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Never fear your customers will have a great year!

Posted by on in retail newsLeave a comment

“With consumer confidence and employment growing, economic fundamentals are favorable for spending to expand in the coming months.”*

Never fear most of your customers will be having a great year!

According to the latest report from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz reports that numbers are pointing to growth in the retail industry. The report shows that February retail sales increased 0.3% seasonally adjusted over January and 4.4% year over year.

Kleinhenz was not able to accurately measure how tax cuts will factor in yet, but he predicts that it will obviously leave some extra money in consumers pockets. This should be great news for everyone since the numbers and the report favors increased spending. The NRF is forecasting that 2018 retail sales will grow between 3.8% to 4,4% year over year.

I don’t want to bog you down with too many numbers, but these are the February numbers which, according the NRF, are based on data from the U.S census bureau. Outdoor Sports Marketing is always trying to keep you in the loop! These numbers can help you get a good idea of what’s going on economically.

  • Online and other non-store sales were up 10.5% year-over-year and up 1% over January seasonally adjusted.
  • Clothing and clothing accessory stores were up 5.2% year-over-year and up 0.4% from January seasonally adjusted.
  • Building materials and garden supply stores were up 5.1% year-over-year and up 1.9% from January seasonally adjusted.
  • Electronics and appliance stores were up 4.3% year-over-year but down 0.1% from January seasonally adjusted.
  • General merchandise stores were up 2.4% year-over-year but down 0.4% from January seasonally adjusted.
  • Health and personal care stores were up 0.3% year-over-year but down 0.4% from December seasonally adjusted.
  • Sporting goods stores were down 3.4% year-over-year but up 2.2% from January seasonally adjusted.

Outdoor Sports Marketing offers so much more than just advertising! Check out our web-site and read our blogs –  we can help be your economic weathermen and inform you when the market is hot to strike!

We care about our customers, the industry, and want to help you find the perfect time to advertise. Even if things are on a downward slope, we can help you come up with the perfect way to get your business out there in the public eye!

*https://sgbonline.com/february-retail-sales-increase-4-4-percent-over-last-year

Technology comes to archery

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Technology comes to archery

“According to Mark Olis, the editor of Predator Xtreme magazine, this technology essentially lets solo hunters implement the trusty two-man system where one guy shoots and his buddy tracks the downed game.”*

It’s more then just gun talk here at Outdoor Sports Marketing.  We also focus on all topics related to your outdoor sport advertising needs.  OSM strives to not only create profitable advertising campaigns for you but inform you about products that you might not be aware of yet.

Breadcrumb has introduced to the market the first of it’s kind; Bluetooth tracking nock and location marker to aid the hunting enthusiast!  The Bluetooth tracking nock is a great save for the archer hunter who might lose an arrow once in awhile or two!  This tool is a great save of money, as well an ingenious way to find your hunt out in the wilderness.

The nocks work by communicating with the hunters smart phone via an app.  The Bluetooth nock has a range of 150 yards and the tracking sets off light and sound.  It features a replaceable battery with more then 35 hours of tracking power.  The Process Control Block (PCB) controls the light, sound, and Bluetooth tracking capabilities.  Best of all the nocks are waterproof for any terrain or season.

The next introduction to the market from Breadcrumb is their location tracker which is also run on Bluetooth technology.  Never get lost in the woods again or even forget how to get back to the tree stand!  Similar to the Bluetooth trackable nock the location marker can also be controlled through an app on your smartphone.

The case is compact and durable making it great for any weather or terrain.  The user is able to track locations through the app on your smartphone.  The location tracker features light beacons you can easily activate with 5 ultra bright LED’s as well as a sound beacon with 150 yard range.  This is a great safeguard for the solo hunter!

Give us a call here at OSM so we can discuss strategic advertising campaigns to promote your new products or even help make room by getting rid of old product!

 

*https://www.archerybusiness.com/breadcrumb-creates-first-trackable-bluetooth-nock-location-marker/

West Virginia is for all weekend lovers

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West Virginia is for (all weekend) lovers

By Lauren Alberque
“People drive right through West Virginia to Ohio or wherever it may be to be able to hunt on Sunday,” Governor Jim Justice said. “We lose those dollars because they want to be able to hunt an entire weekend. This will provide additional hunting recreation for our visitors and residents and result in a major economic impact for our small rural businesses. Today is truly historical.”*
On March 29, 2018, West Virginia governor Jim Justice, signed SB 451. The new law will take effect in early June and will allow Sunday hunting on public lands in West Virginia.  This new bill comes a year after 2017’s SB 345 passed which legalized Sunday hunting on private land with the written permission from the landowner.
This new law is exciting for store owners especially in West Virginia!  SB 451, will open more then 1.5 million acres of public land to hunters, provide several additional hunting days each year, and make West Virginia more attractive to out of state hunters.  The National Shooting Sports Foundation, conducted a study in which they project that this new law will add $155 million to the states economy each year.
We are always on the lookout for new and exciting opportunities for our customers and of course prospective customers to run successful and oftentimes unique marketing campaigns!  This is a great time for stores in West Virginia to jump on the back wagon with this anticipated $155 million cash flow into the economy.
Spring is the ideal time to create your own SB 451 advertising campaign, ideally to inform your in state and out of state customers about the new legislation.  We can create advertising campaigns themed around “West Virginia is for all weekend lovers” anywhere from “SB 451 first year anniversary launch special!”  Anything you can think of we can create or let us create your own advertising campaign and jump in on this new all weekend hunting West Virginia money!
* http://www.wvdnr.gov/2018news/18news026.shtm

Reach customers with email that matters

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Reach customers with email that matters

By Lauren Alberque

In my last blog titled, Direct mail – reach your customers and get them to spend their hard earned dollars with you, I discussed the benefits and ROI of direct mail, and extending your reach with premium purchased lists.

Email open rate for B2C is 20-30%, but the click through rate is only 2%-5 3/4%. It becomes a numbers game, and as an independent gun store owner, you may not have enough emails in your database to see huge ROI.  Trust me, I’m not here to dissuade you from using all of your “ammunition” so to speak. An email blast may not be as effective as direct mail advertising, but it is a great tool to utilize along side of print.

OSM uses email campaigns to let customers and prospects know about upcoming events, special pricing, and campaign ideas for shooting sports retailers to use. Email is another “touch” we can use to move our customers closer to making a purchase.

Industry marketing best practices recommend 2-3 emails per month, so as not to annoy or overwhelm customers. Email should have a concise, direct message with a clear call to action. You should always include a link to your website and to a form to sign up for your mailers. And of course include your address, phone number and an “opt-out” option.

We can help you formulate some great e-mail blasts to get customers on your radar and more importantly to get you on theirs!

Call  us at 609-265-1390 or submit the form below to get more information.

Get customers in the door by promoting vendor rebates

Posted by on in direct mail advertising, vendor rebates

Promote vendor rebates and get customers in the door with direct mail advertising – and use co-op advertising dollars to do it!

We all know the shooting sports industry has slowed since Donald Trump became President, and the Republicans won the majority in Congress.  The slowdown in demand has created problems for gun stores and vendors alike.

American Outdoor Brands stock dropped 25% in February, so it should be no surprise that AOB is offering spring rebates on Thompson Center and Crimson Trace.  Vista Outdoor stock is down 12% since the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and they also have a number of spring rebates available. Sturm Ruger stock fell 19% to a three-year low and we are seeing more more RUGER Days on the calendar than ever before.

It is time to leverage these consumer rebates to get more customers in your door, using co-op funds and direct mail advertising.

Advertise customer rebates, with an 8×11 one page mailer and get a jump on the competition!

Increase foot traffic and boost sales now. Direct mail advertising is the most highly targeted and easily measurable type of advertising and is a great way to get customer rebates and more in front of your customers. Once a customer has established a preference for a business, they are 3 times as likely to return. So if you are regularly sending direct mail that informs your customers about something that you know they are interested in – they will be delighted to see your postcard, flyer or catalog in the mail.

Let the vendor pick up a portion of the cost with co-op advertising

Using vendor co-op advertising funds can significantly reduce your final out-of-pocket costs. If the products you are advertising fit within the vendor’s co-op advertising standards, our Co-Op Compliance Manager will work with you to ensure that your direct mail advertising is approved by the vendor in advance of publication.