It’s still early, but we’ve already survived ATA, SHOT Show and the most ridiculously widespread band of winter weather most of us have seen in decades.
Minnesota is in rebellion, ICE is a hot topic and the Federal Reserve has thumbed its nose at President Trump by refusing to reduce interest rates. Don’t forget Greenland, NATO and the latest outrage du jour.
2026 looks to be shaping up as yet “another one of those years.”
Makes our space look pretty appealing. All we’re dealing with is a business downturn, continued attacks from the usual suspects and the rising costs of…everything.
As is always the case, the outdoor industry is quietly bumping along, keeping workers employed, new products rolling off assembly lines and executives capably coping with the fact that barring something unforeseen, it’s yet another slow year. It’s not quite the opposite of a feast, but not famine to the point struggling companies fail. Some will fail, but most that do would have failed no matter what.
Keeping customers interested will be directly proportional to the amount of new products you help introduce. New products, FYI, won’t mean new finishes, different stocks or yet another unneeded caliber rolled into a time worn legacy line. Those are SKU expansions or line extensions. They are decidedly not new products.
Today’s new customers aren’t looking at derivatives, they’re looking for new products.
Old customers are a bit jaded, too. They’re not nearly so likely to wax effusive over yet another “groundbreaking” new caliber, color or grip texture, either.
If you don’t have new products coming in; you’re probably going to see shoppers going out. They’ll become customers somewhere else.
So what’s a retailer to do?
Here’s my radical suggestion: talk to your customers. Find out what would get them excited. Then…go get it. Transform your shoppers into buyers.
What about that aging inventory in the back? Mark it down. Move it out. Get your working capital back into circulation.
Spend your money on things your customers want, not stuff you and your salespeople like.
If you have a range, offer training, create fun competition, have “try before you buy” programs.
Consider Metal Madness or Scholastic Pistol competitions if you have indoor facilities. They both bring in youngsters and parents. Metal Madness lets families compete.
The complaint I hear most often from consumers isn’t about what retailers are selling. It’s how retailers treat their customers.
My friend Miles Hall at HallNHall gets irritable when I call shoppers “customers.” He prefers calling them “guests.” And he’s been successful treating them that way. I walked into his retail store in Oklahoma years ago and still remember being warmly welcomed. A salesperson asked “how can we help you?”
That’s a decided improvement on being ignored when you arrive, then insulted when you ask about a specific product. I especially love being told “you don’t want that, you want…..”
We’ve all been there. Once.
It’s almost February.
The majority of “new stuff” has been announced for 2026. Now’s time for retailers to call distributors and start bringing in a mix of products consumers will be seeing and reading about for the next few months. Hopefully, products your customers will want to buy. If you haven’t asked, it’s not too-late…but time’s wastin’.
Tell your customers the new stuff’s coming. Get your sales staff ready. Spin up your advertising and social media.
You know the drill. Get busy. Let me know how it's going.
—Jim Shepherd