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MechAg94 wrote: If you know of brick and mortar stores that you can work well with, that can be a good thing.

I do not own a gun store, so I may just be ignorant on the specifics. But, if the online price is below the retailer's cost, couldn't they just sell you the gun that is sitting in their display case and then immediately order it from that same online retailer to restock their inventory? Net effect, they still have the same quantity of that gun in their inventory, and there is no cost to them other than the time needed to complete the paperwork, etc. I am assuming that they would still charge the consumer all of the sales tax, and the price match would include any shipping costs.

For my fellow accountants out there, I understand that they would likely have an accounting loss, depending on the inventory method they use (FIFO vs LIFO), but that is not a real economic loss, and if anything, the tax loss would be beneficial.

And yes, I agree that for the consumer, it can be very worthwhile to have good relationships with a couple B&M retailers. I am just questioning why the retailers are not interested in investing 15 minutes of their time to develop a relationship. I am certainly willing to invest that amount of time on my end as the consumer.

I think there are a lot of small B&M retailers (of all types) out there who are struggling to cope with the shift toward internet based commerce. B&M locations need to add value above and beyond merely providing something that can easily be ordered online. It makes sense for them to start by thinking about things that you cannot get online, or where the online cost is prohibitive for some reason. For firearms, this might be a shooting range, rental guns, gunsmithing services (cost of shipping a gun to somewhere out of town is crazy), training, etc. We are quickly getting to the point where a small B&M retailer is not going to be able to survive by merely providing common goods for sale.

Zoti wrote:I'm in Plano. Called two stores and both refused to price match online prices.

I don't understand the logic of this at all. Surely the stores can get some type of discount from retail, and they have no FFL fees to pay. Even if they are making a minimal amount on the deal, you would think they would welcome a potential future customer coming through their doors.

I use Boyert shooting center for most of my FFL transfers because I get 2 free per month with my range membership. They are always super nice and friendly, asking me what I got this month, etc. The retail manager mentioned to me that they are willing to match any online prices (but I would need to pay sales tax), but other than that, they have made no comments whatsoever when I pick up guns that they sell, and some that they don't.

I always make a point of looking around their showroom when I go there to pick up a gun. So when I saw they had a sale on a Nighthawk that I had been wanting, it was a no brainer to spend the $3,000+ (incl tax) with them. I have a relationship with their retail folks because I go in there for the FFL transfers where they make hardly anything. That ultimately led to more business for them.

In this case, you are offering to go into a person's store, take a look at what they have to offer, talk guns with them, and give them the chance to impress, and develop a relationship with, a potential customer. At most, this will cost the store a bit of their time (ordering the gun, filling out paperwork, etc.). And they might even make $10 or so for their trouble. If I owned a gun store I would pay for the opportunity to develop a relationship like that, and I would jump at the chance to do it for free.

Excaliber wrote:The 9mm no safety version is now $289 before rebate at PSA.

Just a couple of years ago that gun went for $469.

That's into no brainer territory now.

That's into need to buy it even if it just sits in the safe pricing territory. Absolutely crazy.

rotor wrote:

bblhd672 wrote:

Lena wrote:Academy matches plus 5% more off

Academy just told me they do not price match with Palmetto State Armory.

From Academy website

Will Academy Sports + Outdoors match the price of a competitor?

If you find a lower price somewhere else on an identical, in-stock merchandise item advertised in print by any local retailer or online by any select online retailer, show us the ad while it remains valid and we will beat it by 5%. We will also match academy.com pricing for in store purchases and in-store pricing for Academy.com purchases. You must present a verifiable copy of the advertised price, either by presenting the entire printed ad or a digital version on a mobile device if in store, or if purchasing on academy.com, you may present by email, fax or mail. Price must be valid at the time of purchase. We reserve the right to verify the price and availability of identical items and the right to limit quantities to one-per-customer, per day, per item. We will not issue rain checks. We reserve the right to not match misprinted ad prices, clearance, closeout/"going out of business" prices, Buy One Get One Free, special promotions, rebates, coupons, prices that require a club membership, or limited quantity offers. Select online retailers are: Amazon, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Carter's Country, Champs Sporting Goods, Dicks Sporting Goods, Eastbay, Fanatics, Gander Mountain, Hibbet Sports, Kansas Sampler, Rally House, REI, Scheels All Sports, Target and Walmart. Academy may take reasonable action to prevent fraud and abuse and to otherwise enforce this policy and all other policies, laws, rules, and regulations governing Academy, its customers, and their shopping experience.


So, the match the price deal is only for those select stores listed above. Sounds like deceptive advertising to me.

Sounds like a completely worthless policy to me. The point of matching prices is to be the only place a consumer needs to go to buy something. Matching only a few select competitors is pointless, IMHO.

For full disclosure, +$17 shipping to Houston, so $242 + FFL fee. Still a great deal.