LGS Shenanigans...

Grizzly

My bussiness is grocery stores.I compete every day against walmart and aldis and all the rest of them.i would love to sell ground beef for 3.99 lb but I cant do that cause you have other people selling it for 249 lb.Now do I get greedy and just say screw it and put it up there and whatever I sell i sell.
No Sir I dont-I sell a better product at 2.49 and make my few bucks and find a way to adapt.Doing that and working 80 hours a week has gotten me my very large house my second house in europe.
come to one of my stores buy 5lbs of ground beef for 3.99 lb when you can go somewhere else and pay 2.49 walk up to the register pay for it.give me your money and as your walking out the door tell you not calling me greedy as your getting in your car..THATS GREEDY_SAME ITEM SAME SERVICE SAME EVERYTHING JUST ADD 20-50 PERCENT MARKUP FOR ME>>>
FYI-I do pretty good good last time I checked over 100 employes and all the bills are paid and I'm fair.Somethings must be working 20 years later and still in the same bussiness.........
 
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Grizzly

My bussiness is grocery stores.I compete every day against walmart and aldis and all the rest of them.i would love to sell ground beef for 3.99 lb but I cant do that cause you have other people selling it for 249 lb.Now do I get greedy and just say screw it and put it up there and whatever I sell i sell.
No Sir I dont-I sell a better product at 2.49 and make my few bucks and find a way to adapt.Doing that and working 80 hours a week has gotten me my very large house my second house in europe.
come to one of my stores buy 5lbs of ground beef for 3.99 lb when you can go somewhere else and pay 2.49 walk up to the register pay for it.give me your money and as your walking out the door tell you not calling me greedy as your getting in your car..THATS GREEDY_SAME ITEM SAME SERVICE SAME EVERYTHING JUST ADD 20-50 PERCENT MARKUP FOR ME>>>
FYI-I do pretty good good last time I checked over 100 employes and all the bills are paid and I'm fair.Somethings must be working 20 years later and still in the same business.........
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Your business is high volume/low margin and that style does work great as you have shown. BUT a gun LGS is low volume/high margin style business which is totally different. BTW, all ground beef is NOT the same, consider the difference between McDonalds dollar meal burgers and one from Red Robin. Both use ground beef but McD's is much lower quality.

Another thing to think about is this - The grocery store I go to, when I have the time, is much more expensive than the others around BUT I go there because the staff is extremely friendly and pleasant to be around. Unfortunately most of my shopping is at SAMS club because its right around the corner and @ 80hrs/wk working during my season, my time is too valuable. The employees in SAMS act like I (any customer) is in their way and they are rude.

THATS GREEDY_SAME ITEM SAME SERVICE SAME EVERYTHING JUST ADD 20-50 PERCENT MARKUP FOR ME>>>
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Thats NOT greedy!! There is nothing wrong with wanting "more" of anything as long as you don't hurt anyone in the process of getting "more". And why would you care what I or anyone else thinks about you as they walk out your door? As long as you provide a better service (clean store, polite/helpful employees, etc…) they will return. If you have so little self esteem that you need everyone to like you, just give your products away and everyone will be talking very highly about you

Heck, there are plenty of people that will call you greedy just because you earned enough to buy a second home in Europe.

A typical LGS does not have the customer base to justify high volume/low margin sales. Internet sales changed that somewhat but with more and more LGS's selling online, those prices are soon to go up because the demand is going up and people getting caught up in auction wars.
 
Again, "greedy" isn't the appropriate word if you are charging a competitive price for a comparable available product. Greedy isn't the appropriate word if you are charging higher than competitive prices for comparable available products either. That's called stupid, and will get you on the fast track to closing your doors. I think that what's keeping a lot of LGS's in business these days is gun/ammo ban panic, and cheap ammo prices at Wal-Mart.
 
Again, "greedy" isn't the appropriate word if you are charging a competitive price for a comparable available product. Greedy isn't the appropriate word if you are charging higher than competitive prices for comparable available products either. That's called stupid, and will get you on the fast track to closing your doors. I think that what's keeping a lot of LGS's in business these days is gun/ammo ban panic, and cheap ammo prices at Wal-Mart.
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Without knowing the expenses for each LGS, how can you say which one is more greedy??? You can't, period…

Each has different rent/mortgage attached to the store, different utility bills, different number of employees, different pay scales for those employees, different set of services offered, etc… And most importantly, different financial goals for themselves. One owner may be single and happy living in a one bedroom, low rent apt. while the other has a family of 7 they need to support with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies while still another may be single and have goals to retire early while another may have goals of opening a chain of LGS's. Non are greedy but all need to charge appropriately to meet their goals.
 
Grizzly

Maybe we're not talking about the same thing here.Im not saying a service based business like yours should work off the numbers that I quoted.My numbers were all retail based numbers.If you tried using my numbers in your company you wouldn't make a dime.But on retail those are fair numbers-don't forget after a certain number your overhead stops growing your payroll stops and yes true profits begin at that point.What I'm saying about greedy owners is this-Theres a huge gun shop by where I live-he has over 5-7 millon dollars in gun inventory alone in his shop.But he's always that guy who's 200-300 more expensive on all his firearms-He's being greedy-then theres the guy 2 towns over who I do give some sales too but he's always fair-always within 20-50 of buds kentucky cabelas bass all of em now he's fair.Ask anybody in illinois about these two guys and they all say the same thing big guy is greedy small guy is a good business man.But the big guy has everything in stock so if people cant wait a week or two for a gun that they will have many years then there feeding into his greed.Just my thoughts on greedy owners.
 
Without knowing the expenses for each LGS, how can you say which one is more greedy??? You can't, period…
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Read again... I'm not saying anyone is "greedy".

Each has different rent/mortgage attached to the store, different utility bills, different number of employees, different pay scales for those employees, different set of services offered, etc…
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Yep, and that's their problem, not mine. I don't need to concern myself with their problems. Perhaps if they put up a sign saying they pay their employees a bit more and have higher electric bills and security service bills, insurance, etc., which requires them to charge a bit more than the the competition, they will get more business... I think not. People still go for the best deal in most cases.
 
grizzly

one more thing-I said ground beef not ground soy,everyone knows some chains use soy to fill and add weight.the walmarts of the world add water solution to there meat to add weight and reduce cost-Don't believe me read the package.What i said was price pound for pound for exact same item-There is no soy additive in a Beretta 92-It comes in blue or inox-LGS with5-7 million in inventory $799.00 Buds 649.00 delivered.Same gun where did I go buds now if he was 649-699 He would have had the sale plus when I picked it up 18 dollars for his range so I could try it out.Maybe another 50 dollars for ammo and lets say 6 or 7 dollars more on targets but it doesn't end there now he has me in his store twice because of Illinois 3 day waiting period on hand guns Now do I need lube,extra mags,patches,cleaner,different ammo for a different gun works exactly like a grocery store-I only make 5-7 percent on ground beef but I make 35-40 percent on tomatoes 40-50 percent on bread-15-20 percent on mustard a and ketchup average it all out and I finish between 20-25 percent,That is the nature of retail-If I dont sell ground beef I don't sell anything else and I'm out of business-If he doesn't sell me the gun same thing.Every sale can't be a homerun
 
...always within 20-50 of buds kentucky cabelas bass all of em...
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Strange statement... Bud's is known for some of the best prices in the industry, the others in that list are known for some of the worst.
 
Kentucky has been running some real good prices lately. As for cabelas and bass maybe I was thinking Black Friday ads or something. Honestly haven't bought anything from them ever just grab some powder or ammo when I'm doing other shopping.
 
Grizz, retail is a different animal than a service company. In retail, a Colt 1911 is the same Colt 1911 at your LGS or Buds. A service company has variables like employees (shady or professional), equipment (kept up or beaten up), timeliness, quality of work, etc. If you get the top dollar you must deliver the top service. Word of mouth will kill you if you are the most expensive and deliver sub-par work. It's not the same in retail. If LGS is $899 + tax and Buds is $749 delivered plus a transfer fee, for the exact same gun, warranty, etc, then the difference lies within the personal service provided by the LGS.

If my LGS is $100+ more across the board and doesn't care because he wants his annual safari to Africa, has a 2nd home in the FL Keys and drives a Mercedes, that's his choice but is also his right. However, me, the buyer, also has a car, mortgage and bills to pay so if I give it to LGS for his extras it takes away from my extras. Maybe I can't go shooting this month because the extra $100 went to LGS's 2nd mortgage. No, I'll go shooting and buy online and save the $100 because it's my money and I really don't give a flip if Mr LGS wants a BMW for his 16 year old son. That's his problem, not mine. The pre-internet days of charging whatever you want to cover your inflated overhead is gone. Adapt or perish. I don't feel sorry for any LGS who won't do what it takes to stay in business. He can also list online to increase sales if he chooses but if he'd rather chew the fat with his shooting buddies instead of listing ads then he gets out of his business what he puts into it. The internet is here to stay and those who don't realize this and change their ways won't be around much longer.
 
Grizz12 said:
Without knowing the expenses for each LGS, how can you say which one is more greedy??? You can't, period…





Each has different rent/mortgage attached to the store, different utility bills, different number of employees, different pay scales for those employees, different set of services offered, etc… And most importantly, different financial goals for themselves. One owner may be single and happy living in a one bedroom, low rent apt. while the other has a family of 7 they need to support with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies while still another may be single and have goals to retire early while another may have goals of opening a chain of LGS's. Non are greedy but all need to charge appropriately to meet their goals.
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And the customer has his own living expenses and a family to support. The $50 he saves by buying online might be a lot of money to him
 
Grizzly

Maybe we're not talking about the same thing here.Im not saying a service based business like yours should work off the numbers that I quoted.My numbers were all retail based numbers.If you tried using my numbers in your company you wouldn't make a dime.But on retail those are fair numbers-don't forget after a certain number your overhead stops growing your payroll stops and yes true profits begin at that point.What I'm saying about greedy owners is this-Theres a huge gun shop by where I live-he has over 5-7 millon dollars in gun inventory alone in his shop.But he's always that guy who's 200-300 more expensive on all his firearms-He's being greedy-then theres the guy 2 towns over who I do give some sales too but he's always fair-always within 20-50 of buds kentucky cabelas bass all of em now he's fair.Ask anybody in illinois about these two guys and they all say the same thing big guy is greedy small guy is a good business man.But the big guy has everything in stock so if people cant wait a week or two for a gun that they will have many years then there feeding into his greed.Just my thoughts on greedy owners.
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We're on different chapters in the same book

If the "greedy" LGS was all that bad, they would be closed. Insurance for that size inventory has got to be through the roof and I'll bet he has employees that have been with him for years and years (experienced people who are not condescending and are willing to help) and earn a nice check every week.

How does his used gun section look and how are they priced? This is where the majority of his sales takes place (my guess) and that is why he does not really care about the new guns moving. When I had my FFL (early 90's), I could get better prices at the local walmart than I could get from any wholesaler on just about any weapon. He more than likely keeps the new stuff around to use as bargining tools to obtain used guns. I'll bet the small LGS does the exact same thing on a smaller volume

On a side note (not for the business owners), if your boss offers you a raise, do you say "no" because you don't need the money and you don't want people to think you are greedy?
If you were offered a job doing the same thing for 50% more than you are making now, would you say "no" because you don't need the money and you don't want people to think you are greedy?

We all work for the most money we can get and many of us look for the best deal before buying anything. That being said, "best deal" has a different meaning for me and many others. I used to buy cheap tools because a drill is a drill. Then I learned it is less expensive to buy the more expensive (higher quality) drill once instead of buying the cheap one three times because it does not work when I need it to.
 
grizzly

one more thing-I said ground beef not ground soy,everyone knows some chains use soy to fill and add weight.the walmarts of the world add water solution to there meat to add weight and reduce cost-Don't believe me read the package.What i said was price pound for pound for exact same item-There is no soy additive in a Beretta 92-It comes in blue or inox-LGS with5-7 million in inventory $799.00 Buds 649.00 delivered.
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Two points -

1) adding anything to the product (soy, water whatever) to me, is cheating and greedy because they are not being honest with the customer

2) the Beretta 92 is sold at different prices from different wholesalers and each wholesaler has different deals for bulk buyers. Therefor a 30% markup on a $600 (wholesale price) B92 is different than a 30% mark up on the same B92 which was purchased (wholesale) for $700. Each has the same 30% markup on the same gun but there is a $30 difference in the retail price.

Which dealer is being greedy when both sell the same gun at the same 30% markup but they have a $30 difference in price?

BTW, I have not had an FFL since the early 90's, the numbers I mentioned above are just examples to make my point, I have no idea what wholesale prices are these days
 
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