Wally World specials

[lead]

Do the gun companies try out their new models at Wally World before selling them to others? American Rifleman has an article about the Mossberg ATR rifle, like it is new. It's been for sale at Wal-mart for at least a year. Ruger sold their 10-22 with the 22inch barrel at Wal-mart first before it was available to the dealers.
Do other gun companies give sweetheart deals to Wally, or is this just a way to guage public reaction to a new offering? "If it sells well at Wal-mart, we might offer it in out regular catalog."

[1952Sniper]

Do other gun companies give sweetheart deals to Wally

Yes. This is why Wally World is able to drive the mom & pop gun shops out of business. They buy in bulk. Literally, they buy firearms from the manufacturers by the thousands. So they get all kinds of special pricing and offerings that regular gun shops can't. This would include, I presume, first-edition releases of firearms that other gun shops have to wait for.

Putting the mom & pop gun shops out of business like they are doing creates a huge hole in the firearms market, since Wal-Mart is very "generic" on what they carry. It does the entire firearms market a disservice. It's one of the many reasons I despise Wal-Mart and refuse to buy a firearm there (or anything else if I can help it).

[Deputy Dawg]

Sniper I agree with you completely...........WalMart is bad news for the small bussines, luckly in my small town of 60,000 people we have 4 gun shops that are doing very well, and one of them is where i shop for my guns or supplies.....................::::::::::

[1952Sniper]

I didn't really mean to turn this thread into a Wal-Mart bashing thread, but I think it needs to be said over and over and over again. I see people on this forum praising Wal-Mart all the time, and I usually bite my tongue. But I'm letting it all out here. Wal-Mart is BAD for the firearms market. People are buying firearms there for the sole purpose of saving a few lousy bucks, and in the end everyone will lose. There have been numerous cases of Wal-Mart driving all the local gun shops out of business and then they stop selling firearms at that store. This leaves customers with no other options, and it takes a long time for new shops to come back to the area.

And keep in mind that when New Orleans got flooded and Louisiana residents ran to Wal-Mart to legally purchase firearms for their own defense, Wal-Mart ceased all firearm sales in the area. They are no friend to us.

[lead]

Wal Mart's bulk purchasing certainly influences the prices they charge, but then, I've seen similar prices at Bass Pro Shops.
Mom and Pop shops will always have an advantage in their ability to offer on-site services(scope mounting, simple gunsmithing, cleaning, etc.), and the ability to take trade ins, and offer used guns.
I just don't see why the firearms industry would favor one big retailer with new models and make the established dealer network wait a year to be able to offer the same thing. Maybe that's why I'm not a businessman(and why I'm broke most of the time!).

[1952Sniper]

I just don't see why the firearms industry would favor one big retailer with new models and make the established dealer network wait a year to be able to offer the same thing.

It's all about marketing, and may very well be part of corporate agreements. If Wal-Mart has a corporate contract with, say, Ruger, then that contract may stipulate that Wal-Mart gets a 6-month or 1-year exclusive right to market new models before they're released to other dealers. It could very well be one of those under-the-table exclusive corporate agreements that Wal-Mart has forced the gun manufacturers into, in order to keep themselves on top of the market.

[LIKTOSHOOT]

I dislike Wal-mart as much as anyone, but lets get it straight. They are not a test market or anything of the such. The Ruger in question and there were several other`s too-----were never meant for dealers other than Wal-Mart. It was designed for their store only and they are not the only ones who cut deals with firearms dealers for special runs!!!. GHEESH!!!!!!!


LTS

[glocknut]

What this really comes down to is that Wal Mart is on the Dems poop list for being successfull. They see a big fat target when they look at Wal Mart. Alot of Former Gore and Kerry campaigners are leading the attack against the retailer....
This is my opinion, but i think that is why 1952sniper dislikes Wal Mart. Because right now the liberal dems are making a run on wal mart, and you know those hippies gotta stick together !!!!! The next thing you know Huck Finn will be in here bashing wal marts ammo prices, and saying its all Bush's fault and on and on......

Let her fly !!! I got my Gallager tarp up and am ready....

mike
gn

[Huck Finn]

C'mon Mike...
I don't hate Wal-Mart, that's where I bought all my copies of
Fahrenheit 911!!

[rosierita]

i cant stand walmart, but i do shop there on occassion. as far as my gun purchases go, i go to my gun shop.

[glocknut]

Originally Posted by Huck Finn

C'mon Mike...
I don't hate Wal-Mart, that's where I bought all my copies of
Fahrenheit 911!!

Why does'nt that surprise me ?!! You do know Michael Moore is a big fat piece of ****** S**t ??!!!

I almost got kicked out of a movie theater when a pre show preview poped up and said something positive about michael moore....
I guess you're not allowed to stand up and scream HORSE S**T at the top of your lungs in a movie theater ??

mike
gn

[Shamrock]

Wal-mart started the decline, but it was Gander Mountain that put the next-to-last gun shop in my town out of business. There's only one left and he's just holding on.....

Worst case, I rather see Gander taking over gun sales. I buy socks at Wal-mart. I don't buy guns at Wallyworld.

[berto64]

The small shop that I have used since I moved to Idaho has gone outta bidness.

It was owned by a coupla 30 something guys who are avid hunters and fishermen.

One month business as usual, went in the next month to check on some ammo I had ordered and the shelves were bare and the doors locked tite! I don't have a clue as to what happened.

[djohns6]

Dude , all you have to do is say " WalMart " and it automatically becomes a bash forum . We choose to live in a capitalist society then we bash the people who are successful . Most of our local " mom and pop " gun shops suck . They are arrogant , overpriced , and they blame it on WalMart , Bass Pro shop or the internet . Most of the so called horror stories that you hear or read about WalMart is pure horse s**t . But if you read it on the internet or hear it on ABC or CBS , then it must be true , right ? Believe what you want . Some of us are in a position to know the facts and can only laugh at the ignorant .

[LDBennett]

Say somebody buys a gun at Wal-mart. When he needs accesssories (like holsters, cleaning stuff, ammo, etc.) he is more likely to go to the local gun store than back to Wal-mart. The profit margin in gun sales does not match the profit margin in almost anything else in a gun store.

I say let people buy the guns from Wal-mart because they become the future customers of the small gun stores for most everything else.

Wal-mart bashing is a product of the Unions. Here in California the unions do everything possible to make Wal-mart's life miserable. The Unions attack each new store site with environmental lawsuits and anything else they can think of to stop or lengthen the construction, costing Wal-mart millions of dollars. Votes for Unionization at current stores always fail (that is the voice of those who work there!) but the Unions continue to publish low wage stories, sexual discrimination stories, claims of illegal immigrant workers stories, etc. in local papers usually through the opinion pages.

I rarely shop at Wal-mart because it is not convienient, no other reason. I have lost all respect for the Unions with their efforts to break Wal-mart. Their efforts to hurt Wal-mart match the efforts fo the anti-gunners to kill guns and environmentalist---through the courts with frivilous lawsuits and costly delaying tactics. SHAME on anyone that supports the Unions or environmentalist or anti-gunners with these tactics. America is the land of majority rules, not the land of frivilous lawsuits so minority special interest groups get their way. At least that is the way it is suppose to be but these special interest groups are making life tough for the rest of us, the majority.

LDBennett

[Marlin]

Very well stated, LD. I agree 100%.

I use the local Gun Shop or Sportsmen's Palace as much as possible as I like the very friendly atmosphere and the knowledgable gunsmith. However, I see nothing wrong with buying a gun from Wal-Mart that is on sale or not in stock with the home town folks. Also, while the home time Gun Palace is manned by local folks, it, too, is very often part of a chain and owned by a larger interest from out of town.

Part of the American Dream and resourcefulness is to be able to shop for items and to have many choices in case one store doesn't have an item in stock. Back ordering on guns is sometimes successful but when it is the delay can bee weeks or months. Then again you have the manufacturers who advertise a NEW item that you really covet but it never shows up for a year or two because they aren't even making the item yet. I cite Browning and Winchester as the most blatant examples.....

Sam Walton took advantege of the American Capitalist system and was successful. Many can't stand that fact and act as LD says. However, it is a part of the dream. BTW, Sam is most likely spinning in his grave as he realizes what his incompetent sons have done and continue to do to his prized business......

[Silver72]

Originally Posted by LDBennett

I rarely shop at Wal-mart because it is not convienient, no other reason. I have lost all respect for the Unions with their efforts to break Wal-mart. Their efforts to hurt Wal-mart match the efforts fo the anti-gunners to kill guns and environmentalist---through the courts with frivilous lawsuits and costly delaying tactics. SHAME on anyone that supports the Unions or environmentalist or anti-gunners with these tactics. America is the land of majority rules, not the land of frivilous lawsuits so minority special interest groups get their way. At least that is the way it is suppose to be but these special interest groups are making life tough for the rest of us, the majority.

LDBennett

Right on! The unions are about to put Delphi out of business along with some airlines. They would kill the goose that laid the golden egg just trying to make a senseless point. When I got home from the military I shot rivets at Temco Aircraft until the next school semester started. The union thug told me if I didn't join the union he would put me on the night shift if I didn't join.

[1952Sniper]

What this really comes down to is that Wal Mart is on the Dems poop list for being successfull. They see a big fat target when they look at Wal Mart. Alot of Former Gore and Kerry campaigners are leading the attack against the retailer....
This is my opinion, but i think that is why 1952sniper dislikes Wal Mart. Because right now the liberal dems are making a run on wal mart, and you know those hippies gotta stick together !!!!!

That was a retarded thing to say, Mike. To imply that I'm a liberal only shows your extreme ignorance of what conservatism/liberalism really mean. That was a cheap shot and you should be ashamed of yourself (or embarrassed of yourself) for it. But it's not surprise, really. Most of the "conservatives" on this board are just liberals and don't know it. You guys wouldn't know conservatism if it slapped you in the face. When faced with a REAL conservative, you don't know what to call it other than a liberal. Good Lord.

And I'm not even going to respond to the union comments. Anybody here who has ever read my opinions on unions knows that I rank unions right up there with communism. My hatred for Wal-Mart has NOTHING to do with any perceived support of unions.

I agree that the Wal-Mart empire was started from the ground up as an example of capitalism at its finest. Sam Walton was a shrewd businessman, and made some brilliant decisions. Unfortunately, now that he's gone, his empire has been run into the ground by the very people he despised. He's probably rolling in his grave over what his company has become.

I get a chuckle when I see all these gung-ho pro-America people shopping at Wal-Mart. The same people who have American flag stickers and "support the troops" decals and wouldn't DARE buy a Japanese car are spending their paychecks buying cheap Chinese communist crap at Wal-Mart. The irony (and the hypocrisy) is absolutely hilarious.

[LIKTOSHOOT]

Hey!! Didn`t the government go after some software giant, the name escapes me?????????????????

Now.... it is said that thirty cents of every American dollar goes to Wal-Mart, where`s the government???? Must be a pay off. NAW, Wal-Mart`s great and treats everyone with kid gloves.




LTS

[djohns6]

Are all of you WalMart bashers naive enough to think that they are the only retailer to sell Chinese products ? When you get home from shopping at YOUR favorite store , check the labels of your supposedly American made products . ESPECIALLY anything electronic . Check your clothing and footwear . Small appliances , etc .

Any of you Anti Walmart guys drive a foriegn made car ? Talk on a foriegn made cell phone ? Watch a foriegn made television ? Hypocrites .

[mj4406]

I was talking to a local gun dealer this weekend and he said that Wal-mart usually sells people their 1st and 2nd guns then people usually branch off to the smaller dealers. that is from his experience. Just wanted to add that.

mj4406

[lohki13]

We buy most of our guns at flea markets way cheaper but we've used wal-mart three times for guns but they have cheap dependable answer compared to my local gunshop where at one the guy talks down to you not going to happen. The other on the prices for the same ammo is 3 dollars more not going to happen .Then the other one well jsut carryies shotgun stuff.

[Crpdeth]

Lohki:

I try to shy away from the 'Here today gone tomorrow' guys that set up in flea markets, I learned my lesson as a kid shopping for expensive items in those places...Some of them are no better than a den of thieves.

It is truely upsetting the way some of our gun shops are run though, you mention "The guy who talks down to you"...Been there too, their seems to be a stigma for that in gun shops, I've seen it and heard of it happening so often, the funny part is that the wise az behind the counter rarely knows more than you do.

I was fortunate enough, years ago, to meet a couple terrific guys (brothers) and Service Vets who eventually started a small gun shop here in town, these are the type of guys who wont talk your ear off unless you get them started, meaning that if they know you are interested in knowledge they'll be more than happy to dedicate an hour or more educating you, or just chew the fat, but they will never talk over you or put on an arrogant show.

As luck would have it, another gunshop here in town, the type you mention with the guys looking over their glasses at you, guys who barely know how to grunt 'Good morning' when you walk in, are right across the street with at least 3X the inventory but no customers...It is nice to drive down the street and see 5 trucks parked at my friends place and one desolate viehicle at the other...If I wanted a particular piece I'd ask my friends to "Be on the look out for a desirable one" even if I knew the place across the street had one in stock.

Attitude sells...


Crpdeth

[Pistolenschutze]

Originally Posted by Crpdeth

Attitude sells...

It sure does, Crp, and contrawise, a bad attitude doesn't! I remember an incident many years ago when I lived in Fresno, CA. I went into a gunstore out on Blackstone Avenue one afternoon--for the first time ever--with full intention to purchase a new 700 Remington to go deer hunting the following month. The store was not busy, but the two clerks, one of whom was the owner, ignored my presence totally for over 10 minutes by my watch while chitchatting with another customer. I could hear the conversation and it was not concerning a problem or a possible purchase, but nothing more than generalities. Not so much as a "be with you in a sec" was said to me. Needless to say, after 10 minutes I turned around, walked out, and never went back.

[KyBlaster]

I am not against Wal Mart. My family buys alot of stuff in there. Mostly household items. But I have not and will not ever buy a gun a Wal-Mart. My dad owned a gun store for many years. I have seen first hand, Wal Mart's negative effects on small business.

I know about capitolism and I do not hold this against Wal Mart. I am simply saying I will support my local Gun Shops when I can.

This is not me bashing Wal Mart. It is me trying to preserve a small part of the heritage that I grew up with.