What's it going to take?

Every other month or so we have to sit on the phone and give feedback to manufacturer/distributor's in the industry. We tell them again and again what works and what doesn't and what we think needs to improve. We've been dead on with predicting what's going to happen when things aren't ethically business savvy. Yet, even though these people ask our opinion they don't listen or they react to slowly to the problem.

We sat down in September with some retailers and the BIG BOSS of a major manufacturer/distributor so they could get a feel for how we felt about how things were going and what they could do to help. Since then we feel as if it was a meeting to justify what they already knew and went ahead and gave the box stores more product to sell. They also gave the box stores space on the website we had to BEG for even though we've been doing business with them for over 16 years.

In the last 2 months we've seen the box stores selling paintballs for $30/case that are knockoffs of brands we sell at $50 and $60 per case. While all along the same distributors want us to raise our per case price. Makes us think they don't understand how their tactics effect the entire industry. Once again it brings me back to the manufacturer/distributor not knowing who the customer is. Roughly 80% of the market right now is new players. They are going to shop for the most inexpensive way to play the sport whether or not the product is in fact good. Half of those people will quit playing after the 2nd or 3rd time because the cheap marker or the cheap paint they bought isn't working like they thought it would. The other half hopefully goes to a reputable field or store where the inconsistencies are explained to them and they get educated that you can't short cut your self on quality if you want to have a good time.

Retailers who specialize in paintball are getting the shaft. We're the ones who can sell your product with complete confidence the customer knows what they bought as well as service your product if something should go wrong. Since 2005 manufacturers have taken retailers for granted. Not just the economy has played a roll in the dwindling numbers in paintball players. It's simple, if you sell something that has a specific niche, you need to support it. While box stores might be able to move a ton of product, is it reflective of the numbers actually playing and continuing to play the game?

Store/Field owners who actually care about staying in business and not just making a quick buck care about customer satisfaction and whether they come back to play or purchase. Just drawing people in should not be the end of the road. You need to nurture them. Give them a reason to come back or at least a reason to recommend a friend try it out. Growing the sport is the only way it will survive and become a legitimate sport/activity. The word is out, people know what paintball is or they have at least heard of it. Keep them coming.

Dear Paintball Industry

This letter is to inform the paintball industry that it is March. For most of the U.S. this means it is winter. This winter has seen lots of snow. Yet the powers that be still keep most of their inventory on the east coast. While those of us on the west coast are in the middle of the best part of our year. Your warehouses on the west coast are empty at this time of year, year after year, but for some reason this does not tip anyone off to do anything about it. You force us to go with other companies who can get us product in a timely manner and then you wonder why we don't do business with you. We are in the worst economic down turn and paintball has been hit hardest of all. Why you continue to do things that do not work for your business or that of your industry is unfathomable.

Wake up! Manage your selves better. Don't tell me to forecast my orders better for better lead time. YOU should be doing that. Your ware house is empty! Doesn't that mean you moved product faster here than on the east coast?!

The Industry has been Assbackwards from the getgo

I read an article lately in a popular paintball magazine about the future of paintball. It said that it talked to experts in the field on their views of where paintball was going. The “experts” were mostly pro players. I didn’t see any leading manufacturers or leading retail owners in that article. I think maybe the only “experts” that could shed any light on this subject are those of us in the trenches, local retail store owners, people that have stores and fields totally devoted to paintball.
The latest developments in the economy came as no shock to us. We have seen a decrease in numbers of players and consumers for over a year now, almost two years. The hard fact is that manufacturers have lost site of who the customer is. We are losing sales and repeat business to the lack of low end markers and accessories. There is too much concentration on a high end marker or mid grade marker that can shoot more paint. The new player needs to be able to buy the old reliable markers that have very little maintenance and would last forever. If they are really serious about the game they will see the next level of marker and have something they can give to a friend to try and get another person to play the game.
Another development is the sales from manufacturers directly to teams that have not shown any promise in representing their product positively or otherwise. Manufacturers sell their product to the “teams” and then the teams turn around and sell to their friends and neighbors leaving the retail owners scratching their heads as to why they are not able to move the latest and greatest. It’s because someone was able to get it for a better price before the retailer can even get it in their store. Stop giving product away, maybe then we can sell it for you the way it was intended and adhere to the so called MAP pricing.
If you put sales back in the hands of the retail stores who have long supported you and the sport of paintball we will show you good times again. Listen to us when you ask us what moves and what doesn’t. Listen to us when we tell you what kind of customers there are out there. Make teams and others looking for sponsorship packages earn it. Let the local retail shops offer your packages to the teams and customers. We know who is a legitimate team in our area and who is not.
Why is there a need to re-make your markers every year? Every year you make adjustments and new cuts in the body to try and sell the same marker. This also has clouded the market. Markers have seen 5 and 6 owners before the year is even up. More and more people trade or upgrade to new markers this way and retailers once again lose a sale. Lately the mid grade markers have become too costly. You add to many accessories to the finished product and retailers lose those sales to a marker that should have been stock. No fancy frame, no trigger upgrade, no fancy bolt. Let the customer decide and let them pay less and build on it. You are making the marker outside the price range it was intended.
One more problem that we face locally is when a large event comes to town. If you are going to call it a trade show, let it be a trade show. Sell only to your legitimate retailers and not to the general public. This kind of manufacturer direct sales hurt all of the stores in that area and affects them for months. Stand behind your retailers. Tell the public which stores they can buy the product at locally. You spend time with retailers on tech classes, let us be the ones to make the sale as well as service your product. This builds a better customer base which builds repeat business and loyalty to whichever store the customer picked, in turn increasing your sales to that store.
The future of paintball is in the hands of everyone that participates in this great sport. We need to go back to our roots. We cannot forget where we came from and we need to focus on the new player. The tourney players are already hooked, but they will not play forever. The sport needs new blood and until everyone is on board with this, our future is not so bright.