Whether you have a full-service marketing team in-house, a single marketing employee or you hire an agency to do it for you, your marketing team already knows how important data is. They’re likely digging into Google Analytics, Facebook Analytics and other sophisticated platforms on a daily basis to better understand and reach your current and prospective buyers. What they may not have, though, is the data platform created just for the shooting sports industry. 

As many things begin to return to “normal” this summer, the big question is whether or not the shooting sports industry will return to normal as well. This quarter, we may have our answer. After a year of trying to keep up with the demand for firearms and accessories, the last month has shown a year-over-year decrease in firearm sales – the second month of decreasing sales since the beginning of 2021 – according to Small Arms Analytics. That said, the overall sales of 2021 so far are still outpacing 2020.

As our world becomes more digitized, data is becoming more and more valuable to businesses – and those in the shooting sports industry are no exception. Pulling pertinent data together and organizing it in a helpful way requires data inputs, resources and technical knowledge. Many of these barriers have long held the shooting sports industry back when it comes to advancing with big data. SCOPE is here to change that. 

Research is a key component of growing a business. In shooting sports, manufacturers are grasping for answers and inputs to decide how to maximize profitability, develop new products and more. But when it comes to the inputs of market research — the data inputs matter most.

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) designed its SCOPE suite of tools with usability in mind. NASGW believes that SCOPE’s powerful data should be useful and accessible to all of its members, not just data analysts. When it comes to manufacturing, several departments and roles can utilize SCOPE’s intel and insights to improve processes and support decision-making, from sales to product design, to operations and even payroll. Here are 5 positions within your organization that will benefit from using SCOPE.

It’s no secret that data is changing our world in a big way. With digital transformation comes the ability to track nearly everything, from purchases to locations, even interests and life events. Many industries have found ways to harness this data for good, creating more efficient processes internally and decision-making that’s backed by facts instead of feelings.

Since 2016, the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) has been working to collect, standardize, and analyze industry data that strengthens shooting sports businesses through a project called SCOPE. It’s been an exciting and collaborative process with manufacturers, distributors and retailers — and last week was an exciting leap forward for this effort. In two Launch Party Webinars, NASGW announced updates and additions to the SCOPE suite of tools, including SCOPE DLX, SCOPE CLX and SCOPE PLX.

National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) is continuing to help the industry stay ahead of the curve. In our wild and unpredictable world, data and the evolving SCOPE suite offer manufacturers and distributors a steady stream of reliable information. And next week – a new chapter begins.

In the shooting sports industry, the year 2021 started the same way 2020 ended – at maximum sales and production. All of our members at NASGW have been producing, shipping, and selling as much as possible to meet the unprecedented demand. But toward the end of February, something was off. Judging by the NASGW SCOPE DLX (Distributor Link Exchange) report, firearm shipments had dropped off, down to the numbers we were seeing at this time last year.

2020 was a whirlwind of a year for many reasons – the boom of the shooting sports industry being one of them. According to latest NICS data, this record-breaking year saw more than 21 million background checks for the sale of firearms – a 60 percent increase over 2019. It’s also estimated that 8.4 million people bought a firearm for the very first time in 2020, creating a new, more diverse customer base for manufacturers.