The only place that sells guns in North Battleford, Saskatchewan is the Co-op. The woman who worked there claims that they have never had a .308 in there. She irritable referred to the .257 w mag as an oddball caliber lol. Is shooting dying? Or are sales online?
Gun stores dying?
- Thread starter mackillan
- Start date
Small gun stores are feeling the pinch several ways. Increased gov't regulations add to the cost of doing business. Add in the competition from a more mobile society where many people drive and shop in larger centers and then add the competition form on-line sales. Another factor is people are more discriminating. At one time any old shotgun or rifle could sell but today people want the more specialised "models" . Just how many versions of the 700 does Remington sell today? When the various "models" and calibers are combined a small operation can not hope to stock what the customer may want and few are willing to wait for the small dealer to get it from their supplier.
If that isn't enough there are fewer and fewer new hunters taking up the sport and hunting has always been a major slice of the business.
Also in the past a store owner could make a living on a very small volume and profit. Everyone's costs of living have risen greatly. Power, heat, telephone service to the business and all the costs of living mean an income of a few thousand dollars per year just doesn't cut it.
Same thing is happening with car dealers and farm equipment sales. It used to be every little town had a few of each. Today there are only a hand full of farm equipment dealers in southern Sask. Several locations are actually owned by only a few individuals.
If that isn't enough there are fewer and fewer new hunters taking up the sport and hunting has always been a major slice of the business.
Also in the past a store owner could make a living on a very small volume and profit. Everyone's costs of living have risen greatly. Power, heat, telephone service to the business and all the costs of living mean an income of a few thousand dollars per year just doesn't cut it.
Same thing is happening with car dealers and farm equipment sales. It used to be every little town had a few of each. Today there are only a hand full of farm equipment dealers in southern Sask. Several locations are actually owned by only a few individuals.
The biggest cause of smaller stores going under is that they can't compete with the bigger stores like Wholesale Sports for rifles,and with stores like WalMart and Canadian tire for ammunition and accessories.Most people will buy their ammunition at WalMart or Canadian tire to save $.50 or so on a box,and then those same people complain when the small stores go under.If you want a specialized shooting store,you have to be prepared to pay a little more for the convenience of having that store in your city.I will gladly pay an extra dollar for a pound of powder rather than have to drive 300 miles to buy it,but many people won't.
Analysts have been saying that Toyota has one third of the dealerships that Chev has with the same volume so that makes sense. I do agree that people watch their towns die to attempt to save a couple of nickels. Out west the drop in new young hunters among first nations people is extraordinary. I saw a herd of 24 deer a couple of miles outside a reserve which wouldnt have happened years ago.
Service is so incredibly poor here in almost any area that it is unbelieveable.
Service is so incredibly poor here in almost any area that it is unbelieveable.
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
how is that possible? next to the .22, .30-06 and 12ga. its the most popular caliber. what do they have, only 5-6 guns for sale?
as for the small store vs big store thing: i would gladly pay more in a small gun store for friendly and helpful service. problem is, 9/10 small stores also have grumpy old buggers sitting behind the counter in addition to their crap prices.
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westcoaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central BC
Small Sporting Stores
The town I live in is a couple of hours from Kamloops which has Wholesale Sports. When WS's opened many people, me among them, went down to look it over and ended up still shopping locally.
I know the guy's at the local store, they are very helpful, friendly, and they can generally order anything I need/want in for me. They are a little more on ammo and knick knacks but on many items and epecially big ticket items they will match or beat Wholesale - or anyone else.
I will pay the $2.50 more for a pound of powder in order to have a good sporting goods store in my own town.
For me, Wholesale Sports in Kamloops is a real disappointment, mainly with respect to staff. One time you get someone helpful, the next time you get someone with little knowledge and some attitude. If their (WS's) strategy is to drive people away with indifference and inconsistent service - it's working.
The town I live in is a couple of hours from Kamloops which has Wholesale Sports. When WS's opened many people, me among them, went down to look it over and ended up still shopping locally.
I know the guy's at the local store, they are very helpful, friendly, and they can generally order anything I need/want in for me. They are a little more on ammo and knick knacks but on many items and epecially big ticket items they will match or beat Wholesale - or anyone else.
I will pay the $2.50 more for a pound of powder in order to have a good sporting goods store in my own town.
For me, Wholesale Sports in Kamloops is a real disappointment, mainly with respect to staff. One time you get someone helpful, the next time you get someone with little knowledge and some attitude. If their (WS's) strategy is to drive people away with indifference and inconsistent service - it's working.
Exactly. I was amazed. All were magnums(7mm and 300). The mags and 17hmr and 12 guage were all they had which is ok but I dont need the bark. I don't mind the grumpy old guys as they are at least hunters(they are set in their ways though). It is the rude women or clueless youngsters that are my issue. Service in everything is bad here. I have a local dealer/gunsmith here who is very good. I had a case of blue shoulder from the mags and 45/70 so I was going to buy a .308 in the meantime as mine is lent out. I ened up ordering a Tikka T3 .308 with a Luepold from the dealer. I should have ordered a Zeiss or a Bushnell as I prefer them for hunting in bush.
I wish we had one like that here. I do have a local gunsmith/dealer who orders things in quick and is good so Ill go through him. I agree about the big chains. Wholesale sports online keeps wanting me to fax my FAC and drivers license and my only fax is online so I would have to find a fax in a small town. One kid is WSS in Stoon said that a .375 Ruger didnt exist although the last time I was there an older guy (around my age lol) was very knowledgeable and helpful. I should be helping out the dealer so Im going through him more.
"...the .257 w mag as an oddball caliber..." She's right. Put the word Weatherby on anything and the price goes up.
Gun shops are closing because of government interference. The cost in time and money of getting into shooting, never mind finding a place to hunt, is causing a lot of would be shooters not to bother. Plus inheritance laws. Which is exactly what the Socialist F**ks want.
Gun shops are closing because of government interference. The cost in time and money of getting into shooting, never mind finding a place to hunt, is causing a lot of would be shooters not to bother. Plus inheritance laws. Which is exactly what the Socialist F**ks want.
The trend in gun shops is like the trend in most other businesses,that being that the smaller stores are closing,and the larger chain stores are taking over.The larger stores can buy for less because of the volume that they buy,and they can make more profit because of their lower costs,and because of the increased volume.
Yes the laws are making it more complicated to buy and possess a firearm,but I don't believe that the cost of renewing a PAL every five years is such a large factor.As far as finding a place to hunt is concerned,I have never found it to be an issue.The people that really want to hunt and shoot continue to do so,and the people that are giving up,are the ones that really weren't serious about hunting or shooting anyways.
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I have to say that I support the mom and pop stores to a certain degree, but there is a difference between competitive pricing and charity. I call it charity when I pay 39 dollars for a box of ammo at a gun store, when the EXACT same box across the street at CT or Walmart is 22 dollars. It all boils down to competitive pricing. Here in Yellowknife, the only gun store isn't even in the same ballpark as CT or Walmart. The only way they stay afloat is by offering ammo that the other 2 wouldn't bother selling in "semi-obscure" calibers such as 6.5x55 and handgun ammos. I work too damn hard for my money to pay near double "just because I support my overpriced mom and pop". And too bad if they close down,I guess I will just stay using the tried and true calibers that CT sells. online sales are where the evolution of gun items is headed anyways. If I am gonna be paying charity prices, I want a damn Tax Reciept for my trouble. The guns shops are gonna have to use the walmart mentality if they want to stay afloat. Sell lots at a small profit, not little at a huge profit. Anyone know walmarts net worth these days......?
what is the world coming to
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
then buy the ammo at Wal-Mart and mark it up a couple of bucks, ffs.
there is no excuse for something to be $10-15 more expensive than what Wal-Mart and CT sell for.
I agree. I was only making an observation. There is a serious overpopulation problem in some areas. It is especially overpopulated in areas near town limits as hunting isnt allowed. We are also seeing weird migrations. Moose moving south, buffalo in the coniferous forest far south of wood buffalo NP and mule deer and antelope much farther north. There is also a much larger number of beaver and coyotes. Im assuming it is because the pelts are worth less.
