Would you patronize a "Prepper Supply" store?

[rudiewhitebwoy]

I'm sure I would, depending on price. Brick and Mortar has it's place, especially when you want to put your hands on something before you buy it. That said, starting a business from scratch sucks. If I could go back 33 years, I wouldn't let my old man talk me into starting a business, too late now.

 

[clr8ter]

and there is a large vendor in Milford that supposedly has a large showroom full.

Who is that?

I would be interested in such a store, but I would tend to agree with most of the comments here regarding starting a business. There is something to be said about going into a store and seeing something in person. If I KNOW what I want, fine. But if I'm undecided, I want to hold it and find out for sure. I will go out of my way to do this. Another thing is that I sense the prepare thing becoming more and more common. How about if you tilt your inventory/information towards self-sustainablitly? Meaning, not so much about hoarding things that may never be used, and more about things/info that will be useful no matter what?

 

[Helix]

It's a cool idea but you'll be competing with the big hiking/camping chains like E.M.S., Cabelas, Bass pro, Dick's, etc. You'd have to come up with a business model that would make it different enough to make people want to come shop at your place.

Maybe offer ready to buy bug out bags that are already stocked with supplies (for lazy preppers who don't want to build their own kits). You could have cheap minimal kits for like $50 up to big serious packs for a few hundred.

Offering some kind of survival class/presentation where you showcase your stocked supplies would be a a good idea too. "Look how good this works and it's only $19.99"

Maybe some survival food taste testing. Kinda like how BJ's sticks their junk food in your face as you browse.

Just a couple of my ideas.

 

[greencobra]

You'd be better off toting your "prepper" stuff to gun shows, just follow the circuit around. People are there in front of it, paid a fee to get in and are almost forced to buy something to justify that fee, almost like a captive audience. That dude Firearms Pop does this with Remora holsters and does pretty well. That's a product folks want to see before they buy and after the demo, well, it's there in front of them.

 

[MST_2009]

Rather than start a "brick and mortar" store, perhaps try going online, and renting a booth at a flea market/gun shows just to see how it goes on a smaller scale.