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. Kate works full time and Jim is retired and, he says, loving his freedom. One of Jim’s personal trademarks is a derby hat, worn at shooting matches and gun shows. To put a personal stamp on their business, Jim and Kate named it Derby Guns. The primary signage above the door of the shop, located in a well-kept strip mall, is a picture of a derby and the word “Guns.” The Kruegers hired a full-time shop manager, and Kate and Jim are in and out. As both made their living with computers, it was natural for them to look to Internet gun sales. Their Web site is www.derbyguns.com, and with it, they discovered another crowded marketplace, this one nationwide. Internet sales have evolved into a steady supplement for Derby Guns, but only account for about 5 percent of the shop’s business. For a storefront gun shop, Internet sales may not become a business mainstay, but they can be attended to during quiet times. Uncommon collectibles, which might languish for a year or more before a suitable collector is found, sell far more quickly when exposed to a large national pool of purchasers. Fitting The Niche AA FLASHLIGHT WITH LITHIUM PERFORMANCE NEW > INTRODUCING THE 2360 LED THE BRIGHTEST AA POWERED LED FLASHLIGHT ON THE MARKET If you like the convenience of AA alkaline batteries, but need the performance of lithium batteries, the new 2360 LED is the light for you. Using 2 standard AA alkaline batteries, the new 2360 LED emits a peak output of 100 lumens with a run time of up to 2.5 hours. Because whether you are setting up camp or searching your vehicle after night fall, the last thing you need to worry about is a dim flashlight or dead batteries. The non-slip textured body and push button tail switch are easy to operate in slippery conditions. The removable two-way pocket clip securely attaches the 2360 to your pocket or brim of your hat. The 2360: Premium performance at a competitive price. Call us toll free at 866-838-9160 or go to pelican.com/si to stock up on our latest products and learn more about Pelican’s POP merchandiser program. 23215 EARLY AVENUE, TORRANCE CA 90505 866.838.9160 (TOLL FREE) Tel 310.326.4700 Fax 310.326.3311 WWW.PELICAN.COM/SI n n n Walk-in business accounts for about 25to 35-percent of Derby Guns’ sales. The Kruegers are active in gun rights issues, and during the last presidential campaign, a giant elephant painted in the window to promote the Republican ticket caught the eyes of many passing motorists, drawing them into the shop for the first time. Hardcore gunnies like to spend their money with people who share both their values and their activism. Gun shows account for well over half of Derby Guns’ business, with 22 shows attended in 2008. “We move a lot of guns at the shows,” Kate said, “but we also make a lot of new friends who later drop into the shop to buy. We see the gun shows as our advertising, where we meet fellow shooters and give a lot of advice to people who later come to the shop.” The gun show is a natural marketplace. Most of those who attend have come to buy. And, as Kate noted, when you’re in an area with lots of competition, it’s a great opportunity to meet potential customers who are “regulars” elsewhere, but who might become one of your regulars, www.shootingindustry.com Making The Sales All trademarks and logos displayed herein are registered and unregistered trademarks of Pelican Products, Inc. and others. too, when they meet you, get to like you and appreciate your approach to selling them things that are important to them. This proved particularly valuable for Derby Guns, which was “the new kid on the block” with two longer-established competitors within two or three miles of their location. Jim and Kate offer state-certified CCW training programs. They teach a basic class once a month at the nearby Phoenix Rod & Gun Club in Scottsdale, and offer an advanced class twice a year. This is a particu- Training Connection larly powerful draw to new gun owners. Teaching firearms safety and self-protection is one more logical step in the defensive gun seller’s mission statement. It also creates a bond between teacher and student that creates greater customer loyalty when the relationship becomes that of seller and buyer. Derby Guns has been an outstanding success. The Kruegers succeeded against the odds when they entered a seller-crowded marketplace, and did so by identifying their niche beforehand, and diversifying their approach to sales. Their shop is proof of the old saying: “There’s always room for one more.” 9 JUNE 2009 15