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Dick's to stock handguns and black rifles

GlockJock said:
As three or four small, family owned gun shops staffed by friendly knowledgeable, responsible LTC holders shuts down cuz they are priced-out by the corporation that moves in next door, doesn't care who they hire (as long as the college kid accepts the ten bucks an hour and doesn't need ugly things like health bennies, etc). Even better if corporate can force the kid to work on Christmas Eve, come in at midnight on "Black Friday" to sell some discounted Chinese-made shirts with "USA" silk screened on them. Cuz the "District Manager" says we have to stay open til 6pm on Easter Sunday.

Yep. Who cares. Other then the great guy who used to own the liquor store in Malden (his name escapes me. Maybe someone remembers the store), a nice family guy who hired all local folks, great community values, supported Malden Little League, PeeWeeHockey, etc.. and would buy buy 50 cases of beer from the same truck that was delivering 50 pallets of the same beer to the corporate owned Superstore around the corner.

The spot where that liquor store was is now the Nautilus machines section of the huge corporate-owned Fitness Center next door that bought the leased space of the "failed" Mom & Pop packie next door, after negotiating a great discount with the landlord and giving the liquor store owner about ten cents "on" the dollar for most of the stuff in the store, then auctioning it off for 30 cents "on".

But "as long as I know what I'm getting" when I grab a 30-pack at "Corporate" for .82 cents less than what I would've paid at the old place beside the health club, who gives a sh*t.

"Who cares"?
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Dick's hires plenty local people. I feel as if we're talking about chicken and the egg. Is big box stores the reason small business is failing or is it the demand for cheaper whatever.. that makes big box stores favorable.
I'll go to where I can find cheaper prices because I can't afford to keep up my hobby if I go to the most expensive. I'm sorry if I stepped on any toes, but that's my reality.
 
(as long as the college kid accepts the ten bucks an hour and doesn't need ugly things like health bennies, etc).
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Do you really think the independent gun shops pay their staff much more than $10 an hour and thrown in health insurance?
 
Volkl78 said:
I wouldn't mind shopping at "mom & pop" guns shops but more than half of gun shop owners are total dinks! At least they are generally friendly at Dicks, if your a small shop and you want my business I will pay a bit more but only if your friendly. Four Seasons in eastern MA and Guns and Gun parts in Western MA are the only 2 nice guys I have met in MASS.
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Seriously man there are like 3 shops in Worcester alone that are cool as hell I'm tight with the dude in Easton now that I spent some coin there there definitely are aholes out there but man maybe it's you. Bob at bobs gun and archery is chill what's his face from the gun parlor is cool all those dudes actually. The blonde guy at Pullman hooked me up on my first AR build. The only bad ones were the gun room in shrewsbury.. buncha weirdos and the one down on 20 in Auburn not the trading post but archery and arms
 
Is big box stores the reason small business is failing or is it the demand for cheaper whatever.. that makes big box stores favorable.
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The free market economic system functions to squeeze out inefficiencies, and give people what they are willing to pay for.

The evolution of the marketplace is towards rock bottom prices and lower levels of service, with few consumers willing to pay extra for one to one friendly owner operator style service.

Those that advocate paying more at small shops because they want to support the business are advocating inefficiencies. It's much more efficient to buy where the product is cheapest, and look up a few small shops and mail your subsidy directly to them.
 
Rob Boudrie said:
The evolution of the marketplace is towards rock bottom prices and lower levels of service, with few consumers willing to pay extra for one to one friendly owner operator style service.
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I agree with your premises.

However, unlike most here I measure cost in wasted time and mileage (gov't rate of $0.575/mile, NOT just $2.50/gal for gas) as well as OTD cost of goods.

I have NO patience for waiting 5-15 minutes in a WM or Dicks for the right person with the key to help me or spend 10 minutes copying all my personal info into their computer database merely to buy ammo. And wasting more time while a clerk locks up the register so he/she can do the perp-walk with me carrying my ammo.

Likewise, going out of my way (even if only 1/2 mile) to check out WM almost daily just "in case" they got some ammo in weighs heavily on me as wasting my time and money. I'd rather pay $1 more/box at a LGS and know that I can be in and out in a matter of minutes (less time than finding the key-holder in the WM/Dicks).

YMMV
 
Rob Boudrie said:
Those that advocate paying more at small shops because they want to support the business are advocating inefficiencies.
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Price in and of itself can (and will be) a poor measure of inefficiencies if you try and expand this line of thought out to any and all products and services.

In most services and trades, chances are the consumer will be better served and, because of lack of "do over", more efficient paying the higher price. Lawyers are a good example. The woman charging $800 an hour, and 85% billable is likely going to be a better hire than the dude charging $200 an hour, assuming the same specialty.

When talking about ammo, where every store gets the same basic thing, fine. (Unless the big box stores are getting "lower graded" lots off the line than the local shops.)

There is more to markets than price point. And more options, even at marginally higher prices, is almost always a good thing.
 
Also, internet has given rise to a much more educated consumer. Most people have done extensive research on a product they seek - whether on the manufacturer's website or on forums such as this - and in many cases know as much or more about that product than the people selling it. They know where to find it, and what the best price available is.

Then it's decision time: deal with some hassles to get the lowest price, or pay a little more for a quick and painless experience. Unfortunately, as the big box stores improve efficiencies to the point where they have both the lowest cost and best experience, more and more mom and pops will suffer. It happened 20 years ago in the office products business. Once Staples and Office Depot got stronger, the independently owned stationery stores folded pretty quickly (my father was a casualty of this). It became much more convenient to grab an item off the shelf at Staples, where it was always in stock, than to order it at their local shop and have to make a second trip to pick it up upon arrival in store.

Personally, I'm wary of motivations salespeople use because I know many of the tactics first hand. Is the person selling me the best product for my needs, or is it because he/she has a bonus riding on it? Is it about to hit the discontinued shelf and they're looking for a sucker who will pay full markup for it? I want to be armed with every piece of info I can have to vet the salesperson. If I am confident in their motives, I'll ask follow up questions and seek advice on other items in the future.

I agree that some industries are resistant to the influence of Big Box, and this may be one of them. However, I did see photos of a place in Raleigh, NC called Carolina Gunrunners. It looked like a Golftown. Not sure what impact they may have on smaller shops in that area, though. Hypothetically speaking, if someone were to open a firearms-specific/only megastore in MA that checked all the boxes (knowledge, price, etc.), would they be lauded for it, or would people bemoan the likely demise of their favorite LGS?
 
admcd said:
Won't buy ammo from Dick's because of their practice of recording my LTC number. I can only imagine the anal probe that would come with a scary black rifle purchase.
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I would call corporate, I not sure if it is store policy, but the store near me (MA) doesn't write down the number, he just has to take a look at it.

Mike
 
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mikes45 said:
I would call corporate, I not sure if it is store policy. The store near me (MA) doesn't write down the number, he just has to take a look at it.

Mike
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And looking at some ID is perfectly legitimate because even in free states they need to demonstrate compliance with ATF reg that requires you to be 18 to buy rifle ammo and 21 for pistol ammo.
 
dcmdon said:
And looking at some ID is perfectly legitimate because even in free states they need to demonstrate compliance with ATF reg that requires you to be 18 to buy rifle ammo and 21 for pistol ammo.
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There's an ATF Reg saying you have to be 21 to buy pistol ammo?
That's crazy to me because I thought in some states you could own a pistol at 18?
 
JCV said:
There's an ATF Reg saying you have to be 21 to buy pistol ammo?
That's crazy to me because I thought in some states you could own a pistol at 18?
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It's not an ATF reg. It's a federal law, IIRC. You can own a handgun at 18 or under in a lot of states, but feeding it legally is a whole different story.
 
JCV said:
There's an ATF Reg saying you have to be 21 to buy pistol ammo?
That's crazy to me because I thought in some states you could own a pistol at 18?
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As per the law, I believe there are (most) states where you can own and carry a pistol, but not purchase the gun or ammo from a dealer. You can be gifted these items by family or friends though.
 
Al-Jim19 said:
As per the law, I believe there are (most) states where you can own and carry a pistol, but not purchase the gun or ammo from a dealer. You can be gifted these items by family or friends though.
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ahhhh makes more sense, kind of.
 
possession and purchase are two very different things in the eyes of the law.

We know what a disaster CT has become with respect towards purchase. But yet no license is needed to possess any firearms in CT. Even machine guns.
 
At the local gun store I can get lots of bogus info and occasionally a little gem of actual truth while at Dicks or Cabelas the clerk just doesn't even pretend to know, which is a lot less entertaining.
 
My favorite gun store is the NES Classifieds...
 
As to the point on contacting corporate, I did reach out to Dick's management on the recording info deal. I called the store and asked the manager why my info was recorded at the register. To be fair to the guy, he said he didn't know but would look into it and get back to me. Never expected to hear back from him but he called a day or two later. He said he'd been told by higher ups that it was a big CYA on Dick's part (I'm paraphrasing the next part but this was basically the jist of it) so that when one of us goes on a shooting spree and the authorities trace the ammo back to them they can produce a record that shows they had, in fact followed all the laws and checked for proper licences. I told him that I was extremely uncomfortable with them recording my info and that it was nobody's damn business what or how much ammo I bought. He didn't seem to like the policy either but again claimed that it was CYA and that they weren't recording what was purchased. I thanked him for his time and told him I'd bought my last round from Dick's.
Fast forward a year or two, just last night I was at Dick's getting the kids ready for field hockey season and I remembered I needed cleaning patches. I picked up a pack of .22-.270, .38-.45, and .50 (muzzle loader) patches. The cashier gets halfway through scanning our items when the register chirps at her and she mutters something about a birth date. I thought to myself, no way, this can't be happening. Sure enough, she scans everything again and then says they need my DOB for the muzzle loading patches. Only. Damn near lost it on the poor kid. I said nice and loud "Are you telling me I'm being carded to buy a piece of cotton?" Another guy behind the counter leaned over and said that it was funny how it asked for personal info on some items and not for others.
OK, I'm going to stop now because it's 11:30 at night and I can feel my BP rising. Long and short of it is F##K Dick's!
 
Here is how my last transaction at Dick's went :

me : I'll take 2 boxes of that UMC ammo on sale
Dicks : Sorry I can only sell one box since it contains over 100 rounds.
Me : But I bought 2 boxes of .223 on Saturday that contained over 100 rounds.
Dicks : Well the person working on Saturday apparently was not aware of DSG store policies.
ME : That's not true.... You sent em an email about the .223 with a "2 for" price (at this point I show him the email add on my cell phone)
Dicks : Ya .. but that was a Sale.
Me : but this UMC ammo is on sale
Dicks : well Saturday was a "Special" sale
Me : SO you only violate store policy for "special sales"?
Dicks : I can't tell you why they violated policy on Saturday but I'm not doing it now.

Talk about dicks.........
 
But "as long as I know what I'm getting" when I grab a 30-pack at "Corporate" for .82 cents less than what I would've paid at the old place beside the health club, who gives a sh*t.
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Went to a mom&pop to buy a $35 fifth for a Xmas event, and was told my check would not be accepted, cash or credit/debit card only.

Whenever I went to a big chain store for anything, my check was always accepted.

Yes, I know the "little guy" doesn't have the resources or enforcement mechanisms the big places do ... but if I am going to be treated with more respect (not treating me as a theft risk because I pay by check is a measure of respect), the little guy can deal with the loss of my business.
 
Rob Boudrie said:
Went to a mom&pop to buy a $35 fifth for a Xmas event, and was told my check would not be accepted, cash or credit/debit card only.

Whenever I went to a big chain store for anything, my check was always accepted.

Yes, I know the "little guy" doesn't have the resources or enforcement mechanisms the big places do ... but if I am going to be treated with more respect (not treating me as a theft risk because I pay by check is a measure of respect), the little guy can deal with the loss of my business.
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I think a lot of the moaning over the loss of Mom & Pop shops overlooks their shortcomings. Limited hours, limited inventory, price obfuscation, etc... Just like the 50s and 60s were the golden ages (if you happened to be a white male) Mom & Pop shops and Main Street shopping were great (if you wanted to spend all day shopping, didn't need anything too special or on a Sunday, etc...).
 
DICK'S SUCKS...plain and simple. Way over priced on everything including their so called "sale" items.
 
When it comes to ammo, Dick's can eat a bag full of them. I have no problem shopping there otherwise.
 

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