Customer Service in the Shooting Sports Industry...

[weilers]

Hello all,

After responding to an earlier post, I was once again reminded of something that's been plaguing my mind for a long time now. I'm in my mid to late-20s now and I'm coming back to cometitive Smallbore rifle shooting after devoting some time to work and family life. I have noticed that, in the US market, it would appear that, as a whole, the retailers of Smallbore shooting products have just not adapted to the role technology, nor have they adapted to the more sophisticated consumer. To me, that is probably the greatest challenge facing the future of our beloved sport.

I work in the Land-Use industry and I do, and have done a great deal of work helping shooting ranges and sporting goods retailers evolve into more sophisticated, vibrant enterprises. Most general gun shops I've come across in the past few years are doing fairly well in just about every level, including introductory target models.

The problem appears to come as one gets more sophisticated into the marketplace, especially at the NRA/ISSF competitive level. As an example, as a consumer, MEC was nice enough to mail me a copy of their current English catalog, from Germany, complete with MEC stickers tucked inside the front cover. Along with their website, I know what products they make, how much the retail price is (albeit in Euros) to the point where I can even specify what color of product I wanted (I had to have the Centra Libelle 2 in Red, Yes, I wanted it in Red).

Once I decided I had to have this product, I began shopping around. I first tried, as usual, to find it domestically. One retailer, who shall remain nameless, didn't bother answering phone calls (as usual) despite having completing a transaction with me the week before. Another explained that they didn't carry that particular style or color, but they did carry other spirit levels. I was asking for a specialty product. Same again, and again. When I decided to purchase the product from a foreign retailer, I was able to find the product at a minimum of two British sites, three German, as well as other Swiss, Austrian, Italian, and even Czech retailers. All of which were willing to ship the Level to the US for what I considered to be a reasonable price.

Thanks to advances in retailing online, I am able to look at bestsellers' lists and see I'm not the only person on earth looking at (or purchasing) these products. Thanks to web tracking sites, I'm able to see that people with US domains are looking on MEC and Centra's sites, seeing the same products as I do.

What I would like to know is: as consumers of competitive smallbore rifle products, do those of us who live in North America feel underserved by retailers? Is it just me being a spoiled brat, or do you feel similarly?

[Richard H]

You are aware that the market for smallbore/ISSF target equipment is probably at least 10 times great in Europe especially those countries that you named.

Now if you wanted to buy IPSC stuff or service rifle gear, the Europeans would probably say the same thing regarding their situation.

When I was in Austria on business there were about 20-30 clubs that shot ISSF disciplines within a 30 minute drive and that was near a city of about 300 000 people.

[melchloboo]

One solution is to share your hobby with friends...the more North Americans we get into ISSF sports, the more and cheaper will be the available products.

[Jose Rossy]

You are aware that the market for smallbore/ISSF target equipment is probably at least 10 times great in Europe especially those countries that you named.

Now if you wanted to buy IPSC stuff or service rifle gear, the Europeans would probably say the same thing regarding their situation.

When I was in Austria on business there were about 20-30 clubs that shot ISSF disciplines within a 30 minute drive and that was near a city of about 300 000 people.

This

[Antipentium]

Supply and demand.
If I go to the local gun store near me I can buy 100 AR or MP assult rifles, I believe they had 3 maybe 4 bolt action rifles and they were all .308
99% of everything I buy is online, chanpionshooters seems to really be a great resource.
Like in any business I have dealt with (Or almost all) they target the biggest bang for the buck. My local store, more like an outlet for assult rifles, sells about 1000 + cookie cutter ARs to one "fine" rifle.
What I found is that being loyal to a retailer makes a big difference.
I do agree, get more people excited about it and the local dealers will have to start to stock the items or loose money.
Look at what the world cup has done for soccer in just 3 weeks.
The olympics this year had a lot of biathlon on TV. That started a bit of buzz. I am just getting my son into 3P and found there is almost NO support in the area, my plan is to have a local shoot set up for the spring and something a lot bigger by the following year. I have access to some land to do it on and when my wife was able to agree that target shooting has less to do about shooting and more to do with the control and all the other aspects.

[henry1]

i buy most of the shooting supplies online for that seam to be the only place where you can find some of our shooting supplies ..for it seams it just easlyer to order online than deal with the local shops sometimes ..that really is sad fact at times..

[Guest]

Hello all,

After responding to an earlier post, I was once again reminded of something that's been plaguing my mind for a long time now. I'm in my mid to late-20s now and I'm coming back to cometitive Smallbore rifle shooting after devoting some time to work and family life. I have noticed that, in the US market, it would appear that, as a whole, the retailers of Smallbore shooting products have just not adapted to the role technology, nor have they adapted to the more sophisticated consumer. To me, that is probably the greatest challenge facing the future of our beloved sport.

I work in the Land-Use industry and I do, and have done a great deal of work helping shooting ranges and sporting goods retailers evolve into more sophisticated, vibrant enterprises. Most general gun shops I've come across in the past few years are doing fairly well in just about every level, including introductory target models.

The problem appears to come as one gets more sophisticated into the marketplace, especially at the NRA/ISSF competitive level. As an example, as a consumer, MEC was nice enough to mail me a copy of their current English catalog, from Germany, complete with MEC stickers tucked inside the front cover. Along with their website, I know what products they make, how much the retail price is (albeit in Euros) to the point where I can even specify what color of product I wanted (I had to have the Centra Libelle 2 in Red, Yes, I wanted it in Red).

Once I decided I had to have this product, I began shopping around. I first tried, as usual, to find it domestically. One retailer, who shall remain nameless, didn't bother answering phone calls (as usual) despite having completing a transaction with me the week before. Another explained that they didn't carry that particular style or color, but they did carry other spirit levels. I was asking for a specialty product. Same again, and again. When I decided to purchase the product from a foreign retailer, I was able to find the product at a minimum of two British sites, three German, as well as other Swiss, Austrian, Italian, and even Czech retailers. All of which were willing to ship the Level to the US for what I considered to be a reasonable price.

Thanks to advances in retailing online, I am able to look at bestsellers' lists and see I'm not the only person on earth looking at (or purchasing) these products. Thanks to web tracking sites, I'm able to see that people with US domains are looking on MEC and Centra's sites, seeing the same products as I do.

What I would like to know is: as consumers of competitive smallbore rifle products, do those of us who live in North America feel underserved by retailers? Is it just me being a spoiled brat, or do you feel similarly?

you are not alone in this thinking at times ..i went to a gunshow here a couple of weeks ago and i was talking to my friend who runs a shop in south Texas and he is one of the few people i know that will try to find something if you ask him ..but a lot of the socalled local shops here in the part of Texas does not really stock the 10 meter air rifle supplies and you have to order most of them on line to find something that you want ..

[Roodaddy600]

People dont stock the smallbore and air rifle stuff because there isnt a real big market for it. They will sit on that stuff for a while before it sells. And even if some of the shops did get it it would be expensive as hell because they wouldnt be buying in large quantities. Its just the nature of the beast.

[jhmartin]

...
I have noticed that, in the US market, it would appear that, as a whole, the retailers of Smallbore shooting products have just not adapted to the role technology, nor have they adapted to the more sophisticated consumer. To me, that is probably the greatest challenge facing the future of our beloved sport.
...

Weilers ... not trying to be a smartxxx, but a few comments and observations:
1) Yeah the very few shops that support us do not have the fancy websites and (up to date) online ordering that maybe we would like. Remember these are very small shops that have to keep costs down to even stay in business. Me, I'd rather them to keep overhead costs low to keep the purchase prices as low as they can.

2) IMHO, the "greatest challenge facing the future of our beloved sport" is apathy .... by the shooters not promoting what they love ( it's a word of mouth and bringing a new person in to try it thing), the lack of volunteer coaches and leaders in the youth programs (volunteerism is down as a whole in the USA), the lack of volunteers in the clubs can easily burn out the ones who are doing stuff, the unwillingness of NGB's of the various shooting sports to work together, and sometimes seem to actively work against one another, etc, etc, etc. Each of these reasons (and others) could easily fill a chapter in a book titled "The greatest challenges facing the future of our beloved sport of shooting". Again, IMHO