PREMIER GUNS

In the first of a new series of articles showcasing UK retailers, Gun Trade Insider talks to Premier Guns head honcho Nick Cross to find out how the business has evolved over the years, and what advice he’d give to any new kids on the block.

Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS AND HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?

A: Premier Guns started off as GW Bates Ltd in 1850. Located in Birmingham, the beating heart of British gunmaking, GW Bates became an established gunmaker and gunshop and was purchased in the 1970s by my father. After a couple of address changes, the business settled into its current location in 2006. This is when the name was changed and it became Premier Guns, specialising in the sale of shotguns but always with a workshop and gunsmith on-site.

Q: HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED SINCE YOU FIRST OPENED YOUR DOORS?

A: The business has changed enormously over the years. We’ve gone from having a small number of models to having a huge, extensive range; the customers want to see everything there in front of them, so we make sure we are well-stocked in the brands we specialise in. Premier Guns began with shotguns, but over the last few years we’ve expanded our overall offering to include rifles and air rifles, with the latter proving very popular indeed.

Buying patterns have also changed a great deal and don’t really seem to exist since lockdown. A Monday can be busier than Saturday or Sunday, which previously would have been your trading days. I’ve no idea why that is.

Marketing has changed over the years, too. In the very early days of Premier Guns, social media wasn’t really a thing, but over time it became the main focus for marketing, as it did for many businesses. That’s changed again recently, as Facebook seems to be blocking a lot of gun-related content and banning pages from operating. This has happened to quite a lot of shops that had built up a strong following, only to lose it all overnight. Luckily, we are well-established with a strong customer base, so these issues haven’t had a devastating impact, although it has changed how we do things a bit.

Finally, we increasingly try to support the community by collaborating with clubs and getting involved in new initiatives and events, like the air rifle Precision Rifle League.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AS A RETAILER IN THE SHOOTING INDUSTRY?

A: Where do you start? Covid 19, licensing delays, global conflict affecting the UK economy… and it’s also rained a lot, which is terrible for footfall. We coped through Covid by setting up a pre-order and collection service, so that people could still safely buy guns while staying within the guidelines. Although the struggling economy has affected everyone, we haven’t felt it too badly. Fortunately, our mid-range products weren’t hit too hard. The entry level shotgun stuff slowed a little but the new air rifle range more than compensated for that.

Q: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST AND WORST BUSINESS DECISIONS?

A: The best decision was to open up at Doveridge. Being situated on a clay ground means you’ve got guaranteed footfall, good facilities, and we gained a lot more space to expand our stock. I’d say the worst business decisions have concerned certain brands, which have proven a bit niche for us. Our core shotgun brands are Browning and Beretta, and we’ve learnt to stick with our strengths. Rather than trying to expand into more shotgun brands, we’ve expanded into air rifles instead to grow the business.

Q: IF YOU WERE TO START AGAIN, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D DO DIFFERENTLY?

A: Not a single thing. You learn something valuable from every decision you make, good and bad.

Q: IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO A NEW RETAILER IN THIS INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD THAT ADVICE BE?

A: I would say don’t spread yourself too thin, in terms of both your workload and your product offering.

You need to be well-covered with good staff, because if you get busy you’re going to need them. Having someone very capable to head up the team makes a huge difference, and Dan deserves a special mention here for running the Premier Guns show so efficiently.

When it comes to your product offering, you’re never going to please everyone, so it’s better to have an area or two that you do really well than to have too many brands with a poor choice of models in all of them. So, be super strong in at least two areas of your business. For us, that’s Browning and Beretta — we have a huge selection of models for those brands and you know if you come here looking for something from either of them, we’ll be able to help.

Also, don’t forget that your location is paramount, because that’s where your customers come from.

Q: WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE TO BE THE KEY INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL RETAIL BUSINESS IN THIS SECTOR?

A: Stock, stock and stock. Always have enough guns and products available. If you do this, your first contact with a new customer — or any customer for that matter — is likely to result in a successful purchase. If you have plenty of stock and can give them what they’re looking for without a long wait, then they won’t wander off elsewhere and you will gain yourself a loyal customer.

Q: ARE YOU PLANNING ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS?

A: Yes! We’re always moving forwards and we have some exciting things in the pipeline that we can’t elaborate on, so watch this space.