Buisness aint a hobby! consider your options carefully, you must be 100% in it to win

[Steve29]

I agree with other comments about customer service. Being cheap might help drag some punters in but people like to be looked after and a good service is going to help secure that oh so important repeat custom.

 

Case in point, in my area there are 3 or 4 'gunshops' within reasonable travelling distance. One is big and cheap, another is medium and reasonable, and the other is small and not so cheap. I have used them all before but now stick to the medium sized one solely because the guy who owns it is a top bloke. He's got good banter, is always welcoming, will do his best to sort you out if he can, and if he hasn't got something he'll get it for you.

 

Its probably costing me a bit more in the long run but I don't care as I, like others I know, would rather give a little more to someone who looks after us than less to someone who couldn't care less.

 

Oh.....and make sure you set up a website too! :blink:

[mrbritish1976]

get a website up and running first with accessories maybe even mail order cartridges

then go for RFD and b&m shop

i used to sell pcs(sell a laptop for £400 and made £10 profit) swapped over to shooting items and am now doing very well out of it

[Vince Green]

Absolutely, and don't believe the rubbish posted about there is no profit in cartridges. There are enough companies like Just Cartridges and Cash and carry cartridges that all make good money from selling them and it isn't about volume.

Exactly the point, how can a new start gunshop compete with them on price? He is not going to be able to buy cartridges from the manufacturers at the same price as the big boys do. He's going to be buying cartridges at virtually the price they are selling theirs at.

 

The manufactures are not going to upset their big customers by offering him the same discounts they are giving to Just Cartridges. Its a catch 22, very common in business. Ask any small grocers shop what they think of Tesco's or Sainsbury's.

[HDAV]

3. Too many cling-ons loitering around the shop, talking **** to the staff and not spending any money, whilst I am waiting patiently feeling like a spare ***** in a wedding

 

I know where you have been......

 

 

Things I would like to see (and have in shops). Good product/stock knowledge, If you don't have stock then you need to be cheaper than the internet, Friendly service, good telephone answering and message taking/relaying. (who ever answers the phone needs to know the stock, the price and to take the right details).

 

Opening times, how many people can go 9-5? open 12-7 or 8. Ideally if you want sell guns, some where to shoot/try them. Something to keep customers in the shop occupied while you are busy.

 

The normal retail stuff I like a local shop most people hate no idea why they are knowledgeable, very competitive and friendly, like most retail they get plenty of Oiks starring at guns. Guns shops have been given a licence to beat the internet! With FAC/SGC regulations and the VCR Bill how can they not make money!

 

You cannot buy ammo or guns on-line only a couple of places do carts on-line. How about a cartridge delivery service? make a route of a different town/village area and on different days of the week deliver carts? min order 1000, First order has to be placed in the shop, take payment 2-3 days before in shop or over phone then deliver in an evening it works for vegetables why not carts?

 

 

I have been to a few very professional gun shops and i no particular order, Sandwell field sports, Sportsmans Newport, Gun Shop Rugby and Avalon-guns, Greenfield (Gunmakers) Salisbury , been to some dire ones and some that are nice enough and cater for a specific market. Almost all have regular chatters in them you know the guys who are sort fo like anti-staff just sit and chat have a brew all friendly then look at everyone who walks in that they don't know as odd and freakish!

[Greymaster]

Great idea for a photo competition. Submit your photos of gun-shop hangers on. Most odd-ball wins.

[MC]

Exactly the point, how can a new start gunshop compete with them on price? He is not going to be able to buy cartridges from the manufacturers at the same price as the big boys do. He's going to be buying cartridges at virtually the price they are selling theirs at.

 

The manufactures are not going to upset their big customers by offering him the same discounts they are giving to Just Cartridges. Its a catch 22, very common in business. Ask any small grocers shop what they think of Tesco's or Sainsbury's.

 

 

That is ****,

 

My mate started a greengrocers last year and he can compete with both our local supermarkets on quality and price. Most of his produce is from local farms and fresh everyday.

 

He can compete with Just cartridges etc as they are not cheap anyway, plus they charge a fortune for carraige. My local shops are the same price or cheaper than JC and they don't add on £15 a 1000 for carraige.

If you add that onto JC's prices then they are actually expensive.

[oneshotkiller]

Thanks to everyone who's replied so far , i have some great ideas now !

 

Also what would everyone think about supplying good quality nets , ferret boxes , terrier collars etc ?

[HDAV]

Exactly the point, how can a new start gunshop compete with them on price? He is not going to be able to buy cartridges from the manufacturers at the same price as the big boys do. He's going to be buying cartridges at virtually the price they are selling theirs at.

 

The manufactures are not going to upset their big customers by offering him the same discounts they are giving to Just Cartridges. Its a catch 22, very common in business. Ask any small grocers shop what they think of Tesco's or Sainsbury's.

 

Vince you do seem to be very anti someone opening a gun shop...why?

 

As far as i can tell cartridge manufacturers are like any volume business its volume, order 10k and they might bother to sell to you, order 50k and they sit up, place a fixed order for 20k every 60 days for 2-3 years and they will be sucking it...(quantities are little off) but they dont care who they sell too they care they sell they do a lot of advertising and promotion work so pick one and stock them you cant stock everything competitively and if your being killed on price by someone else ask why, how and what can you do about it.......Like go take your business elsewhere...or get dirty and compete

 

That's too literal an example, my local green grocer is better value than tesco/asda/sainsburys my local butcher too value is a factor as is experience and knowledge. Shooting for 99% of people is discretionary expenditure, not essential, how many people buy a porsche because its cheap? but how many porsche owners fill up at tesco? Internet forums are something i have huge experience of and most of the time the opinions on a forum are not representative of the general public or your target market...

[stevew]

There are/ was a few people either selling guns or cartridges from their home/garage in my area. John Southwell at Sancton nr Market Weighton used to sell guns from his converted garage. PR Arms, Willerby, nr Hull (look on guntrader) i think runs his business from home and a local agricultural engineer sells 200,000+ cartridges a year from his garage, he also stocks a few odd shooting related things, he'll also order things he can get in for you and his prices are reasonable.

 

I think there is a market for the smaller, more personal service, but it seems they're generally run as sidelines or part time businesses, in my experience.

[VicW]

OSK, Your nearest competitor would obviously be the shop at Orston Shooting Ground about 10 miles away. This ground has ample parking space,an excellent cafe,sells cartridges at reasonable prices,puts on excellent clay shooting and therefore the shop has a steady flow of potential customers passing through its doors. They are already there.Orston also has a gunsmith available.

40 miles in the other direction is Derek Lee, a Beretta premier dealer who attracts customers from all over the country and is also a good gunsmith.Currently you can buy a new Miroku trap gun at Derek Lee for £950.

 

If you can compete with them then I wish you every success in the world.

 

Vic.

[fortune82]

I used to work in a gunshop on a saturday when I was in Sixth form about 12 years ago. The guy had about £10,000 worth of cartridges and ammo in stock at any one time and about £70,000 of guns, optics, clothing and equipment in stock. All had to be paid for. It would take a LOT of capital to stock a new gunshop well.

[bakerboy]

There is not a gun shop in my immediate area now the nearest has closed , i'm in quite a central area to most of the towns and villages and i have a good building/garage on my property that could with some effort be turned into a shop .

 

Good idea/bad idea ?

Anyone done it ?

I have some savings that i can put in to this and overheads would be minimal also am a good customerwith the bank so i think i could draw extra fund from my friendly bank mananger :blink:

 

What do you reckon lads ?

Who would i need to approach to hold airrifles shotguns and ammo on a premisis ?

What would you stock and what do you hate seeing at a gun shop ?

Having set up numerous businesses, and still advise on new start, if you have to ask the question, either you know the answer "no" because you are unsure, or you have not researched the problem.

All I can say is visit as many local shooting grounds as possible and ask the questions relating to what you want to do, contacty suppliers and get the best prices you could expect to receive as a new business, speak to the owners of the the shop that has closed they will tell you the truth, if they bluster they are embarresssed about them short coming's, first impressions can only be made once, and gut feelings are almost always right.

terry

bakerboy

[Edward]

I have no idea about strating a shop, but I think an ebay store would be a good idea, and just sell decoys, nets and other gubbins. Infact that has given me an idea :blink: