I've never run a business. I'm finishing up my MBA, and I have some ideas that have occurred to me, but I'm not any kind of expert. You might think it presumptive of me to think I know how to run a gun shop. That's OK.
The problem with most gun shops is that they do a terrible job of separating coonfingers from shoppers and real buyers. How can you tell the difference? Appearance? Past transactions? None of these are reliable indicators.
How do you give your most valuable, serious customers fantastic service by not wasting a crapload of time on tire-kickers that want to shoot the breeze and do little else?
I think you can do it by charging for time. If I am a gun shop owner that has good advice to offer and lots of different guns for you to grip and fondle to find what works best for you, then that time is worth something-- to BOTH of us, proprietor and customer alike.
So instead of trying to make money on selling guns (cranking up prices), you sell guns at lower prices and sell SERVICE to make up the difference.
How would you like to go to a shop and not have to wait in line as much, if at all? To not fight some other customer for attention? To KNOW that you are going to get individualized service?
It takes a change in how you look at the business. You are not a 'gun shop' per se, but rather a 'personal defense consultant'-- and like other consultants, TIME and expertise is what's for sale.
Here's how I'd work it. First, you have to split the store into two parts: the 'gun' part and the 'everything else' part (ammo, holsters, powder, whatever).
Then you set up a refundable cover charge for the gun part. Come on in and look all you want for $5. But you will waiting in line behind those folks that paid $10 for an actual appointment time and individualized attention. Expect good service, just at slightly less priority.
The customer that is actually interesting in buying will pay the $10 because it's cheap for the vastly improved experience when spending a big chunk of cash. Those who want to look around can still do so, just expect potentially less service for $5 if you don't buy anything.
Those who never want to buy anything are not likely to pay the $5 at all and will go mess with some other shop.
Price your guns and ammo at competitive prices so people know that it is SERVICE they are paying for. IOW, no $700 Glocks.
Best of all, because the customer got great service AND a good price, they are likely to come back. It also makes it far less likely that you have as many people come in the door that just want to handle guns. These people expect the retailer to give them a bunch of time for free! Time on non-paying-gawkers vs paying customers is not equally valuable. Reduce the gawkers and give the real customers a better chance at the TIME that is so valuable.
$5 is low enough that folks who aren't necessarily buyers but are serious lookers can still afford it. It's just enough deterrent to filter out the very bottom feeders.
Competing purely on price is a loser. Anyone can call around and price check. You have to win on SERVICE. You can deliver to the customer a superior overall experience this is a much better VALUE.
As any waiter will tell you, good service is worth money.
Your $10 customers get the best service possible, and the $5 customers get far BETTER service than they could get at any "free" shop because they won't have to compete with nearly as many lookie-loos for employee attention.
I came up with the basic idea for a music store because they are the WORST stores of all to deal with. Pity the guy trying to demo and buy a premium guitar.
The problem with most gun shops is that they do a terrible job of separating coonfingers from shoppers and real buyers. How can you tell the difference? Appearance? Past transactions? None of these are reliable indicators.
How do you give your most valuable, serious customers fantastic service by not wasting a crapload of time on tire-kickers that want to shoot the breeze and do little else?
I think you can do it by charging for time. If I am a gun shop owner that has good advice to offer and lots of different guns for you to grip and fondle to find what works best for you, then that time is worth something-- to BOTH of us, proprietor and customer alike.
So instead of trying to make money on selling guns (cranking up prices), you sell guns at lower prices and sell SERVICE to make up the difference.
How would you like to go to a shop and not have to wait in line as much, if at all? To not fight some other customer for attention? To KNOW that you are going to get individualized service?
It takes a change in how you look at the business. You are not a 'gun shop' per se, but rather a 'personal defense consultant'-- and like other consultants, TIME and expertise is what's for sale.
Here's how I'd work it. First, you have to split the store into two parts: the 'gun' part and the 'everything else' part (ammo, holsters, powder, whatever).
Then you set up a refundable cover charge for the gun part. Come on in and look all you want for $5. But you will waiting in line behind those folks that paid $10 for an actual appointment time and individualized attention. Expect good service, just at slightly less priority.
The customer that is actually interesting in buying will pay the $10 because it's cheap for the vastly improved experience when spending a big chunk of cash. Those who want to look around can still do so, just expect potentially less service for $5 if you don't buy anything.
Those who never want to buy anything are not likely to pay the $5 at all and will go mess with some other shop.
Price your guns and ammo at competitive prices so people know that it is SERVICE they are paying for. IOW, no $700 Glocks.
Best of all, because the customer got great service AND a good price, they are likely to come back. It also makes it far less likely that you have as many people come in the door that just want to handle guns. These people expect the retailer to give them a bunch of time for free! Time on non-paying-gawkers vs paying customers is not equally valuable. Reduce the gawkers and give the real customers a better chance at the TIME that is so valuable.
$5 is low enough that folks who aren't necessarily buyers but are serious lookers can still afford it. It's just enough deterrent to filter out the very bottom feeders.
Competing purely on price is a loser. Anyone can call around and price check. You have to win on SERVICE. You can deliver to the customer a superior overall experience this is a much better VALUE.
As any waiter will tell you, good service is worth money.
Your $10 customers get the best service possible, and the $5 customers get far BETTER service than they could get at any "free" shop because they won't have to compete with nearly as many lookie-loos for employee attention.
I came up with the basic idea for a music store because they are the WORST stores of all to deal with. Pity the guy trying to demo and buy a premium guitar.
When I walk into any store, be it a gun shop, clothing store or grocery store I know what I want so being forced to wait for service because someone is just looking pisses 
me off and wastes my time. I just purchased a new gun at (gasp) Gander Mountain because the local owned shops did not have what I wanted and "could not" order it for me. I had to take a number and wait ~20 minutes to spend a good deal of money, pissing me off. However, the people who worked there were nice, polite, friendly, worked quickly and thoroughly to complete the transaction. In short if waiting times for serious buyers was eliminated at a place I'm spending hundreds of dollars I would be a repeat customer. 
