Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. By Carolee Carolee Anita Anita Boyles Boyles By Selling Selling In In Challenging Times Times Ammunition These Six Tips Will Help You Continue Sales After The Buying Frenzy! ATK offered a rebate on its Fusion ammo in 2008. Look for similar promotions this year from ATK and other ammo makers to help boost sales. Hornady, along with most ammo companies, provides point-of-purchase materials to help draw customers’ attention. R etail sales in many gun shops are hitting record levels, or at least they were through December — driven by panic buying following the November election. But that’s not the case in most retail operations. It’s a tough time to be in retail. Sales continue to be down, in general, and no one can predict when the economy is going to turn around. For firearms retailers, the question is how long will the buying surge last. Along with firearms, one bright spot in gun shop sales is ammunition. “Our dealers aren’t giving us much negative feedback on sales,” said Bart Biedinger, dealer services manager at ATK. “Everybody’s fairly upbeat, although they’re very concerned about what’s around the corner. Some of the categories that are pulling the weight are ammunition, handguns and black gun-related items.” Mark Rutan, hunting manager at Bill Jackson’s in Pinellas Park, Fla., agrees. “Since the election, all sales, including ammunition sales, are really strong,” Rutan said. “In fact, I’d say sales are going nuts. I talked to one of my wholesalers last week, and he said that in three days, he had sold more than two million rounds of .223 ammo. These are the strongest ammunition sales we’ve had since Y2K.” Taking advantage of buying surges is one aspect of good retail; however, how do you continue those sales when the frenzy stops? Here is a six-tip checklist for continuing healthy ammo sales. “One common denominator of retailers who are successful at selling ammo today is their ability to build promotions,” Biedinger said. “Successful retailers don’t wait for seasons to roll in; they use every opportunity to create traffic flow in their stores.” Successful dealers also take advantage of every promotional opportunity manufacturers offer. “We typically offer promotions throughout the year,” said Jason Gilbertson, Winchester Ammunition marketing communications manager. “Some are cash rebates, and some are more product specific, such as a (free) blaze orange vest.” FEBRUARY 2009 35 Promote, Promote, Promote www.shootingindustry.com