My company manufactures a hunting safety product. We are putting together our retail strategy for next year, and I really need some input from the hunting community.

Where do you buy your gear. Do you mostly go to the chain stores like Cabela's or do your prefer the Mom and Pop stores? Also, do you shop online and if so where?

There are a lot of options out there. I'm hoping you guys can help me figure out which ones to target.

Thanks,

Gunslingergirl

I normally use the big boys (Bass Pro, Cabelas) catalogs to look at or to research what I will be needing or wanting for the year. I mostly buy from a mom and pop outfitter, I hardly ever buy online or got to the Bass Pro that is in my area. If I am in the area of the BPS I will stop in and window shop and may buy something that catches my eye. I see a lot of stuff on the hunting shows that I watch and will look into them if it interests me. I bought a Hunters Saftey System because of a hunting show that I watched. I ordered it the very next day.

Hope this helps you some.

Cabelas, Sportsmans Warehouse, Gander Mountain and sometimes Walmart. Always in store.

I'm in the same position as you gunslingergirl. I create and sell printed t-shirts for the hunting population. There are so many options available it's just hard trying to figure out where to concentrate my efforts. I mostly sell to mom and pop shops wholesale, but I'm wanting an online storefront to hopefully sell more shirts. It just seems to take so much money and time to get to where I want to be. Personally, I buy online all the time. If it's something in particular I'm looking for, then I do a google on it and go from there. Email me personally with any advice you can offer me about what has worked/not worked for you.

BRC

the last 3 were Ebay, Wal-mart & Cabelas.

Bass Pro (in store, Orlando, Fl), Cabellas (catalog), Sportsmans Warehouse ( internet), Super Wal Mart (in store, Land-O Lakes, Fl)....

BRC, we are going to offer the online option as well. I'm putting the finishing touches on that part of our site right now.

So far we have an interesting variety of answers. The big guys always seem to pop up, Cabelas, Bass Pro and Gander Mountain. I have to admit, Ebay is a new one, and one I'd never thought of.

Tigerfan brought up another question I had, how much are you influenced by seeing the product on a hunting show, or hearing that a hunting expert or "celebrity" endorses it? We're looking at some sponsorship opportunties as well, but most hunters I know don't seem too influenced by that sort of thing. Just wondering what the opinion is here.

Thanks everyone for your help with this. It is greatly appreciated.

GSG

The only reason I haven't used ebay is because most people looking on ebay are looking for bargains, cheap stuff. I'm extremely proud of my products and don't want to degrade their value by selling them on ebay. I recieved an email from the NWTF wanting me to give them $25K to have them air some episodes promoting my product. That may be an avenue in the future, but right now I can't swing that type of marketing.

Thanks for the input,
BRC

I feel the same way about Ebay. I might use it for personal stuff, but I wouldn't put the business items on it.

I'm like you, we've worked too hard to develop the product and create a good image for it. We're very proud of it, and want to offer it only on the best venues possible.

I have also been approached by some of the television channels and am considering some of them for next year. The prices are pretty steep though.

I do not buy a product because the person on the screen tells me too. I will buy the product if it relates to what I do and if I feel that it is the best product out there. I will use the Hunter Safety System as an example again. When I saw it on the tv I knew that I could use something like that and I was getting tired of fighting my saftey harness that I was using. It was getting tangled up everytime I took it off, so I knew with the HSS, that would be eliminated. I also hunt out of Loc-ons, climbers, and ladders alot and I will not get in one without a harness. The celeb guy was making a point that you could drag deer out with it was really stressing that use. I knew at that time that I didn't need that due to having access to everything I hunt with a 4 wheeler. I am not sure what your product is but the hottest show on the tube is Real Tree Road Trips. I will not miss an episode of that show, I also watch Spirit of the Wild with Uncle Ted but not as much as Road Trips. Most people that I know will watch certain shows and catch the rest when nothing else is on, I do have some friends that will only watch the outdoor channel and the weather channel. Not me, I enjoy other things as well. Hope this helps and if I can help more, let me know.