Mickis Shooters Begins Vending Program For Gun Range Supplies

SCOTTSDALE, CA -- A shooting supply retailer here has developed an inventory management program that uses customized vending machines placed in gun ranges. The machines are operated by Micki's Shooters Supply, and they stock gun cleaning, care and maintenance items, along with shooting accessories. Micki's calls its program Vendor Managed Inventory.

The retailer said its vending program's benefits to gun range managers are many, and it can become a profit center. "There is no investment on the part of the gun range owner," Micki's explains. Client ranges receive monthly commission checks on machine gross sales.

Micki's supplies a customized ADA-compliant vending machine, available in three sizes, made by U-Select-It. Selections can vary from 36 items up to 65, depending on the vender's configuration. Micki's employs remote machine monitoring for product and inventory-level reporting and tracking. Reordering is automatic. Thus, out-of-stock conditions are rare, and slow-moving selections or excess inventory can be changed out and updated frequently.

Micki's venders are consolidated, to eliminate process and administrative costs, and no purchase orders are required of the gun range owner. The machines incorporate iVend, USI's positive vend assurance system.

Range patrons enjoy vending's benefits, the company points out. Delivery of a product by a vending machine is immediate, and there are no shipping and/or handling charges involved, unlike online suppliers. "Point of purchase is often the point of use," Micki's noted.

The vending machines offer 100% inventory visibility and changeable graphics (wrapped for additional impressions). They feature LED lighting and illuminated payment systems. All transactions are made with credit or debit cards, as well as mobile payment; the machines do not accept cash.

There is no need for the range manager to repack, re-label or store inventory on the premises. All that's required of the manager, upon receiving a "restocking package," is to open the machine front, pull out the shelves and refill them with the appropriate merchandise.

Micki's is explaining to range owners that vending machines never take a vacation and call in sick. They keep management focused on their shooting customers, and allow ranges to recover some floor space.