Thread: Small Retailers Struggling/Under attack

I brought 5 pkts of 308 ammo the other day.HnF were $10 a pkt cheaper than the small retailor gun shop in the same town.Not a hard decision to make where to spend my money on the day.

With rifles and fishing rods, I like to handle them before purchasing, so value physical stores and I'm happy to pay a little more for the privilege. That said, I normally know what I want before I go in to a shop. The fondling is confirmatory. What I like is stores to have a good, up-to-date website and physical stock that reflects the website. What I don't like is sales assistants pushing what they have in stock rather than what I want. This applies to small stores and large chains. I've ordered online in the past purely to avoid this kind of interaction.

Originally Posted by Trout

I brought 5 pkts of 308 ammo the other day.HnF were $10 a pkt cheaper than the small retailor gun shop in the same town.Not a hard decision to make where to spend my money on the day.

I bought 1 pkt of ammo to try from one of the big 2, saw the same ammo 10 days later at another branch of the same franchise $30 cheaper! ffs.

Originally Posted by 7mm tragic

I bought 1 pkt of ammo to try from one of the big 2, saw the same ammo 10 days later at another branch of the same franchise $30 cheaper! ffs.

Ye its the luck of the draw when you go to town.Different towns and shops can be $30-$40 per pkt difference on the same day or 3 weeks later.

Originally Posted by Trout

I brought 5 pkts of 308 ammo the other day.HnF were $10 a pkt cheaper than the small retailor gun shop in the same town.Not a hard decision to make where to spend my money on the day.

Hard to argue when there's a saving of 50 bucks. Savings like that get you close to buying another packet.

About 10 years ago I wanted a 28 gauge double gun. I went to a renowned small retailer in my town. Stated what I wanted, please order it ( they are a seller of the brand I wanted). I don't mind waiting and how much deposit do you want?
Just to prove I was serious.

Do you know what they said?

"Oh no you don't want that, here buy this 12 gauge. It's all we use"
You know what, I have never bought another thing in that shop.

Originally Posted by no1_49er

Hard to argue when there's a saving of 50 bucks. Savings like that get you close to buying another packet.

I sell the casings and get another $10+/pk.

Originally Posted by johnd

About 10 years ago I wanted a 28 gauge double gun. I went to a renowned small retailer in my town. Stated what I wanted, please order it ( they are a seller of the brand I wanted). I don't mind waiting and how much deposit do you want?
Just to prove I was serious.

Do you know what they said?

"Oh no you don't want that, here buy this 12 gauge. It's all we use"
You know what, I have never bought another thing in that shop.

F they should be throwing discount words at you for what you wanted.

Originally Posted by Tahr

And yet we slam H&F for diversifying. The H&F franchisee's are small business owners too. So long as they provide service and value they deserve a break.

And there are small sole trader shops that wouldn't hesitate to do you over either, just like bigger ones.

I go where the service is best and the price is right.

t

Let's REMEMBER how H$F threw us under the bus during the firearm confiscation. They could have just keep their mouth shut but my goodness they did not hold back.
Any of the private H$F franchise owners said anything back then? Oh, no. They were all toe in line.

On the same token, went to Chch Ballingers as it was next to Swanndri and found an old 1kg pack of 8208. (that was an old pack lost in the back somewhere, 1 kg of powder ( the latest shipment) purchased via a small dealer was $147 while H$F was selling them for $199).Went to the counter and when ready to pay they asked for the FAL. i tried to explained to them that is not needed for reloading components. It took a good 15 min to convince them to call their manager and bloody do their homework.
Sorry for them, but some people actually paid attention on the law changes and during the maths classes!

Originally Posted by johnd

About 10 years ago I wanted a 28 gauge double gun. I went to a renowned small retailer in my town. Stated what I wanted, please order it ( they are a seller of the brand I wanted). I don't mind waiting and how much deposit do you want?
Just to prove I was serious.

Do you know what they said?

"Oh no you don't want that, here buy this 12 gauge. It's all we use"
You know what, I have never bought another thing in that shop.

I had the same thing at the old Sportsworld in Picton, I'd bought a brand new rifle from him and decided to enquire about the price for a Slab of .22lr, maybe $800-900 worth at the time.
Offered to pay before hand if he gave me a price, 2 phone calls later with no result I took my business elsewhere

The fact you can buy projectiles, primers, brass, powder and all reloading equipment without a license seems rather a strange loophole. Only recently realised this was a thing. Always assumed at least powder needed a license.

Originally Posted by Juicy

The fact you can buy projectiles, primers, brass, powder and all reloading equipment without a license seems rather a strange loophole. Only recently realised this was a thing. Always assumed at least powder needed a license.

Isn’t it obvious. You can make all of the above yourself so why would you think you need a licence?

Originally Posted by Juicy

The fact you can buy projectiles, primers, brass, powder and all reloading equipment without a license seems rather a strange loophole. Only recently realised this was a thing. Always assumed at least powder needed a license.

Purchased powder recently and was asked for license which I don't really give two shits about

They said that it was enforced as a H&S issue

Primers and powder I can kind of understand

Originally Posted by Juicy

The fact you can buy projectiles, primers, brass, powder and all reloading equipment without a license seems rather a strange loophole. Only recently realised this was a thing. Always assumed at least powder needed a license.

Don't need to provide any details to buy petrol.
Or rat bait.
Or a number of household products, which if you desire, can be turned in to lethal substances.

Originally Posted by ronz

t

Let's REMEMBER how H$F threw us under the bus during the firearm confiscation. They could have just keep their mouth shut but my goodness they did not hold back.
Any of the private H$F franchise owners said anything back then? Oh, no. They were all toe in line.

On the same token, went to Chch Ballingers as it was next to Swanndri and found an old 1kg pack of 8208. (that was an old pack lost in the back somewhere, 1 kg of powder ( the latest shipment) purchased via a small dealer was $147 while H$F was selling them for $199).Went to the counter and when ready to pay they asked for the FAL. i tried to explained to them that is not needed for reloading components. It took a good 15 min to convince them to call their manager and bloody do their homework.
Sorry for them, but some people actually paid attention on the law changes and during the maths classes!

We ask for FAL for powder at GC. Yes, I know it's not the law, it's a store policy. We don't record it against a name or anything like for ammo or guns, just sight it.