Gun shop bowhunters: 80 percent of your customers are bowhunters. Why aren't you selling them the gear they need?

Shooting Industry, Oct, 2004 by Mark Kayser

If your gun store is ignoring the bowhunting market, you're likely overlooking a group of hunters who are looking for a place to spend their money. Bowhunters--in the disguise of firearm hunters--are already frequenting your store, yet are buying their archery equipment elsewhere. Consider the following to determine if you're missing out on a market that's readymade and growing.

There are more than 3.2 million bowhunters in the United States and 80 percent of them also hunt deer and other big game with firearms. More than 20 percent of all hunting licenses are purchased by bowhunters, and while overall hunting participation in the United States has declined in the last two decades, bowhunting has increased.

According the National Bowhunting Conference, 38 percent of bowhunters purchase their equipment from sporting goods and hunting stores. Archery pro shops glean a higher share of the market with 53 percent. The remaining bowhunters purchase their equipment and accessories elsewhere.

What does all this mean? Clearly, 80 percent of your present customers are, likely, already bowhunters and 91 percent of these bowhunters buy their archery gear from storefront operations!

Are you beginning to see the opportunity to increase your annual profits? You should. Bowhunting is growing and it's backed by a dedicated group of sportsmen who spend a lot of money for the latest in technology and accessories to have a successful hunt.

Bowhunting Draws Customers, Increases Profits

Lynn's Dakotamart, a sporting goods store in Pierre, S.D., isn't situated in the heart of bowhunting country. Still, South Dakota offers bowhunting opportunities, and it's the jump-off for many bowhunters seeking Western-states mule deer, pronghorn, elk and the nation's favorite, whitetail deer.

Realizing this, Lynn's Dakotamart shuffled its sporting goods floor plan to make room for bows, arrows and lots of accessories. It's been a good move, said Chris Anderson, sporting goods manager. Anderson has been with the store for nearly 15 years and has seen the archery business grow throughout his career.

"In general, hunting is increasing. We've seen increases from 20 to 25 percent, and a lot of that is due to our commitment to building customer service and merchandising," said Anderson. "By building and maintaining a local customer base we can ensure sales throughout the year, not just during the busy tourism seasons."

How important are archery sales for the store? Anderson said direct archery sales account for 15 percent of the total sporting goods business. Of course, many accessories have dual purpose in the world of hunting, with numerous products purchased by bowhunters also filling dual roles during firearm hunting seasons.

In the past five years, Lynn's Dakotamart has gone through a series of remodels. Today, the archery department has doubled and has its own corner of the store dedicated to bowhunters with a full line of equipment and accessories.

"Expanding the archery department has made us a more rounded sporting goods store. We want to be everything to everyone because it draws more people into the store," explained Anderson. "Even if people stop in for fishing equipment and bait, they see that we offer scents, calls and clothing. One weekend they may be hunting with a shotgun, and the next weekend they are afield with a bow; and they know they can get what they need in our aisles."

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Go Wide In Archery Inventory

Anderson follows a philosophy of carrying as much product as possible, unlike the major retailing giants who have a small sporting goods selection sandwiched between automotive and hardware departments. These giants often only carry a small selection of the highest selling products, leaving bowhunters looking elsewhere for variety.

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Lynn's Dakotamart carries 100 percent of the major bowhunting products, even though only 20 percent of these are the highest selling items. The other 80 percent, Anderson says, give bowhunters confidence in knowing the store has a large selection of what they need when they need it. Anderson has also found profit in a high inventory of accessories and maintaining a professional look in the archery department.

In selecting the right inventory, Anderson has noted a trend toward a decrease in bow inventory, but an increase in accessories. To adjust, Lynn's Dakotamoart has aggressively expanded its accessories line and slimmed down its bow line. The store carries bows from Bear, Jennings, Browning Archery, Martin and PSE.

"We used to have 250 bows on hand. Today, we try to keep at least 20 bows in the store," said Anderson. "Some of the decline in sales is due to Internet and mail order sales, but that's fine--our gross in accessories is twice what we make in bow sales.

"In our last remodel, we doubled the accessories for bowhunters, including targets, treestands, bow cases, releases and broadheads. When someone needs a bow, we special order it and have it here immediately."