Loyalty to local business or to your budget?

[Kevin Dill]

The everything-under-one-roof (like Cabela's) started the ball rolling away from smaller or more limited local sporting goods dealers. It's the same reason Walmart and other giant grocers can basically suck the oxygen out of the air in small towns supplied by local grocery stores.

Money wins 95% of the time.

And with that stated, the online experience has turned our computers and phones into portals for sporting gear many of us would never see or purchase otherwise. That in turn has put pressure on every brick & mortar sporting goods retailer...big or small...to adapt. Most can't compete on price alone. Some compete on their ability to offer high-end service. Some compete by offering mostly higher quality gear (think premium brands only) in stores which offer a feeling not found in Bass Pro, Dick's, etc. You can still find stores which have that definite hunting, fishing, backpacking and hardcore outdoors feel. People will go there and will spend to experience that.

I think there's evidence of a trend. The online experience may save money but it lacks any sort of connection to people, services and stores we can enjoy. I'm seeing more specialized sporting stores around towns. Racks filled with expensive gear for fly fishermen, climbers, hunters, backpackers, shooters and more. Not even a whiff of Walmart or fake-antler taxidermy inside...just the feeling of being in a place where people are serious about what they do and the gear they use. These stores are bucking the online rush and catering to those who need more than "cheaper". It tells me the web isn't always the place people go for their serious recreation and lifestyle gear. I for one will spend additional money (to a point) to support these retailers.

 

[timekiller13]

Large items such as guns and bows are purchased locally. I dont mind paying a little extra for items like that because if I have an issue, I can take it straight back to them and they will fix it or figure out a way to make it right. Plus, I want to put my hands on bows and guns before i buy them. I think its wrong to go to a store, fondle their inventory and take up their time and then buy it online.

Smaller items such accessories I have no problem buying online. Small stores generally mark up accessories significantly to help with profit margins. Online stores can get away with much less markup.

 

[Mt Al]

Like many others: spendy gear is bought locally for service unless it's not available at the store. I hate buying from the larger online retailers like Cabelas because I see them rip off designs of small innovators here and there. It's not illegal at all if somethings not patented, but they're just looking for market share vs. passionate about what we all do. In order for me: locally owned small retailer, direct-to-consumer online store (like tarptent or others like it), local big box, large online retailers.

For archery gear I always buy local because I don't know enough about the whole system to tune, etc.. but that's just me.

 

[mfllood3800]

The everything-under-one-roof (like Cabela's) started the ball rolling away from smaller or more limited local sporting goods dealers. It's the same reason Walmart and other giant grocers can basically suck the oxygen out of the air in small towns supplied by local grocery stores.

Money wins 95% of the time.

And with that stated, the online experience has turned our computers and phones into portals for sporting gear many of us would never see or purchase otherwise. That in turn has put pressure on every brick & mortar sporting goods retailer...big or small...to adapt. Most can't compete on price alone. Some compete on their ability to offer high-end service. Some compete by offering mostly higher quality gear (think premium brands only) in stores which offer a feeling not found in Bass Pro, Dick's, etc. You can still find stores which have that definite hunting, fishing, backpacking and hardcore outdoors feel. People will go there and will spend to experience that.

I think there's evidence of a trend. The online experience may save money but it lacks any sort of connection to people, services and stores we can enjoy. I'm seeing more specialized sporting stores around towns. Racks filled with expensive gear for fly fishermen, climbers, hunters, backpackers, shooters and more. Not even a whiff of Walmart or fake-antler taxidermy inside...just the feeling of being in a place where people are serious about what they do and the gear they use. These stores are bucking the online rush and catering to those who need more than "cheaper". It tells me the web isn't always the place people go for their serious recreation and lifestyle gear. I for one will spend additional money (to a point) to support these retailers.

Wow, well said, a lot of key points in this post...

 

[timekiller13]

I know how to tune bows and work on them, but the cost of buying a bow press, arrow saw, hooter shooter and draw boards is not cost effective for me. I fletch my own arrows, other than that I have my local bow shop do major work for me. I used to work at a mom and pop sporting goods store. Its very annoying when a guy walks in with a bow he bought online and wants it worked on, then gets mad because we would charge him labor for it. Our rule was if you bought the bow from us, we would not charge labor for things like string replacement, new peeps, new serving, new d loops, mounting accessories etc. I remember an incident where a guy walked in with a used bow he had bought on eBay. The bow had derailed and damaged a cam when he drew it back. No warranty on the bow. He was livid that we charged him $75 labor plus cost of cam, strings and cables and bushings to fix it. It took nearly 4 hours to put that bow back together and tune it. He raised hell about the labor charge. I finally told him that I would gladly take it all apart and he could send it back to the eBay seller and see if they would fix it. Needless to say, he knew that wasn't going to happen. If he had bought the bow from us, no labor charge and we would have cut him a deal on other repair items. He had saved about $50 by purchasing the bow online. After the incident, he had new cost in a used bow.

 

[Kevin Dill]

This post^^^^ is a great example of how people can be driven by nothing more than saving money and doing whatever it takes to save a buck. I've seen it so many times and still find it irritating. It doesn't matter who they deal with, they automatically think things like cheaper, discounted, free and SAVE. When their frugality costs them money later (or sooner) they tend to take their frustration out on the last person they have to pay to get things corrected....even if that person had nothing to do with the problem.

I've had people purchase materials for a project and then ask my business to use them to create the thing they envision. It almost always comes down to some situation where they saved a bunch of money buying cheap stuff at a discount, and then think we can be counted on to use it, plus give them a really good rate. The giveaway is the fact they went screwed-down cheap to buy materials...so we automatically know that's their M.O., and we usually just smile and walk away.

 

[Huntindog45]

i prefer to buy local when I can, especially for the nick nack items for fly fishing, archery, hunting, back packing, etc. If I am only saving a few bucks by going online i prefer to shop local. On large purchases where the savings are more significant I purchase from the cheapest possible source. If the local shop can come close (within 5%) on those large purchases I will still use them. unfortunately that does not happen often.

 

[adamm88]

I dont have much local as far as sporting goods good, so any camo, boots, packs, ect all get bought online. Guns and bows will be bought local because of convenience not necessarily anything else, Iv though long and hard about buying a used bow off of archery talk but i personally have no clue to set it up properly and tune it if needed.....

 

[ezmorningrebel]

i tend to make my bigger purchases online and go used when possible to save as much as i can. on smaller items i'll typically spend my money at sportsmans warehouse. they have good selection and pricing and are the best thing we have going in town.

to find a reliable bow tech i would have to drive over an hour one way and don't have time on the weekends or after work for all of that so i figured out how to do that stuff on my own. my entire setup for working on my bow was probably paid for the first time i did my own string change.

 

[Trial153]

I try to find a balance, granted most everything I use from a hunting standpoint isn’t a available locally. However from a overall consumer standpoint I try to balance our consumption to include both local and internet sales.

 

[Stwrt9]

I think there's evidence of a trend. The online experience may save money but it lacks any sort of connection to people, services and stores we can enjoy. I'm seeing more specialized sporting stores around towns. Racks filled with expensive gear for fly fishermen, climbers, hunters, backpackers, shooters and more. Not even a whiff of Walmart or fake-antler taxidermy inside...just the feeling of being in a place where people are serious about what they do and the gear they use. These stores are bucking the online rush and catering to those who need more than "cheaper". It tells me the web isn't always the place people go for their serious recreation and lifestyle gear. I for one will spend additional money (to a point) to support these retailers.

I think this is spot on and makes a ton of sense. People are looking for specialized quality gear that typical "local" Shops don't have which is leading towards a trend in their favor. But my concern is for how long? Given the recent news coming from First Lite I would be hard pressed to put all my chips in that basket. I think we are going to see even more companies pull out of smaller stores and focus on higher profit margins by going direct to consumer. You gotta hand it to Jason Hairston for laying it all out there toppled with the fact that it is easier now than ever for consumers to research and find the best deal. It's here to stay we are not going to go backwards, and unfortunately it does come with a cost that you lose out on service. Time will ultimately tell whether this is good or bad for consumers in the long run but money is king.

 

[Stwrt9]

There is something to be said for service that much i will give you. its is becoming a lost art thou. I primarily shop online mostly because of availability and the gear i need isn't offered anywhere close to me. That being said it is difficult for me to spend more on a product when i know that i can get it cheaper someplace else. My priority is to my family and our expenses over a local shop and unfortunately that is just the reality of most peoples situations. Would i like to help out a local shop absolutely but i'd much rather help out my family first but saving us money when and where i can while also being able to justify my spending on Hunting gear.

I used to use a local guy who was a family friend for all my archery needs once he closed up shop we were left looking elsewhere. I was in need of a new bow so i shopped around and found a guy online who was selling leftover bows from his shop. I got an awesome deal and save nearly $500 on a new bow. I then took that bow to a new shop that had opened near me to get setup and was given somewhat of a hard time. I asked the owner if he would have sold the bow to me at that price if i had come to him first and he said no. So, it's hard to feel bad for the guy if he's shocked i wouldn't buy from him at the higher price. The he turns around and reports the guys at the other archery shop for selling it to me online. Needless to say that was the last time i took any business his way. I can appreciate the businesses that will work with customers and give them outstanding service, it is what i try and do running a small business. You get what you give sometimes.

 

[307]

This is a timely post. I'm shopping for a new target archery sight. Checked with the local shop and it's MAP pricing, $399. Amazon has the same sight for $370. Adding in the 5% sales tax and it's just less than $50 more to buy locally... About 13% difference.

When it comes to items that I go into the store to research, I buy them there. I feel really sleazy stealing that experience from the local shop when I know I'm buying online. The local shop pays employees, rent, and inventory costs and if I take advantage of all those things without the intention of buying there (or giving them an honest shot at the sale), then I feel like that is stealing from them.

Using this as a guideline, I've bought my boots, lots of ammo, and a new pack there in the last year totaling well over a couple thousand dollars. I also pay range fees there.

But now I have a dilemma. While I would like to support the local place, it would be very generous to call this shop an archery shop. They have service at a level I would expect from a big box store when it comes to archery, not even close to what I would expect from a pro shop. Also, it's almost exclusively hunting focused and while I bowhunt, I'm setting up a target bow with target accessories which these guys don/t really know exist.

The bow, stabs, current sight were all bought online, used, usually at 50% or more off of retail.

All this points to an online purchase but I have a genuine fear for the future of small towns in America. The bottom line is that "what is best for me is not best for my community."

 

[#1antler]

This old post brings us to the larger question of supporting US companies or sending our money overseas to benefit China, Vietnam, etc. I always try to buy American products when I can. We all better wake up!

 

[butcherboy]

I try to buy locally. My archery rarely has what I want because he caters to the local scene of what most want for broad heads, fletching, sights, etc. I do buy my bows from him and sights, rests, arrows, etc. I do most of my own work on my bow. When it comes to my stick bow items that stuff is all ordered online. Mostly from 3 Rivers. Nobody around here has anything to do with trad archery.
I also believe in giving business to those who do business with me. Once they stop because someone else charges less for meat processing then I stop doing business with them as well.

When I do use a local guy I pay his price. I never try to talk them down, or get some kind of service for free. I know what it takes to run a business and all the overhead behind the scenes no one sees.

 

[cbat]

My take is this. If you do not shop local when possible those local shops will not be there when you need them. Look around and see the business that have closed since online shopping occurred.

 

[4fletch]

I’m wondering where you guys draw the line between saving money and supporting your local businesses (bow shops, etc). Many outdoor companies offer military discounts, I’ll wait for an online sale, or I’ll buy used gear off Rokslide, etc. As a result, I rarely buy anything from my bowshop (outside of bow maintenance), even though I am friends with the guys that work there. I am always conflicted about it... I want to buy from them, but when I can save significant amounts on gear, I almost always end up buying online. I feel like a schmuck saving $50 on a dozen arrows online when I know I could buy them at the shop for full price.
Case in point, I am going to buy a Prime Centergy. My local bowshop carries them for MSRP and they have no used ones. I can get the bow new at a discount elsewhere or I can find a used one online. Then I’d have to roll up to the shop and say, “Hey Ben. I need you to set up my new Centergy... which I didn’t buy from you. Sorry?”

What do you guys do? Where do you draw the line? Thanks.

I will shop local even at a great cost to myself. But if they mess up, lie to me, show themselves to be less than able I will never shop there again. I had a bow shop make two or three mistakes on two bows and then I was told they were holding a product I had ordered so I would keep using their services. (no joke replaced a cam and handed it to me with the limbs pinched from improperly installing, one draw stop at 29, one at 29.5 and one flip dist on comfort and the other on performance, to shoot!) I had given them the benifit of a doubt because "new guy", but im all set now. I found a local guy who does amazing work and picked up my own stuff elsewhere. Once i find a place that Is good Im there for life.

 

[WCB]

depend on how different the prices are. I know when I buy from my local stores in town or when I am traveling I also try to pay in cash so they can keep the extra 2% or whatever the card processing companies charge.

I will say I avoid CABELA'S, BASS PRO, and now SPORTSMANS like the plague. Will gladly spend more at a local bait shop or archery shop even if I am just buying a pack of broadheads.