We’re at the second annual United States Concealed Carry Association Concealed Carry Expo in Atlanta, Georgia. While not the biggest product and education event, it certainly is focused.
The big theme this year? Women’s concealed carry solutions. Due to the wide variety of wardrobe types, women have it particularly tough when it comes to finding safe, secure, and effective ways to carry a concealed gun. Retailers have it tough too, deciding what to stock from the wide universe of concealed carry products. Multiply the types of carry holster solutions by the number of gun types, and inventory becomes an impossible problem.
We found three new options that provide excellent concealment solutions for your customers while minimizing inventory investment requirements. Let’s take a look.
Packin’ Neat System
Right, wrong, or indifferent, many women are going to carry a concealed handgun in their purse. According to Packin' Neat founder Kristin Franke, gun stores shouldn’t try to be in the fashion business by stocking gun purses. That’s one of the reasons Kristen invented the Packin’ Neat System. It’s a structured nylon insert designed to carry a gun, ammo, and a woman’s everyday essentials. The whole assembly goes into their existing purse. Customers get the benefits of a dedicated gun storage system with the ability to use their pocketbook of choice. The retailer only has to stock the insert body and four replaceable gun holsters. It’s a win-win.
The Packin' Neat purse insert. The tall pocket holds the gun in upright position for one-handed draw capability.
UnderTech Undercover Leggings and Compression Shorts
While convenient, purse carry has one big disadvantage. It’s an off body carry method, so a handgun is not always in the carrier’s possession. That’s the driving force behind the variety of solutions developed by the UnderTech Undercover folks. They’ve offered compression undershirts with holster pockets for years. New this year are women’s leggings with holster pockets sewn in. Pockets allow carry in the appendix or behind the hip bone position and no traditional belt rigs are required, allowing women to carry with a wide variety of dress options. The company also makes compression shorts that are worn under other clothing.
New for 2016 are leggings with holster pockets in the appendix and behind the hip bone positions.
Dene Adams
Founder Anna Henry tried all the women’s carry options before starting Dene Adams. Having four small children, she was particularly concerned with gun security. Also, she didn't want her carry gun interfering with her daily activities of lugging kids around, getting them in and out of cars, picking them up, and so on. That’s why she developed the Dene Adams Carry Corset series. The idea of this solution is to provide an on-body carry method what works with existing clothing choices. While the front surface is decorated with lace, don’t let that fool you. The holster compartment is sturdy and the fabric thick enough to do a fine job of protecting the trigger. The rig keeps the gun pulled in tight, just above the waistline. Oh, and the lace cover is there for good reason. When using the rig under two piece clothing ensembles, any inadvertent exposure looks natural and not tactical, so it’s really a concealment aid.
The Dene Adams Carry Corset holds the gun in tight. An optional Kydex insert provides absolute trigger protection.
All three of these companies have active dealer programs and solid margins. Better yet, the designs aren’t specific to certain gun models, so you can stock them without breaking the bank.
