DEEP COMMITMENT

by Peter B. Mathiesen

Two critical experiences brought Skyler Thomas, a former Naval Security Specialist, to the shootingsports retail and training

world. First, his mentor Al Clark, a former Navy SEAL firearm instructor and founder of Blackwater, imparted to him a deep commitment to sharing and translating leadership skills to the private sector. The second was an epiphany he experienced when he visited a gun store as a professional firearms trainer.

“I was working as a training instructor at Blackwater while I was in college. Al and I visited a gun store in the town our training was scheduled in. It was eye-opener,” he says.

He walked in and asked to see a Glock. The older gentleman behind the counter scoffed at his request, and in a surly tone told him, “Why would you or anyone else want a plastic gun?” He then shook his head in disgust as he handed him the pistol.

The interaction deteriorated from there, and a stunned Thomas thought, How does this store stay in business? What would it be like for a first-time purchaser? What would that shooter do for training? Go see this guy? No!

It was a pivotal moment in his life, and it set him on a course to sell firearms and teach firearm training to the public. A few years later, after assembling a group of investors, Thomas founded Freedom Shooting Center by taking over an existing Virginia Beach facility in 2018. Although the facility’s footprint was ideal, the existing staff created challenges for the new managing partner.

“There were staff members who were single-task focused and not always very friendly,” he says. “There was often a sense that each staff member had to oneup each other. I saw barriers at every turn that could stop a sale dead in its tracks. The store and range were neither customer or team focused.”

Thomas quickly transitioned the team to a customer-focused approach and began cross-training every staff member. “There are five basic jobs in our store—sales, customer service, range work, memberships, and rental,” he says. “I wanted every staff member to be able to do any, and all, of the five. Today, when a customer asks or needs something in a different department, no one has to say, ‘That guy is out to lunch; you'll have to wait an hour.’”

Thomas made it clear that he expected all staffers to focus on the needs of the customer. “I insisted that the staff treat every customer in a manner that would make them feel wanted and appreciated,” he says. As the new strategies evolved, the staff members who didn’t buy into his program departed on their own terms. But many did stay, and with new hires he now has 85 full- and part-time employees.

These days retailers are finding that younger buyers are nowhere near as brand loyal as their parents. Technology has completely changed the buying experience.

“Why should they align themselves with a brand when click-and-swipe buying habits put a product on their doorstep the next day?” Thomas says. “But that package often has the web giant’s name on the box instead of the name of the product that’s inside. So,

The floor plan at Freedom Shooting Center is clean, uncluttered, and inviting, allowing customers to browse at their leisure.  Skyler Thomas, managing partner at Freedom Shooting Center. ask yourself ‘Are they buying the product or the service? It can be exceptionally blurry.’”

One way Thomas builds brand loyalty is to give “a reason for that customer to come through door. We do that by providing the customer service most consumers crave.”

Another way to bring in and keep new customers is to offer them something they simply can’t get online. Freedom Shooting Center offers a wide range of training programs, including CCW and home defense, as well as a full retail operation that features new and used handguns, shotguns, and rifles and popular accessories such as holsters, ammo, and the like. The ranges are open to the public, but here Thomas has taken it up a notch. Freedom Shooting offers a variety of range membership options tailored to both the serious shooter as well as the weekend plinker. The facility has 34 25-yard lanes that can be adjusted to a wide variety of scenarios. Handgun rentals start at $17 an hour, and lane rentals start at $20 an hour. Memberships start at $32.95 per month, and one of the perks here is unlimited use of the range as well as discounts on ammo purchases. Members also receive discounts on FFL transfer fees and training.

The ongoing pandemic and political turmoil have stressed retail operations across the country. At the same time, both have combined to create new opportunities.

“In general terms, 80 percent of the population does not own a firearm,” Thomas says. “Our future as an industry relies on fundamentality changing that. While I truly appreciate the customer base that is purchasing their fifth handgun, it’s the new shooter who will sustain us by expanding our numbers and, more importantly, changing the narrative about gun safety and positive firearm ownership.”

Like many retailers, Freedom Shooting Center has experienced the greatest influx of first-time shooters in its history, and Thomas is adamant about the company’s commitment to this new customer.

“They require our best efforts in customer service and a sincere desire to embrace them,” he says. “They don't look like us. Often, they are of a different race, belong to a different culture, or have a historically different political persuasion. That said, what they represent is an extraordinary chance to engage a powerful new customer.”

Thomas emphasizes that his staff is all about freedom, not the politics of freedom. He also notes that fearmongering is not something in which the store participates.

“We do not engage in political narratives with our customers,” he says. “Our retail store is simply all about exceptional service and an honest desire to drive excitement about the shooting sports. Our goal is to instill a sense of safety and confidence in our customers.”

Thomas views training as one of the best ways to move this experience forward. “We commit to our new shooters with training at reduced prices or, in some cases, even at no charge,” he says.

Managing inventory over the past couple of years has been a difficult endeavor for firearm retailers and range operators. For Thomas having enough ammo on hand is job one. “We operate a shooting range. It’s what we sell, and we must have ammo.”

He admits this has been a daunting task, and it has required creative, out-of-the-box thinking. At times, this has meant sending an employee to pick up ammo 100 miles away; at other times, it has required making a few calls based on a referral from someone “who knows a guy.” He and his staff have done whatever it takes to keep enough ammo in stock.

In the process, Thomas says obtaining that inventory has cost a lot, but having that ammo on hand is vital to maintaining the customer base. “I’ve learned a couple of things operating this facility,” he says. “We have 4,000 clients a week come through our doors, and I've simply never

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had a problem getting rid of 9mm ammo or Glock 19s. Ever. I can’t say that about a size XXXL jacket.”

Although the internet will continue to offer a sometimes-cheaper, snappy buying experience, Thomas loves to quote Amazon founder Jeff Bezos: “What else can we do for you?” He has taken the retail giant’s words personally by expanding his store’s role in the customer continuum by increasing inventory to capture the soft goods and the lifestyle accessory needs of its outdoors-focused customers.

The recently launched freedomoutdoors.us has allowed Thomas to add many popular SKUs to a new site. “The goal is to keep our members thinking of our store as the supplier that’s concerned with every aspect of their outdoor experience,” he says. “We’ll offer the same service, and we promise to help them, whether it is with getting their product delivered or making sure something fits right.”

The retail world continues to evolve at light speed, and this range-retailer has found traffic to be the name of the game. But at the same time, you must offer first-class service. Thomas notes that customers like to come to a place where they feel safe and wanted. “You’ll find no toxic sales staff here,” he says. “Our customers know they are always welcome at Freedom Shooting Center.”

The operation is so successful that Thomas says that many customers have told him they wished they had a Freedom Shooting Center near them. So, last summer the operation announced that it is looking for acquisition opportunities at existing indoor range and retail businesses.

Thomas has come a long way from that encounter with that grumpy old man behind the counter. But that irascibility has proven to be a catalyst of a new and invigorating business model for the industry.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Freedom Shooting Center features 34 25-yard lanes that can be adjusted to a wide variety of scenarios. Handgun rentals start at $17 an hour, and lane rentals start at $20 an hour. Memberships start at $32.95 per month.

Freedom employs a staff of up to 85 full and part-time employees. It operates seven days a week: Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.