I'm obviously missing something, because I don't see how small local gun stores exist. Their pricing can be beaten by looking around online.
The local store that I like the best has about 10-15 long guns on the wall, 2 display cases housing maybe 12 handguns, and a third case with a small selection of ammo. They also have a small assortment of accessories, but can order most anything. Of the 12 or so handguns, 4 or 5 are on consignment. Most of their inventory is online and their online broker isn't that competitive.
So what do they offer: concealed carry classes, transfers, and private instruction. They do a lot of transfers because their cost is the lowest around and they have high turnout in the CC classes because they are the cheapest. I'm guessing their classes lead to some gun sales, but I really can't see how they're making it since they have the overhead of a storefront business.
The local store that I like the best has about 10-15 long guns on the wall, 2 display cases housing maybe 12 handguns, and a third case with a small selection of ammo. They also have a small assortment of accessories, but can order most anything. Of the 12 or so handguns, 4 or 5 are on consignment. Most of their inventory is online and their online broker isn't that competitive.
So what do they offer: concealed carry classes, transfers, and private instruction. They do a lot of transfers because their cost is the lowest around and they have high turnout in the CC classes because they are the cheapest. I'm guessing their classes lead to some gun sales, but I really can't see how they're making it since they have the overhead of a storefront business.