Sportsman’s Warehouse blames guns, ammo for weakened third quarter sales

By Christen Smith

Sportsman’s Warehouse said demand for guns and ammo declined by double digits in its third quarter, ending Sept. 30, 2017. (Photo: Sportsman’s Warehouse)
Top executives for Sportsman’s Warehouse blamed guns and ammunition for the retailer’s sales loss in its third quarter.
Chief Executive Officer John Schaeffer told investors Thursday same store overall sales for the chain declined 7 percent for the quarter ending Sept. 30 — driven by a 12.4 percent dip in demand for firearms and a 19.4 percent loss in ammunition.
“Our third quarter results were largely in line with our expectations and reflected continued softness in firearms and ammunition as well as a shift in the timing of a planned third quarter new store opening into the fourth quarter,” he said in a press release Thursday. “We again navigated a difficult operating environment but were pleased to deliver gross margin expansion … and make continued progress against our key strategic priorities as we focus on driving further market share gains.”
Strength in the retailer’s sales for modern sporting rifles and shotguns helped offset persistent weak demand post-election, Schaeffer said, citing a 6.6 percent spike in both categories over 2016 — the industry’s biggest year on record.
“We believe this reflects the more consistent trends within

Source: Guns.com