As the saying goes, “Safety is no accident” — and it takes an entire team to make sure all who enter our storefronts and ranges stay safe. In honor of National Safety Month, Shooting Industry presents its first-ever “Safety Issue” this June, with content dedicated to expanding safety sales, developing a safety campaign and keeping both personnel and inventory safe.

“Out of all the stuff in the shop, they’re probably the easiest things to sell, maybe other than ammo,” stated Tim Van Leiden, owner of The Gun Guys in Ottawa, Kan., when discussing sales of eye and ear protection with Tim Barker in “First Off The Shelves.” When you know what sells — and what doesn’t — this generous profit center is a way retailers see success in keeping their customers safe and the registers busy.

Taking the “survivability onion” concept to a retail environment, Hank Yacek identifies six steps a store can take to harden the business and minimize the potential for theft and break-ins. “Looking at store security through this paradigm can help you build enough layers of deterrence to make the thief keep your store off their radar and help you survive should the worst happen,” he advises in “An Onion Is Your Store’s Best Security Feature.”

Additional safety-themed features in June include insights compiled by Shannon Farlow for FFL dealers on the gun safe market and why offering a “good, better, best” assortment of products from reputable brands and enhanced customer service is a consistently effective strategy. Loss prevention is critical to independent firearms retailers. In “Protect Your Inventory,” Bryan Hendricks reveals the varied measures stores employ to dissuade would-be break-ins and thieves.

In the Personal Defense Market column, Massad Ayoob outlines protocols stores should implement to ensure the safety of staff members and customers. Nancy Keaton knows most women shop using a “see it, touch it, try it” approach, and suggests retailers offer the same opportunity with concealed carry products in the Arms & The Woman installment. Dale Krupinski delivers seven elements of an effective range safety and health program in Best Practices. And in Industry Link, Editor Jade Moldae lists four things needed for a successful safety campaign — including creating a safety-related rewards system and how imperative follow-up is to repeat business.

Discover more at ShootingIndustry.com and sign up for Dealer Advantage weekly emails to get the latest industry news and new product introductions. Join the conversation anytime: comments@shootingindustry.com, facebook.com/shootingindustry and linkedin.com/company/fmg-publications.

CONTACT: JADE MOLDAE EDITOR@SHOOTINGINDUSTRY.COM