The COVID-19 pandemic did not just lead to lockdowns; it also ushered in a whole new world of uncertainty. People cooped up in their homes had nothing to do except watch the news of an increasingly chaotic world.
Since brick-and-mortar stores were inaccessible, firearms retailers and customers shifted to eCommerce platforms. The past few years have seen a surge of interest in firearms, and today, more and more Americans are turning to online platforms to make their purchases.
This is great news for firearms retailers as well. This hidebound industry’s movers and shakers had been content to use their real-world stores to sell their products, and even large chains were also guilty of the same complacency. However, the events of the last few years have brought a sea change in the industry at the holistic level. The old approaches simply don’t work, as today’s net-savvy customers want to make purchases with a casual swipe of their smartphones.
E-commerce: Rapidly Becoming an Essential Retail Tool for the Firearms Industry
According to industry statistics, year-on-year sales have boomed and are maintaining a steady 35 percent increase per annum since 2020. This trend is set to continue for at least another 2–3 years. In fact, the uncertainty regarding the current administration’s intentions regarding online firearms sales have only led to an even greater increase in online sales of firearms and accessories*
According to leading industry pundits, the base firearms clientele now uses the internet for just about everything—and this includes firearms purchases as well. Even if they don’t make an outright purchase, they use the internet to gain an understanding of the product. In fact, sales have been so high that many retailers have been having trouble keeping their actual retail inventories in sync with their online web inventories.
The Increasing Importance of the E-commerce Platform
Here the single most essential growth tool is the eCommerce platform used by the online seller. If it is easy to navigate, and offers excellent products and knowledge, the customer would investigate the product before walking into an actual store to make a purchase. Conversely, if the platform isn’t user-friendly, the customer won’t be tempted to enter the web marketing funnel. In a nutshell, the better the end-user experience—the higher the chance of a conversion.
Apart from that, many customers are now browsing their favorite wares and checking online reviews on social media before they walk in and complete their paperwork to make a purchase.
Going forwards, it’s all but inevitable that the seminal importance of user-friendly firearms platforms will increase further. Here, a truly scalable eCommerce platform would always help ensure you never run out of space to display all your wares. Make Ready Arms are among the pioneers in firearms eCommerce, and you can count on them to create that perfect platform. One that will enable you to reach out to your target market like never before.