Showstopping Deals!

The year of a pandemic and a change in our nation’s leadership gave cause to reevaluate how customers shop and how you sell. Holiday shopping season is generally kicked off by Black Friday and continues through the end of the year. However, these dates have seen a recent shift. Last year, retailers looking to boost online sales and disperse the crowds extended deals from October through December.

Extending holiday sales promotions and income will be a breeze, given your customer demographic. Local retailers have strength in sales with customers from their communities and with online revenue sources. Look to your clientele’s event calendars and add them to your own.

”It’s never too early to make a plan and market to the hunter, shooter and gift giver.“

Between October and December, shooters are attending 3-Gun matches, sporting clays events and they’re hunting big game, waterfowl and small-game animals. All of these activities lead to sales, plus there’s always the generous gift giver who wants to get the very best for their friend/spouse/relative. It’s never too early to make a plan and market to the hunter, shooter and gift giver.

Bundles Help Gift Givers

The experienced gun owner is going to have an idea of what they want. (Heck, I’ve hosted online surveys, asking them what gifts they want and received multiple lists of ideas.) Hopefully the person who is doing the shopping for a firearm owner has asked what they want, but often the gift buyer doesn’t have the insight or experience of knowing what the shooting enthusiast would like or need.

Helping well-intentioned gift givers with their holiday shopping is where your store comes in with add-on sales. I don’t mean take advantage and sell the naive shopper products they don’t need; rather, help the customer find what they might be forgetting.

“A lot of times, you have people shopping for hunters who maybe aren’t hunters themselves,” said Trent Marsh, editorial manager at SPYPOINT. “Unless they have a very specific list, you can build bundles or packages that appeal to hunters and those shopping for them alike.”

You can do the same for competitors, reloaders and collectors. Build bundles or packages of items and promote them via print, online or radio advertisements.

“Bundles, especially across multiple products or brands, diffuse savings,” Marsh added. “You aren’t advertising any one product under its minimum advertised price, so everything maintains its value while you move multiple products.”

Reach out to suppliers and ask about their end-of-season or holiday offerings. SPYPOINT has an aggressive promo calendar for retailers, which of course includes the holiday/Black Friday portion of the year.

“We try to provide as much help to the dealer base as possible at those key times of the year where the market requires additional support,” Marsh said. “As manufacturers, we know our products are in demand and we all want to capitalize on it.”

Elevate E-Commerce

The past year proved smaller retailers are taking on larger shops by integrating online sales into their marketing plans. Make improvements to your e-commerce site, and learn how to bundle items not only for in-store but also for online sales.

Take a look at the online mega-giant, Amazon’s bundling practice. While I’m on their site and choose AXIL Ghost Stryke 1 Universal Electronic Hearing Protection & Enhancement, I see a “Buy it with” suggestion for Loctite Heavy Duty Threadlocker.

“You aren’t advertising any one product under its minimum advertised price, so everything maintains its value while you move multiple products.”

Trent Marsh, editorial manager SPYPOINT

Amazon suggested the Loctite add-on because people who are purchasing hearing protection also buy products that ensure their sights stay on target. In the same vein, you could additionally package cleaning kits, targets, gloves, range bags and other items with these. Don’t let this idea hold you back. Come up with several showstopper deals and actively promote them.

Free your employees by making e-commerce improvements with a fully integrated point-of-sale platform.

Todd Lockburner, COO at Magnum Shooting Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., shared his facility gives customers the ability to purchase punch cards and range space reservations via an online system. Automating these transactions allows them to increase service and save time.

“We promote sales through TV, radio, emails and printed mailers,” he added.

“A popular add-on we offer is a free handgun-cleaning class with a pistol purchase. They get a promo code and sign up via the website on the date of their choosing.”

Mitchell Tyler, owner/VP SafeSide Tactical

Enlist Help From “Superfans”

Another idea is to use class experiences to create educational videos that resonate with your clientele and build a social media following. Learn how to grow with your business profile on a social media platform. A good place to start is identifying your “superfans” and enlisting them to help create and share your store’s holiday promotions.

Superfans are those who perfectly match your business’ topics and interests. These followers already comment, like and share most posts. Create a post asking them what gifts they would like (besides ammunition, we already know it tops the list!) to see. With the answers to your query, create graphics and use them to share as holiday promotions.

Speaking of ammunition — with shortages and rising prices — consider promoting logical alternatives for customers.

“We sell firearms training accessories, which are easy add-ons to a firearm purchase,” said Austin Allgaier, president of Mantis Tech, makers of the MantisX training systems. “Our products can be used during live- or dry-fire practices.”

Social Media Challenges

“Social media, as we know, is not friendly to firearms-related businesses,” acknowledged Lockwood. Regardless, many customers spend their time on Instagram, Facebook and other outlets, so you’ll need to figure out how to leverage these sites to your advantage.

Creating ads for social media can be precarious. When you’re adding year-end promotions to your website, consider dividing them between platforms.

“With a little thought and the use of graphic-design tools, your shop can create and promote numerous gift ideas.”

“Your business would likely have no problem promoting eyes, ears, clothing and certain accessories since they can sell them as if they aren’t even related to firearms,” noted Justin Morrissey, NSSF social media manager. “Targets, however, can be tricky.”

Morrissey uses Beretta as an example on how to separate its product lines.

“Beretta has a ‘lifestyle’ or ‘gallery’ website that separates their non-prohibited products from their guns. They can advertise without much concern because of the way they have their website set up,” he informed.

A Final Word On Bundling

When we’re looking at holiday-specific gifts, there are shooting- and hunting-related items to consider. Tyler shared his store brings in tactical stockings, “gun” shot glasses and other stocking stuffers.
“We also offer time-based gift cards,” he added. “A customer buys a handgun, and he or she gets a $25 gift card valid from Jan. 1 through Jan. 31.”

(Now there’s a package idea!)

When you develop packages, consider using a larger item to package smaller items.

For example, a hunting package could use a cooler or backpack to hold collectible cups or water bottles, dehydrated meals, a Jet Boil and fuel cell. Whereas, a shooter’s package could follow the tactical stocking example Tyler provided, or you could substitute a range bag or gun case and include a moisture wicking towel, gloves, sunscreen, shooting glasses and targets.

With a little thought and the use of graphic-design tools, your shop can create and promote numerous gift ideas. Design them for the events occuring from the beginning of October through the end of the year and you’ll have a successful holiday season — every bit helps!

Click To Read More Shooting Industry August 2021 Issue Now!