Mom and pop, one off gun stores

[Sandhillbilly]

We still have a couple around here. The new one is Ackerman ag. They have been a feed and seed store for several years but recently moved into a new location and added  a gun store. They have a bit of everything as far as guns from modern to antiques, when the crunch isn't on crazy ammo and reloading component's.  Good folks nice to deal with. The second is wade morgans in the teeming metropolis of ellsworth nebraska.  If you looked at a map, find hiway 2, about 30 miles east of my hometown of alliance Ne is ellsworth. I believe wades is the last business open there. They have a wide selection of guns of every stripe, plus a saddlery, and western store all in the same building. Wade is a tad of an odd duck but a good guy and a pleasure to do business with.

[Land_Owner]

Soon and too soon the Big Box Stores move into the neighborhood and eliminate the Mom and Pop (M&P) shops.  I was going to purchase 500#'s of whole kernel corn from the local M&P Feed Store, until the owner's wife became belligerent.  She was about to ring up my 100# sunflower seed order when I asked the price of her 50# bags of corn. 

She offered me a whooping price that was "real proud" at more than 135% of the Big Box Store price I had just checked.  When I mentioned that price difference to her, she came undone, and read me the riot act. 

She showed me her invoice.  Her wholesaler sold her corn at more than 20% above the Big Box retail price!  My wife, a known for rapier wit CPA, suggested that I tell the lady to buy her corn from the Big Box Store, which would increase her profit by more than 20%!  Not on your life!

[Mule 11]

A lot of small stores do buy from big box stores and the only reason people use them and pay the mark up is convenience.

[Argent 88]

A lot of small stores do buy from big box stores and the only reason people use them and pay the mark up is convenience.

I knew of a gun shop that did that with 22lr ammo.