The December issue of Shooting Industry presents a first look at the 2025 New Business Year, and how dealers can stay top of mind — and boost profits — through the year-end buying season. To support this effort, SI’s giant 2025 New Product Showcase puts over 100 products launching from more than 60 brands front and center.

Concluding his three-part take exploring the “de-evolution” in the retail market, Hank Yacek identifies a “better way” to meet the needs of our customers: “It’s when manufacturers, distributors and retailers work together on a common goal. The goal? To get products into the customers’ hands as quickly and easily as possible.”

With the outcome of the election settled, the firearms industry is preparing for a brand-new market in 2025. SI Editor Jade Moldae shares reactions and predictions from dealers on how the next Trump administration and Republican-controlled U.S. Senate and House of Representatives could potentially affect business in “The People Have Spoken.”

Moldae also previews the industry’s biggest trade event of the coming year: SHOT Show. More records are poised to fall during the 2025 experience as exhibitors, floor space, educational seminars and networking opportunities continue to grow. Additionally, he reflects on how retailers prioritized customer service, employee education and earning trust in “What We Learned From You This Year.”

Are lever guns the new AR-15? The tactical lever gun is new and fun, and its potential is vast. Since they are available in so many different chamberings, Bryan Hendricks contends they carry a high potential for repeat customers.

Carolee Anita Boyles’ “Putting ‘Fun’ In Guns” suggests stocking some inventory that’s purely just for fun. From gun-themed décor and condiment dispensers to stick horses and cap guns, these items boost the bottom line and put a smile on customers’ faces.

In “Iron Sharpens Iron,” Doug VanderWoude explains the components of Performance 20 (P20) Groups and how they can spur businesses like those in the firearms industry forward. As Janelle Westrom, owner of Davenport Guns in Iowa shares, “Based on what I’ve learned in my P20 Group, I’ve changed the way we look at marketing, added new suppliers and even changed how I reward employees.”

The Academic Afield Program is busy at work building hunting communities and increasing outdoor access for college students across the country. Cindy Sandoval, communications specialist for the USFWS Office of Conservation Investment, shares more in, “A Collegiate R3 Success Story.”

Massad Ayoob observed some noticeable trends during a recent visit to an all-female gun shop. In Personal Defense Market, he relays how the owners, instructors, staff and customers respond to and thrive with this dynamic. To better equip the growing number of shooting sportswomen, Ashley McGee suggests dealers “broaden the scope” by stocking suitable shotguns and rifles for hunting and competition in Arms & The Woman. Best Practices contributor Evelyn Vidrine recommends dealers work to embrace history, trends and new markets to set a store apart from the competition.

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