Dreamer
Regular Member
imported post
On my way home from school today I stopped in Awesome Outdoors, a VERY nice gun/fishing store here in Washington. Their selection of long guns and pistols has been a source of great lust for me since I moved here, and their staff has always been VERY helpful and friendly. I've bought a fair amount of stuff with them in the last year--holsters, ammo, a shotgun, cleaning supplies, but hadn't yet purchased a pistol from them. They have a fair amount of high-quality used handguns in their cases, but I just hadn't seen that "gotta gave" piece yet...
Well, today as I wheeled into the parking lot, I was greeted by huge signs everywhere saying that they are having a "going out of business sale". I just don't get this. They do great business--always have folks shopping and BUYING stuff--they can't seem to keep firearms on the shelf for more than a week or two most of the time.
The story I got from two different employees is that the owner IS making money--in fact, his business is doing SO good that it's pulling him away from his family and it's threatening his marriage, so he's gong to shut the business down.
Sounds fishy to me. Why not just sell it? Why not just become a "back office owner" and hire a really good "general manager" to run the operation for him? It just doesn't make sense.
About 8 people are going to lose their jobs. This area is going to lose a FANTASTIC outdoor sporting goods store. And Beaufort County is going to lose what must be a fairly decent revenue source for taxes--sale, income, corporate.
It just doesn't make sense...
This is the second large gun shop in this area to shut their doors in the last few months. In Februrary, Big Horning Outfitters closed their doors. They had a bad location, focused more on archery, and had to compete with half a dozen large pawn shops and nearly as many other gun stores in the Greenville area, so I sort of understand them going under.
But AO was doing gangbusters business, by all accounts--including those of the employees.
So has anyone else in NC seen established, well-stocked and staffed gun stores closing their doors in other parts of the state? I wondering if this may be part of some sort of larger trend...
On my way home from school today I stopped in Awesome Outdoors, a VERY nice gun/fishing store here in Washington. Their selection of long guns and pistols has been a source of great lust for me since I moved here, and their staff has always been VERY helpful and friendly. I've bought a fair amount of stuff with them in the last year--holsters, ammo, a shotgun, cleaning supplies, but hadn't yet purchased a pistol from them. They have a fair amount of high-quality used handguns in their cases, but I just hadn't seen that "gotta gave" piece yet...
Well, today as I wheeled into the parking lot, I was greeted by huge signs everywhere saying that they are having a "going out of business sale". I just don't get this. They do great business--always have folks shopping and BUYING stuff--they can't seem to keep firearms on the shelf for more than a week or two most of the time.
The story I got from two different employees is that the owner IS making money--in fact, his business is doing SO good that it's pulling him away from his family and it's threatening his marriage, so he's gong to shut the business down.
Sounds fishy to me. Why not just sell it? Why not just become a "back office owner" and hire a really good "general manager" to run the operation for him? It just doesn't make sense.
About 8 people are going to lose their jobs. This area is going to lose a FANTASTIC outdoor sporting goods store. And Beaufort County is going to lose what must be a fairly decent revenue source for taxes--sale, income, corporate.
It just doesn't make sense...
This is the second large gun shop in this area to shut their doors in the last few months. In Februrary, Big Horning Outfitters closed their doors. They had a bad location, focused more on archery, and had to compete with half a dozen large pawn shops and nearly as many other gun stores in the Greenville area, so I sort of understand them going under.
But AO was doing gangbusters business, by all accounts--including those of the employees.
So has anyone else in NC seen established, well-stocked and staffed gun stores closing their doors in other parts of the state? I wondering if this may be part of some sort of larger trend...
