The holiday and year-end buying season is here! Is your store planning a year-end blowout or targeted sales to make the most of it? Inside the Nov. issue of Shooting Industry, dealers share how to make the most of promotions and events (while avoiding the “S” word).

John Phillips of Poway Weapons & Gear contends discounting has become so common the word “sale” is threatening to lose its value. Putting some muscle back into the four-letter word requires creativity and planning.

“Instead of just giving everything away at a discounted rate, we’re getting something in return from the customer. We’re getting their marketing information,” he said. “You’d be amazed at what people will give away in terms of marketing information in order to win a T-shirt or a pen.”

In “It’s Time To Evolve! Why ‘Buyer’ Is An Outdated Role,” retail expert Hank Yacek contends the traditional “buyer” title at a retail store “needs to be retired, tossed away in the dustbin of yesterday and left to the history books.” He proposes changing “buyers” into “inventory managers.”

“If the buyer’s responsibility ends when the product hits the loading dock, you’re quite likely sitting on punishing levels of excess, old, hard-to-sell and/or dated inventory that eats up your cash reserves,” he adds.

Storefronts vs. home-based vs. ranges — who brings the most value to the industry? The topic has generated considerable engagement in SI this year, and Doug VanderWoude weighs in. Additional Nov. features include a closer look at varmint/predator hunting trends and sales, as well as the latest in the eyewear and hearing protection segment in “Safe & Sound.”

Avoid giving the gift of disappointment this holiday season. Detailed in Arms & The Woman, Ashley McGee’s list of products — from firearms and holsters to books and gift cards — are what women really want this year. Easy to load, easy to shoot, accurate and reliable, the revolver’s wide-ranging appeal makes it a strong contender for women (and others). Massad Ayoob explains the wheelgun’s best selling points in Personal Defense Market. In Best Practices, White Birch Armory’s Brenna McCoubrey encourages dealers to become part of the community thread with ways to get involved and reshape the perception of “local gun shops.”

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