Shooter’s World has created a welcoming atmosphere that appeals to a diverse customer base.
How to Grow a Business
Exceptional customer service, along with smart marketing, have helped Arizona’s Shooter’s World grow into a standout facility.
By Shannon Farlow
Shooter’s World has created a welcoming atmosphere that appeals to a diverse customer base.
As the popularity of firearms training continues to grow, shooting ranges across the country are working to meet the demand. It’s a golden age for training. Not only are ranges expanding their facilities, they’re incorporating the latest technology and offering unprecedented learning opportunities. Shooter’s World in Arizona, led by husband-and-wife team Phil and Lisa Roux, is one such range that is dedicated to elevating the shooting experience.
Shooter’s World first opened in Phoenix in the late 1980s. For several years, Phil Roux operated a police and military supply inside the facility before finally purchasing Shooter’s World in 2002. When Lisa came onboard in 2010, the couple began working together to carefully and deliberately grow the business.
Today, Shooter’s World operates indoor shooting ranges in Arizona—Phoenix, Peoria, and Goodyear. The world-class training centers feature climate-controlled ranges, a large retail selection of firearms, ammunition, and gear, and a robust offering of training programs. Lisa and Phil Roux have also launched a line of outdoor adventure apparel called Subtle Savage, as well as Flow State, a software development company, they created with Shooter’s World director of marketing and IT Chris Birchby.
Cater to All Customers
While it’s easy to focus on the technology or the range amenities, Lisa and Phil Roux credit most of their success to how they treat people. Providing exceptional customer service is at the forefront of everything they do at Shooter’s World.
“What sets us apart, aside from our three state-of-the-art facilities, is our heavy focus on catering to all types of customers. We have created an inviting atmosphere where we appeal to shooters of all levels and backgrounds. We pride ourselves on having a diverse team who understands the needs of new shooters and respects the courage it takes to try something new and often intimidating,” says Lisa Roux, who serves as Shooter’s World CFO. “We also listen intently to our customers and the feedback they provide.”
In addition to asking customers about their experience at the end of their visit, Shooter’s World conducts email surveys to help gauge how they are performing. They then combine the in-person comments and survey responses to identify any areas that need improvement. Most importantly—they act on that information to make necessary changes.
Promote Employee Growth
Shooter’s World takes a similar approach with their staff. Phil and Lisa Roux are committed to employee development. That includes offering promote-from-within opportunities.
“We are passionate about growth,” Lisa Roux says. “This is critical to our retention and helping create true careers for our teammates versus ‘just a job.’”
She believes it’s critical to maintain an open line of communication with team members. Just as important is the obligation to share the business plan and provide regular company updates.
“It's easy to fall into a rut of thinking our employees can read our minds and inherently just understand the goals of the business. Honestly, they rarely do if you aren't communicating to them what these goals are,” Roux says. “Crafting a clear plan to reach your company goals will help your team understand the ‘why’ behind the business decisions you make.”
The world-class facility includes climate-controlled ranges, a large retail selection of firearms, and a series of training programs.
Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Like many successful gun stores and shooting ranges, Shooter’s World employs a mix of marketing tactics. They utilize radio advertising and billboard messaging, along with digital marketing and social media. Despite experiencing success with those methods, Roux credits another channel with generating the most traffic.
“We have found that heavy involvement in the local community—chamber of commerce, local charities, networking events—and the referrals generated by keeping our customers highly satisfied are our most successful forms of marketing,” Roux says.
Location, Location, Location
Real estate professionals understand that location is critical to the value of a property. Roux, a former luxury real estate broker, believes the same holds true for shooting ranges. She advises anyone who wants to develop a shooting range to first conduct extensive research and find communities that would benefit the most from a new training facility.
“The model that has worked for us is to go to underserved areas versus what we often see: new ranges going in on top of older, more established ones,” she says.
Strengthen Vendor Relationships
The team at Shooter’s World works hard to cultivate strong relationships with manufacturers and distributors. This approach has helped Shooter’s World minimize the impact of the global supply chain disruptions in recent years. It’s also enabled them to weather several economic and market slowdowns.
“As an industry that is highly susceptible to the dramatically changing economy, current events, government regulations, and political landscape, it is critical to respond quickly to these changes and always have a plan in place,” Roux says. “During COVID, we were the only dealer (including the big-box stores) in all of the Phoenix area who had a consistent supply of guns and ammunition. Make decisions ahead of time about how you will handle these issues as they arise, because they will arise.”
Editor’s Note: Additional research for this article conducted by Miles Hall.
Co-owners Lisa and Phil Roux have now expanded Shooter’s World to three locations in Arizona.