Thread: Small Retailers Struggling/Under attack

After the "Buy Back" there was money to burn, think some thought it would carry on for ever. Don't think that starting a "firearms" related business would be the only enterprise money lenders would look closely at, would say anything where there was a good chance of tipping over would struggle to obtain finance. It's tough out there for many, not only obtaining customers but hiring required staff also. Logging industry around here has just about at complete holt.

who said the big retailers are doing any better?

Originally Posted by tetawa

After the "Buy Back" there was money to burn, think some thought it would carry on for ever. Don't think that starting a "firearms" related business would be the only enterprise money lenders would look closely at, would say anything where there was a good chance of tipping over would struggle to obtain finance. It's tough out there for many, not only obtaining customers but hiring required staff also. Logging industry around here has just about at complete holt.

Firearms related businesses have all those struggles AND on top of that the additional struggle of since 2019 businesses don't want to be associated with firearms retailers at all. Now evidently the multinational companies (like credit card companies) as part of an ever expanding wokeification of business are making life hard for firearms retailers also. As I said I was specifically told by the business owner that their credit card agreement was cancelled specifically because they sold firearms related things, not because they were scrutinising their finances and I don't imagine they were lying to me.

Originally Posted by Juicy

Firearms related businesses have all those struggles AND on top of that the additional struggle of since 2019 businesses don't want to be associated with firearms retailers at all. Now evidently the multinational companies (like credit card companies) as part of an ever expanding wokeification of business are making life hard for firearms retailers also. As I said I was specifically told by the business owner that their credit card agreement was cancelled specifically because they sold firearms related things, not because they were scrutinising their finances and I don't imagine they were lying to me.

Never insinuated anyone was lying, states the Visa thing on their website. Other retailers of firearms and related products still taking Visa going by their websites , the full story will come out in the wash.

"Visa was founded in 1958 by Bank of America (BofA) as the BankAmericard credit card program."

I'd like to see how Visa America gets on cancelling American firearms businesses. I would expect a massive push back, what with their second amendment etc. In Texas they would most probably string the bank manager up for such a suggestion!

Originally Posted by XR500

"Visa was founded in 1958 by Bank of America (BofA) as the BankAmericard credit card program."

I'd like to see how Visa America gets on cancelling American firearms businesses. I would expect a massive push back, what with their second amendment etc. In Texas they would most probably string the bank manager up for such a suggestion!

We can all change to Mastercard to show our support, come on @Juicy

Originally Posted by tetawa

We can all change to Mastercard to show our support, come on @Juicy

Huh? I just paid with eftpos to show my support to Gunworks, easy. I would rather neither credit card company made their surcharge for doing sweet FA at the expense of the retailer.

Originally Posted by Juicy

Huh? I just paid with eftpos to show my support to Gunworks, easy. I would rather neither credit card company made their surcharge for doing sweet FA at the expense of the retailer.

Would say a large part of their online sales are via credit cards. The credit card company's supply a service to the retailer and the purchaser, their costs will be brought into your purchase.

I'm guessing that also means no Visa debit card as well. I use mine for online and overseas transactions and only ever put the amount I need for the transaction into that account. Oh well more than happy to use Eftpos for firearms stuff. Wonder how H&F or GC will be treated.

Id say H&F could fly under the radar. They can just say they are a camping store. Which isn’t wrong. GC possibly not. They might find a way around it. They seem pretty inventive.

Also to be clear I’m not bagging on the big 2. I’ve personally had no problems with either. But variety is the spice of life and the wee guys are certainly very valuable.

Originally Posted by tetawa

Would say a large part of their online sales are via credit cards. The credit card company's supply a service to the retailer and the purchaser, their costs will be brought into your purchase.

I have observed more and more on-line stores offering online banking options to pay for goods. good on them.

Originally Posted by XR500

I have observed more and more on-line stores offering online banking options to pay for goods. good on them.

Think T/M has pushed the credit card option by stating it's a secure option, plus they "clip the ticket" on the way thru.

Originally Posted by Juicy

The economic situation is an undeniable factor, but its difficult to believe that people trying to avoid the registry is not also having an impact. I've heard this sentiment from a variety of retailers. It was just a message for those who are holding out purchases for some clarity on the registry that they may find that there are less retailers and higher prices by the time they finally do. If people are ok with that then so be it. Soon it will be ammo too, so not just gun sales.



A key difference with gun shops is that when these shops close, they close for good. As previously mentioned, only the big players will be left and no-one else will be able to get back into it when times recover.

Agreed. People definitely don't want to trigger the register. Purchase rates fell off a cliff the day the register became active and haven't really picked back up. You can see that at auctions too. Firearms with no reserve selling low, while antique prices are through the roof because they don't need to be registered.

Greetings,
I think the question we need to ask ourselves is "Do we want to wait until 2026 to see if the Register is abolished"? Progress on the Arms Act review has been slow and the outcome is uncertain. Something to think about.
GPM.

Really I suspect its LESS about the Register and MORE that most peoples excess $$$$$ has been swallowed up by unavoidable cost increases.

Mortgage Interest has increased peoples outgoings along with Rates, Insurance. Rent and food have all increased a lot then there is power, phone etc as well all while most peoples incomes are fixed to a large extent.
Small businesses also have these increased cost to bear and when people are not spending those that are only just viable in the fist place go and the rest suffer greatly also.


I personally would be supprised if there are any massive changes in the Arms act in this gov't term and I don't think the register itself will be going anywhere, more likely it may get "tweaked" better or worse who knows