Loyalty to local business or to your budget?

[TheCougar]

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.

 

[dotman]

Budget always comes first. But why not see if they’ll price match if you know them so well? At least then when you bring your bow in you gave them first shot to earn your business.

 

[WyoElk]

I’m such a cheapo that I end up buying most things online. I browse in the store and buy online. I always feel bad but when your raising a family of 5 on a single income it is what it is.

Last weekend I went to three big box stores (cabelas, bass pro, and sportsman’s) looking for rifle rings. None of hem had them and in two days I had them at my door with amazon. Business is business, it’s tough. We live in an area without much retail so that factors in too.

 

[skaldugwas]

Budget with a few exceptions, i don’t mind paying extra for good customer service,. If local businesses can’t make up for prices with customer service then Its not my job to patronize them.

 

[Violent Hippie]

This is a common discussion Ive come across in Mtn towns. I personally will buy local if they are helpful nice guys that offer a reasonable price and or locals discount even if its more than online within reason of course. Id pay an extra 10 % or so in these circumstances when compared to the best online discounted price . This is again if the local retailer is a good shop.

 

[johnsd16]

Depends. I try to buy nick nacks locally, but will buy a used bow off AT or anywhere I am comfortable but then get some components and what not from the shop. I am not buddies or a regular at any shops. I used to work at a bow/gun shop and have seen all sides of it. The annoying ones are guys who come in and kick tires or have you put a rest and loop on several bows so they can try them out (few hours of sinking around) then roll in with a used one they bought online with all the accessories they bought on sale wherever then whine about how much it costs to set it up and tune, or are pissed when you tell them the bow has been modded/neglected by previous owner and it will cost $$$ to fix or warranty is voided. They knew dang well where they could have come to begin with. I tend to try and save $$$ on bigger items, but will buy hats/gloves/scent locally.

This week we went to a little wood fired pizza place with the family and some friends. It was our first time there and we liked it, got busy and it was just the owner cooking and a nice server waiting the tables. On the way home we noticed they forgot to put a glass of wine and a dessert on our bill. We called when we got home and the server said she would take it out of her tip (standard for balancing the register at the end of the night), and we left plenty, 25% or more, but we just told her we were calling to say not to do that and we would be in to pay the next day. I went in to pay the following day and the owner was there and again said not to worry about it. I insisted and said if it were the IRS that made a mistake I'd gladly take it, but I'm not going to stiff a small business if I notice it. Not the same as buying local but I try to support the little guys. I'll ask cableas and scheels to price match and will walk out if I think I can do better but will only take a discount at a mom and pop place if they offer it.

 

[big44a4]

I see no problem if you can get a deal on a used one and they don’t have any. If you find one new best you can do is ask them if they wanted to match the price etc. I’ll be in same boat whenever I decide to get a new to me bow in the next couple years. I got a great shop and I support them when/where I can.


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[KBC]

Money is not endless so I look for the best deal but if i'm in a small business and get help from anyone I make sure to spend some money if it's something I want within reason.

 

[hodgeman]

Well...if you want the option to buy stuff local, you'd better buy stuff local.

I try to buy as much stuff locally as I can, because Amazon isn't staying open 20 minutes late for that last minute item that I forgot and isn't telling me if the fishing action on the local lake is worth the drive or not or where the caribou are moving through.

I get that online retailers can beat the local guys on price, but my local guys offer value that online guys can't. My local shop rebuilt my brand new bow after my clueless neighbor dry fired it...no charge, warranted it when they could have said tough luck.

If that had been an online shop, I'd have eaten an $800 bow. I'm now a customer for life.

 

[svivian]

I don't think buying online is a bad thing but don't waste the time of a retail employee shooting a bow or looking through binos for an hour to go home and buy it online. There are other people they could be helping who will actually buy in store. Your paying the extra for that service and it should be respected in my opinion.

 

[ohoopee]

I try and buy local. I usually get a break somewhere during the year that will help even things out. Buying local helps me to have local! I usually have to pay an extra 15% but I like dealing with someone that might possibly know what he is talking about.

 

[oldillini]

I prefer to buy local. Like being able get to know the people and support their efforts. I definitely look local first and often will pay more, but like others have said, if the service is not there they won't get my business. This week was looking for a particular scope base and went to a local gun shop. Waited 15 minutes for a clerk to quit the idle chit-chat with a customer he seemed to know. When he finally freed up I asked about the rail. He simply said they didn't carry that rail and walked away. It will be a long time before I go back there.

 

[Felix40]

When my local bow shop charged me $9 for a 4" piece of d loop material I decided I have no loyalty to them anymore.

 

[Kevin Dill]

In many cases 'buy local' translates to 'buy what's available'. I can usually stand the prices but it's the (often) lack of selection that hurts a small local business. In my case it's a non-issue as there are exactly no local businesses offering the gear I want and use. It's either shop online or drive over an hour to find the first half-decent retailer and that will usually be a big box sporting goods store anyway.

 

[elkyinzer]

Budget when it comes to most things. Kevin basically said above exactly what I was thinking in regards to availability. Every time I try to buy something local, they don't have it.

Take boots for instance. Back in the day my family thought Rocky's were a heck of a nice pair of boots. Danner's were what the fancy type wore. There were two big boot stores about an hour away, we used to drive up there, try a few pairs on, and come home with a new pair of boots. Now, with the internet and places like this, I don't think there is a brick and mortar within 1000 miles that carries all the makes of boots I would want to look at. So all of my research happens on the internet, and I watch for sales to get a good deal. I may have to return a pair once in awhile but it's the cost of doing business these days.

I do see bows a little differently because they are doing the most of the set up, I am no archery tech. For one I only buy a new bow about once every ten years so I put a lot of thought into it when I do. The little shop I go to, I have known the owner most of my life. I know he can't afford to stock every bow in different configurations, so when I want to buy a bow I will do some traveling around to shoot different brands and models, then I'll go back and order from him if it's a brand he carries.

 

[tommymo]

When my local bow shop charged me $9 for a 4" piece of d loop material I decided I have no loyalty to them anymore.

This is basically what caused me to some what abandon my local bow shop from buying any gear from them and look for better deals online, with that said I was only using the shop to perform maintenance, that changed as well when they told me 100.00 to change out a bow string. I have since bought a used bow press and have been performing my own maintenance......bow shoots better then it ever did!!!!

 

[camping1601]

I'm an online shopper 99% of the time. As much as I do it to save money, I also hate going to the stores that often won't have what I need anyway.

Something like a new bow I will buy from a local dealer just in case I need warranty service on it. Used I'd buy one online.

 

[bluetick78]

My bow shop wants $115 to swap out bow strings. Needless to say, I do my own. I have no loyalty to any retailer. As part owner of a small business, I get the opportunity to compete with larger contractors on a daily basis. I give a little in the profit department on a regular basis to keep employees working and it always turns out fine. If my bow shop wants to charge 100% profit, I'll just assume they do not want my business and would like me to shop online. If I tried to charge that much, I'd be looking for a job very shortly.
Small business can compete with big business, and the internet, it's been going on for years. Most consumers are much more informed now than they used to be, and business owners need to take that into account. Example: I went to Sportsmans Warehouse yesterday to buy an item for a Christmas gift. I looked at the item to make sure it was actually a good quality item, then got out my phone and checked Amazon. The employee was watching me, I told her what I was doing and she laughed. She said it's so common that most salespeople expect it. Amazon had it for about 20% less, I asked if Sportsmans would price match Amazon, she said no. I thanked her for her time and ordered the item from Amazon. I gave the brick and mortar a chance to compete, they refused, so I did what's best for me.

 

[big44a4]

When my local bow shop charged me $9 for a 4" piece of d loop material I decided I have no loyalty to them anymore.

How about $20 to change a peep sight. And that’s with them keeping the old one. Or $100 more per dozen for FMJ compared to online. Same shop was even selling 1-2 year old model bows higher than another shop was selling the brand new current model. Don’t know how they stay in business.


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[AdamW]

I just don't have that loving relationship with any shops or shop owners, for better or worse I guess. One thing I will not do is go in to a small business/local shop, fondle their wares, then go buy them online or elsewhere. Big box stores, maybe.

A local gun and archery shop that I have indeed bought some guns from over the years has prices damn near MSRP, which for the midwest is pretty rare. It's not a gun shop where the tag price is $525 "But I'd do $525 out the door..." They've never wiggled a dollar in any of my experiences being in the shop seeing others buy stuff. The real kicker is when guys ask about wiggle room, no less than 20 times have I heard the owner say "Guys I mark everything up a flat 15%, that's all I can do." Once after hearing that, which I know is a lie, I said "Dan, if you're only making 15% profit, you should find a new distributor or buy your guns retail from Bud's, THEN mark them up and we'd both be coming out better on the deal."

Now with that said, I know nothing about compound bows so it is likely I will have this local shop set me up. Unless I go in and have a bad CS experience with them right before, which is about 50/50.