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When Arkansas-based Gunsmith Don Keller sent a letter to Shooting Industry’s Editor Jade Moldae requesting more coverage to help the industry’s gunsmiths, it didn’t fall on deaf ears. November’s feature “Gunsmithing Profits” shares perspectives on the merits of in-house gunsmiths from Bill Wilson (Wilson Combat), Gene Kelly (American Gunsmithing Institute) and Keller himself.
“Any additional service a retail gun store can offer will be an advantage. Even if you just have somebody who can mount optics or clean guns, it’s a plus,” Wilson asserts.
Ammunition being the hot commodity these days makes the “airgun appeal” for plinking and education undeniable. As Tim Barker uncovers in “Airguns Mean Business,” during the recent firearms buying frenzy, retailers like Manager Randy Potter of GAT Guns (East Dundee, Ill.) have seen strong growth in CO2-powered airguns designed to look like popular 1911s and other semi-auto pistols. “The guns we’ve been selling a lot of are the ones that mimic actual firearms people have been buying over the past year and a half,” Potter notes.
Other feature highlights in the Nov. issue include Ken Perrotte’s “Eyes + Ears Are A Go!” which points to trends — namely sleek design, functionality and technology driven innovation — shaping the eye and ear protection market. Pat Covert advises dealers use predator/varmint sales to pursue fresh opportunities (including those lucrative secondary sales) in “Doors Opened!”
Contrary to what many may think, outsourcing marketing can actually save a business money, but it’s critical to find the right agency first. Ashley McGee supplies “6 Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Marketing Agency” in the Best Practices installment. Carolee Anita Boyles furthers her introduction of Dawn Perez and her rapidly growing business, We Kick Brass, in the Arms & The Woman column. Despite a series of challenges, this fledgling entrepreneur is determined to succeed. When 2020/2021’s first-time gun buyer returns to the shop, how many dealers will be prepared to serve their current needs? Massad Ayoob offers strategies to keep bringing them back — and the reminder they need a trusted source to rely on — in the Personal Defense Market installment.
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CONTACT: JADE MOLDAE