It’s practically a necessity these days for a retailer to have a website in order to thrive; but building, maintaining and driving traffic to a site takes time, and it isn’t cheap.

Davidson’s, a large nationwide firearms wholesale distributor, has an easy solution for retailers, and the cost is virtually nothing. With Davidson’s solution, not only is customer traffic driven to the retailer’s store but the retailer’s inventory appears to be very large without having to invest money or utilize valuable space for storage.

GalleryofGuns.com (GOG) was created by Davidson’s in 1998 and is loaded with color images of guns and accessories along with detailed specifications and prices. Over 65 manufacturers are represented on GOG, with exclusives from some manufacturers that can be obtained only through Davidson’s. 

Simple Process

Retailers that participate with Davidson’s in GOG effectively increase the apparent number of guns in inventory without incurring a capital expenditure for the stock or paying interest charges on loans to support a large inventory. And when a buyer selects a particular gun to buy on GOG, he or she must go to the retailer’s store to pick it up. That brings customers into the store, giving the retailer the opportunity to sell more guns and accessories and introduce the customer to the services the retailer offers. And if done right, that can create repeat customers, something every retailer wants.

Here’s how it works. A potential buyer browses the Davidson’s Gallery of Guns website and sees a gun he wants to buy, or if he is searching for a particular gun, Gun Genie can help him find it.

For example, if the customer wants to buy the recently introduced Colt King Cobra, a six-round double-action revolver chambered in .357 Magnum, after clicking on the Gun Genie icon, he or she is taken to a page where the type of firearm is selected, including the manufacturer, action, chambering and model. The buyer inputs his zip code and clicks on Search. The website then displays an image of the gun which can be enlarged to view in detail. The gun’s specifications are also displayed. If different options are available like grips or finish, those are shown, and the customer clicks on Buy Now. He is taken to a new page with an option to get an instant price quote.

Clicking on the Instant Quote icon directs the buyer to a new page showing all the retailers within the radius the buyer selects who have agreed to handle the sale and transfer of the gun. The location, store hours, phone number, special notes and out-the-door price are listed for each retailer. Also shown are any fees or taxes. The GOG deposit of 25 percent of the MSRP is shown along with the amount the customer must pay at the time of pickup. The retailer’s rating is also displayed.

Next the customer clicks on the Buy Now icon next to the selected retailer, and a new page appears where the buyer inputs his information including name, address, phone and email. At this point, the buyer creates a password. Once that is done, payment is made. It’s very simple and makes it easy to comparison shop; and the buyer doesn’t need to guess what store might have the desired gun before visiting it to complete the sale.

When the gun arrives at the local retailer, the customer goes to the store, completes the necessary paperwork including ATF form 4473, pays the balance of the price, and takes delivery of the gun — assuming of course the sale is legal and approved. All local, state and national laws are complied with, just like the sale of any firearm through a retailer with a Federal Firearms License. But to participate in Davidson’s GOG, the retailer must have a physical location readily identifiable from the street where customers can visit. And the store must have regular business hours. Davidson’s wants to support its brick and mortar customers, so retailers that operate only online stores cannot participate.

Consumers must like the concept, because hundreds of thousands of guns have been sold so far through GOG. And customers get prompt delivery of guns they buy. The time from placing the order to picking it up at the retailer can be as short as 48 hours.

Maintaining Margins

Davidson’s is one of the oldest and largest wholesale firearms distributors in the country with roots going back to 1906 and Southern Junk & Hide. That company, a junk and hide seller judging by the name, began distributing auto parts in 1932 and then in about 1953 began the wholesale distribution of firearms. Now the company concentrates only on firearms and accessories with its headquarters located in the city of Prescott, Arizona — called Gun Town, USA by one major firearms publication.

In a conversation with Bryan Tucker, CEO and president of Davidson’s, one thing stood out. They are mindful of making it easy for retailers to do business with Davidson’s, and the company will do almost anything to help its retail customers grow and thrive.

For example, there are several ways the retailer can pay Davidson’s after the retailer collects the balance of the amount due from the customer. And to make bookkeeping as easy as possible for the retailer, Davidson’s, on request, will even cut a check payable to the retailer for the amount of the deposit collected on GOG and send that check to the retailer with the gun. That way, the retailer has the full amount of the sale price in hand just like any other sale and can pay the distributor, Davidson’s, in the same way the retailer usually does. That saves having to develop a separate procedure for paying the distributor on guns sold through GOG. It’s obviously more time consuming and inconvenient for Davidson’s to cut the check, but it can make it much easier for the retailer.

So, retailer profit margins are maintained — the retailer makes the same amount of money when selling a gun selected by the customer on GOG, and the retailer essentially has a huge stock of guns for sale. That increases the chance that the buyer will find the gun he or she wants and will actually complete the purchase. Everybody benefits in the transaction.

Davidson’s also offers a special program beyond the warranty offered by manufacturers. For guns sold through Davidson’s Gallery of Guns, a Guaranteed Lifetime Replacement is available. The customer who originally bought the gun, no matter how long ago, is guaranteed a brand new replacement gun, if available, at no cost. Or, if the model of gun is out of production, no longer available and can be fixed, Davidson’s takes care of repairs at no charge. 

Online Presence

If a GOG participating retailer does not have its own website and wants one, Davidson’s offers to create a personalized online store for the retailer. It lists Davidson’s GOG inventory, making it appear that the dealer has a huge inventory. And the website can be customized to display the retailer’s own pricing in order to take advantage of any discounts or specials the retailer enjoys.

Let’s say a buyer is looking for a local retailer. He goes to GOG and clicks on Retailer Search where he is taken to a page titled Find a Gun Retailer. After inserting his zip code and the mile radius he is willing to travel to a retailer, a list of local retailers appears showing the street address, email, phone number, satisfaction rating, the number of GOG transactions completed through the retailer and the distance from the buyer’s zip code. Clicking on Map displays the store’s location. Clicking on the shopping cart icon takes the viewer to the store’s personalized website, showing the products available from Davidson’s huge inventory and the store’s own pricing.

If a retailer meets a certain purchase minimum with Davidson’s, other benefits are extended, including priority access to limited supply guns, specials, cooperative advertising and other features. Qualifying is relatively easy.

About 4,000 retail dealers participate in Gallery of Guns, so obviously GOG provides good value. For more information, contact Davidson’s at www.davidsonsinc.com, or call 800-367-4867.