Chairman's Message: The Dog Days of Summer

The dog days of summer are setting in around South Carolina. That means smoldering temperatures will be with us another month or two. Our city planners in Columbia weren’t the most creative when they coined the phrase, “Famously Hot.” Visitors to our fine city were greeted with this slogan (or warning) as they arrived via our airport. Billboards around the city reminded residents and travelers alike that there was little we could do outside unless we were at the lake or in an air-conditioned building.

As the summer daylight wanes, I’ll look forward to more activities and the fall festivals that ramp up as temps get more bearable. In the mean time, as you read this, I’ll probably be in North Carolina hosting our first dealer show since pre-covid times. It certainly is nice to be able to gather for business or fun without dealing with mask mandates or restrictions!

FEATURED ARTICLES

Caliber Award Deadline Extended to August 15th

There is still time to get your products submitted for the 2022 Caliber Awards. The deadline has been extended out to August 15th so get your submissions in. The Caliber Awards will honor the highest caliber new products in six product categories including the best new rifle, handgun, shotgun, ammunition, optic, and best new accessory. We’ll also select an overall best new product award chosen from the finalists of all six categories. To be eligible, products must be submitted through the New Product Showcase on the NASGW Expo website. Click below to submit your products. 

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers and their trade partners, and the creator of the industry leading SCOPE Data Platform, has released the 2nd Quarter SCOPE Report compiling distributor sales and inventory data from January 1st, 2022 through June 30th, 2022. 

“The data in our SCOPE platform is becoming more and more valuable to businesses and organizations across our industry," said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW President. "Our Q2 report is a good high level snapshot of existing trends with some deeper analysis by Tom Hopper, NASGW's Senior Data Analyst.”

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers and their trade partners, is pleased to welcome its newest Board Member, Ryan Link of Big Rock Sports. 

“I’m eager and excited about the opportunity to join the NASGW Board," said Ryan Link, General Merchandising Manager and Director of Merchandising at Big Rock Sports. "I look forward to helping advance our industry interests and strengthen the relationships between two-step distribution and our manufacturing partners”

Take Advantage of Happy Hour Sponsorships & Advertising

We are only a couple months away from the 2022 NASGW Expo and the opportunities to grab some attention are running out. Sponsorship availability includes Happy Hour co-sponsorships. Pair with another company to share the recognition and expense for one of our Happy Hours. For advertising, we have a variety of large format graphics at the Kansas City Convention Center that are sure to catch the eye of attendees. Placements are focused around the entrance and registration area to maximize exposure to all individuals heading to the show floor. For more information or to discuss opportunities, visit the NASGW Expo website or contact Meg Pawelski. 

Increasing Red Dot Inventories Affecting Sales

During “the Surge” in 2020 and 2021, firearm manufacturers saw an increase in demand for  guns to accessories to optics.Ammo saw a massive spike in sales right away and then struggled to catch up on production, which led to high demand and low supply. Looking at the wholesaler shipment and sales data from the first half of 2022, sales of all optics appeared to shadow the decrease in the overall market and inventory mix as the surge curtailed. While all optic sales trended downward in the past year, SCOPE DLX data showed red dot sales declined at a sharper rate than other products within the mix of the optics market.

Compared to 2021, the optics market performed well below the benchmark, according to the SCOPE DLX data. Shipments for all optics decreased 39.5% between Jan 1 and April 30, compared to the same time period last year, while red dot sales dropped by 54.6% reducing their percentage in the overall mix of all optics by 8.8%. 

2022 Trends Look Much Different Than Previous Years

How is your business comparing to the industry benchmarks in SCOPE? Be sure to download the Q2 SCOPE Report to dig deeper into the segmented industry data and review some of Tom Hopper's analysis. 

Firearms Shipments

Ammunition Shipments

Optics Shipments

NASGW Expo Hotel Block Sold Out

The hotel block in Kansas City is now sold out for the 2022 NASGW Expo. We are currently working on some additional options near the KC Convention Center and will update NASGW members with more details when they are available. If you missed out on the hotel block you may book your own hotel in Kansas City or wait to see if NASGW can secure an additional hotel block at a discounted rate. 

NSSF Celebrates National Shooting Sports Month

NSSF®, the firearm industry trade association, is celebrating National Shooting Sports Month^® in August, a month-long recognition of the positive impacts hunting and recreational target shooting have for millions of Americans.

Developed by NSSF, National Shooting Sports Month encourages newcomers and experienced gun owners and hunters to visit a local shooting range with their handgun, rifle or shotgun to enjoy the target-shooting sports, which boasts more than 56 million adult and youth participants. All are encouraged to invite a guest with them to introduce them to responsible firearm ownership.

Supreme Court Gets it Right, Congress Gets it Wrong

On Thursday, SCOTUS released a historic decision in the NYSRPA v. Bruen case when they found the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding Americans to carry a firearm outside of the home. Despite the hysteria from many gun control extremists, this is a step in the right direction that simply provides good people the ability to protect themselves and their loved ones outside their home.  Regrettably, just across the street from the Supreme Court at the Capitol, Congress took a step backward when they passed a gun control package that infringes on the rights of law-abiding Americans. This gun control package will now move to President Biden’s desk, where he’s expected to sign it into law. 

We are deeply disappointed in the passage of this gun control bill.  The NRA joins the rest of America in trying to help curb violence across our country. This is why we support school safety with dedicated resources at the federal level, an investment in better access to, and quality of, mental health care, increased funding and support for law enforcement, and a firm position on gun crime with serious penalties for those who break the law.

A Big Week Ahead for the Industry

The ink was barely dry on the signed Bipartisan Safer Communities Act before Congress signaled its next moves to bring the industry into its sights. Next up? A ban on AR-15s/MSRs and repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA).

July 20, the House Judiciary Committee passed the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 (H.R.1808) a bill that was introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) in March of last year. The bill contains a number of sweeping bans on commonly owned rifles, shotguns and even handguns, while also targeting standard capacity magazines. Unlike the bill that passed in 1994, this one has no expiration date.

In the bill’s opening sentence, it claims to (emphasis added) “regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited, and for other purposes.”

NSSF Denounces Unconstitutional Gun Ban Passed by U.S. House

NSSF^®, the firearm industry trade association, condemns the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, as amended. The legislation ignores the Constitutional right, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, for law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms that are in common use. NSSF estimates that there are over 24.4 million Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) in circulation in America between 1990 and 2020.

“This legislation is as dangerous as it is revealing of the contempt that the House Democrats hold for the Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “Chairman Jerrold Nadler admitted during debate in his committee that he didn’t care the legislation was unconstitutional and defied Supreme Court precedent. Democratic representatives are not fulfilling the interest of ‘the People,’ instead representing special-interest gun control groups that seek to disarm law-abiding citizens and scapegoat them for crimes committed by others.”

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UPCOMING EVENTS

October 26-28, 2022

NASGW Expo

Kansas City, MO

January 17-20, 2023

SHOT Show

Las Vegas, NV

March 27-28, 2023

Shooting Sports Showcase

Talladega, AL

April 14-16, 2023

NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits

Indianapolis, IN