“When you carve out an area like this, sometimes you don’t think about the issues you might have,” she admitted. “We’ve had an issue with parents coming in to use the range and just putting their kids either in the members’ lounge or in the designated children’s area with something like a Happy Meal and going onto the range for an hour or so.”
Needless to say, this is not how the Clarks intended either area to be used.
“We wanted to create a space where a family could come into the facility and have a place to go with their kids in a supervised way,” Clark said. “We’ve had some people take advantage of it in not so great ways.”
Because of this, the Clarks haven’t focused on the children’s area as much as they could, at least in terms of dedicating more resources to it or highlighting it.
When they have had issues, the staff has managed them by politely intervening.
“The staff have had to go find the parents and let them know it’s really not okay to leave the kids like that,” she said. “We’ve had a couple of situations where the kids have been a bit unruly or not very well behaved, and the staff get kind of upset when they have to handle it, so it has created some customer service and liability issues.”
Welcoming Families:
Kids' Play Areas
Bristlecone’s in-store play area “sends a good message to prospective customers”
according to Co-Owner Jacquelyn Clark. “I don't know if we get customers just
because of the kids’ area, but we certainly retain them,” she added.
Our industry needs youth if we’re going to survive into the next generation. Some retailers have added kids’ areas to their stores so parents can bring young children while they shop. While these areas don’t directly introduce children to the shooting sports, they do make it easier for parents, and anything to help families be comfortable in a gun store can have a positive effect on youth participation in the future.
Creating Spaces
Kristy Scott, president of Battle Born Ammunition & Firearms in Carson City, Nev., has had a kids’ area in her store since she opened the doors of her new location in February 2018.
Scott has two areas set aside for people to relax; kids can play in both of them.
“One area has a couch and a coffee table where I have candy on the table and a tissue box with an Easter Island man, where the tissue comes out of his nose,” she shared. “Kids are more than welcome to sit there because I have a TV up on the wall.”
The second area is more of a play area and is about 8′ by 8′.
“There’s a small table and four chairs, and a bucket,” Scott said. “I have coloring books for really young kids, older-type coloring books and pencils for the older kids and a couple decks of cards.”
There is also a popcorn popper in the kids’ area, as well as drinks.
“Kids are welcome to grab a bag of popcorn and a drink,” she said. “If I’m teaching a class and kids come into the classroom, I’ll stop the class. Those are my little guys. When they come in, they’re who I want to see.”
Besides the designated areas, kids also can gather in a central area of the store that’s open with no displays.
“Sometimes they’ll sit on the floor in a circle and play games,” Scott observed. “I’m going to put a rug there to make the area more friendly. And if I’m not teaching a class, they’re welcome to go into the classroom and sit and color if they need more room.”
The pictures kids have colored are on display in several places in the store.
Scott believes having a kid-friendly store helps her business quite a bit.
“I have several customers who homeschool their kids, and they know they don’t have to get a babysitter to come here,” she expressed. “They can just come.”
Casting A Wider Net
Besides the homeschoolers, there are several families with kids who head straight for the play area when they come in the door. Families from outlying areas come into the shop on weekends.
“A lot of people who live in rural areas come into Carson City to shop on the weekend,” she noted. “We’re on the highway going into Carson City where Costco and the other big stores are. If someone wants to stop by the gun store they don’t have to have Mom wait out in the car with the kids. When you’re waiting for a background check, things can take a while.”
The size of the store is part of what allows kids to have so much freedom there.
“It’s a 2,000 sq. ft. store, so all of us can see them and see what they’re doing,” Scott confirmed. “They’re never unattended.”
That said, Scott makes sure the parents know they still are responsible for watching their own kids.
“I’m not a babysitter,” she stated. “I let parents know there’s an area where they can go to color or play, but I don’t say I’ll watch them.”
Even teenagers come in with their parents and go to the area with the couch and watch TV or play on their phones.
Cautions To Consider
Brian and Jacquelyn Clark own Bristlecone Shooting, Training and Retail Center in Lakewood, Colo. They have a children’s area just to the right of the front door of the store.
“We have a small table and chairs with coloring books, colored pencils and crayons and some children’s activities,” Jacquelyn shared. “The area is right outside of our members’ lounge, which has a TV in it.”
Bristlecone has had a children’s area for about four years, and in many ways it’s been very successful. However, Clark’s had some problems with parents leaving kids unattended in the store.
Anything to help families be comfortable in a gun store can have a positive effect on youth participation in the future.
The Biggest Impact
Clark said the biggest impact the children’s area has had on the business is making it clear it’s a family-friendly place.
“I think it has a positive influence on this business as a whole because you can’t miss the area when you walk in the front door,” she said. “If someone is coming in worried it’s not going to be family-friendly, the presence of the area says we’re committed to providing a good experience for the whole family.”
This sentiment and the environment are echoed in every other way Bristlecone does business, including how the store is set up and how the staff treats customers.
“It sends a good message,” Clark confirmed. “I don’t know if we get customers just because of the kids’ area, but we certainly retain them.”
Including a children’s area in the store may not be for every retailer. For those who have the space and the staff to keep an eye on it, a dedicated children’s area can help set the tone of the entire business and tell families who are interested in the shooting sports, “Shop here!”
