Today, consumers want more choices. They expect to have many different options when they buy something, which includes rifle stocks. Firearms enthusiasts want to buy a rifle or gun every year, and they always demand something new and innovative. Providing a larger selection of goods in your catalogue is useful to encourage consumers to make a purchase, as they will be more likely to find a product that suits them. Let’s discuss this topic in the following article.
Why are consumers often not satisfied with their rifle stocks?
If the supplier is unable to offer anything innovative, new ideas, or new styles and always has the same products, clients will eventually become annoyed and bored.
In this video, you can see what we mean by innovative rifle stocks:
Here are the topics we will discuss in the article. Click the link to read the corresponding paragraph.
- What your clients are expecting from you
- How to choose the right wood manufacturer
- Customization is key for aesthetics and performance
- Considerations about the quality of the raw material
- Some advice to include attractive products in your catalogue
What your clients are expecting from you
As in all other markets, buyers of rifle stocks want to purchase a new product according to current trends and their preferences, and they always want something new and more innovative than the previous one. The problem is that today is very complicated to identify new trends; however, a leading company is able to define them.
There are several factors concerning rifle stocks that must be considered to create the right appeal to the market:
- The material and the way they are manufactured and finished
- Their durability
- Their fitting, as most manufacturers offer a standard stock dimension
- How long the stock shape is renewed
All these factors leave consumers satisfied, improving the chance to sell more goods. Selecting a competent supplier is therefore crucial.
How to choose the right wood manufacturer
Selecting a competent and reliable wood maker is a strategic decision that can influence the success of your business. In fact, the quality of products you offer in your catalogue (e.g., custom rifle stocks, shotgun stocks, grips, bows, walking sticks, and rifle accessories) depends on the expertise of the manufacturer, and it affects clients’ satisfaction and buying experience.
If you select a highly skilled manufacturer, you will be able to offer innovative products and satisfy ever growing client expectations.
Customization is key for aesthetics and performance
A shooter should be able to choose the perfect rifle stock for him. If you offer rifle stocks that just fit the average shooter, which are not personalized according to individual preferences, the shooting experience risks being extremely bad. The proper fit for rifle stocks improves performance and comfort, especially for professional shooters and hunters.
Clients should also be able to personalize their products as they prefer, choosing among a wide range of finishing options.
Many buyers are just collectors, and they purchase firearms for their beauty, elegance, and prestige. For this reason, they want to choose the finish to apply and the details they want to add. For example, many buyers of rifle stocks love laser engravings, as they give an even more precious appearance to wooden stocks. This technique requires precision, attention, and the right technologies and expertise to get a perfect result.
Considerations about the quality of the raw material
The quality of the wood determines the excellence of the final product. When you select your rifle stocks supplier, you must be sure that he knows the raw material very well and is able to manage it in the right way. Wood is a “tricky” raw material to handle if the manufacturer does not have the right expertise. It is alive, moves constantly, and the supplier must know and respect its strict tolerances. If he cannot do that, the final product won’t be accurate and won’t guarantee a satisfying shooting experience.
A reliable wood manufacturer must carry out strict quality control over the raw material. There are very different types of wood in nature, each with its own properties and characteristics. Some are very good for creating rifle stocks (such as walnut or beech), while others are best suited to produce other objects (e.g., cosmetic and perfume caps, oral care products, brushes, and furniture): it depends on the client’s objective and the type of product desired, but the supplier must always be able to give advice. Even the best types of wood, however, can hide some defects that are invisible at first sight. It is crucial, therefore, for your manufacturer to check each piece manually and individually: even if the external layers may appear perfect, going deeper, the quality could be different. Nodes, for instance, represent a weak point in the log because they can’t be cut, and they could break easily. If nodes give character and uniqueness to certain products and are not a problem, they cannot be present in rifle stocks to preserve resistance, strength, and density.
Therefore, your supplier must ensure that each piece of wood is flawless; those pieces that conceal imperfections and defects must be discarded.
This doesn’t mean, though, that they must be thrown away: a sustainable company may reuse and recycle wasted wood to create other products or produce energy to fuel heating systems. As sustainability is a major concern today, these details are also important when selecting your ideal supplier.
Some advice to include attractive products in your catalogue
To widen your catalogue and be successful, you must keep up with trends and offer your clients what they are looking for. To avoid possible risks, it is important to evaluate and test the market before producing many pieces to understand if products really work and are appreciated by consumers. It means that your supplier must allow you to create just half of the lot and put it on the market. Once you understand what features are most successful, you can continue production, discarding what doesn’t work.
The result is a smarter investment and lower production costs. In this sense, wood has a great advantage: as it doesn’t need moulds—which are very expensive—modifications are easier and faster, and the initial investment is lower.
If you want your clients to have a positive buying experience, you must observe the market and understand what they need and want.
Here are some examples:
- Are they hunters and handle their firearm for a long time? Do they want to improve the overall shooting experience? You can propose, for example, thumbhole rifle stocks to boost comfort and grip.
- Do they love the prestige and heritage of ancient firearms? Include in your catalogue a collection of wooden stocks and gun grips that precisely replicate some of the most iconic firearms produced in the last century.
- Are they looking for ways to increase accuracy and stability? You can offer bedded rifle stocks, which are more stable, solid, and less likely to break or become deformed.
- Are they looking for unique products? Offer innovative finishes, such as special coating patterns and soft-touch finishes, or give them the possibility of personalizing their rifle stocks with laser engravings, embossing, or special varnishes.
To satisfy these requests, you must rely on a leading wood manufacturer that can produce top-quality products thanks to his cutting-edge technologies.
At Minelli, we constantly observe the market and try to understand what consumers really like. For example, since we know that people enjoy the prestige and value of products from the past, we have created a collection of wooden stocks and gun grips that are exactly like some of the most iconic firearms used by the army during past wars, using real historical firearms as models. Thanks to our technologies and strict quality control, we have been able to create perfect representations of the original stocks—with the same shape and aesthetics.
The Minelli Group is always looking for ways to innovate, always ensuring strong, resistant, and high-performance shotgun and rifle stocks. If you would like more information about our products, click here and contact us!
