Selling the Night
The night-vision and thermal-optics markets are booming. Are they right for your business?
By Brian McCombie
My first night-vision hunt occurred near Yazoo City in the Mississippi Delta just over a decade ago. A good friend and his family raised crops on several thousand acres here, and the growing number of destructive feral hogs cost the operation thousands of dollars annually. My friend tried day hunting; it removed a few pigs, but never enough to slow the damage done to his corn and soybeans.
So, as many farmers and ranchers in the South and Texas were beginning to do, he invested thousands of dollars in night-vision gear and started thinning out local sounders after dark. That night, I wore a night-vision unit mounted on a helmet, abetted with a laser zeroed and attached to my Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR). With the night vision, the laser acted like a red pointer, stabbing deep into the dark.
We spotted a group of hogs rooting up a field and put a stalk on them. I opened fire at approximately 50 yards. Half a magazine later, I had three good-sized hogs on the ground. My heart was nearly thumping out of my chest. A few months later, I used a thermal riflescope on Texas hogs and coyotes.
I was hooked! Hunting at night, for non-game species, became my favorite type of hunting.
As a writer, high-tech night hunting made sense, too. The night-vision and thermal technologies were awesome, they paired extremely well with the MSRs that were selling like hotcakes, and hog numbers were on a steep growth curve. I saw years of hunting and writing opportunities ahead.
However, I assumed widespread use of thermal and night-vision technologies would never happen. The units were simply too pricey to become really mainstream. I was right about the many years of hunting and writing opportunities. But, oh man, did I ever get the mainstream part wrong.
Booming Sales
PARD USA offers night-vision and thermal riflescopes as well as handheld units. “Interest in the thermal and night-vision devices has exploded in recent years,” says Derick Cole, vice president of sales for PARD USA. “Historically, there have not been as many players in the domestic sales space to choose from as there are now. The number of brands vying for consumer dollars is more competitive than it has ever been. This increased competition has driven innovation and continues to drive prices down every year.”
“Over the past five years, we've seen consistent 15- to 20-percent growth annually, driven by increased affordability and heightened demand,” says Steve Lemenov, director of marketing for Armasight. “The surge in interest, particularly in hunting feral hogs and predators like coyotes, underscores the expanding market and the desire of modern hunters to embrace innovative technology.”
Armasight produces numerous night-vision riflescopes and handheld monoculars as well as high-quality goggles. The company’s thermal units include riflescopes and mini handhelds.
Law-enforcement agencies, he adds, purchase significant numbers of these units, too, usually the handheld scanning variety.
At iRAY USA, Pliny Gale, director of marketing, notes that a number of other consumer groups have stepped up to his company’s thermal units. “There is strong growth in what I call the ‘aware citizens’ category,” Gale says. “They are individuals, mostly found in rural or suburban areas, who see the value in thermal-observation tools for keeping an eye on the ranch or homestead.”
Search and rescue units, ski patrols, and game recovery/trackers are snapping up thermals, too.
PARD's Sphinx 384 thermal imaging camera has a 5-inch screen.
Pricey But Profitable
These units often intrigue retailers. Then, they discover that the $2,500 to $3,000 retail price is the starting point for entry-level thermals, with $4,000 to $6,000 the nominal prices for upper-level units. Night-vision prices can be even higher, especially for the higher-end goggles that attach to helmets.
Yet, the widespread growth in these markets means more and more people are buying these pricey units. And these units generate profit margins far superior to the margins for firearms.
“While I can't disclose the exact margin levels of our dealers, I can tell you it is definitely more than the margins on most guns and a lot of ammo,” Gale says. “There's also the obvious benefit of the efficiency of selling one high-end thermal product to make the same profit as selling a dozen guns or cheaper optics. I know which one I'd hope to focus on as a dealer.” iRAY USA thermals include the flagship RICO weapon sights as well as the newly launched M6T 25mm, a thermal vehicle-mounted scanner.
The TD62 combines PARD multi-spectral imaging technology with long-distance thermal detection, high-definition night vision, a ballistics calculator, and a laser rangefinder to create a single multi-function unit.
A Tech Education
All sources SHOT Business contacted shared the same advice to the retailer thinking about offering night-vision and thermal units, in store or online: know the technology.
“Having a solid understanding of the technology's fundamentals is essential to selling it,” says Armasight’s Lemenov. “While you may not need to be an expert in every intricate detail (that's what we're here for!), having a general knowledge of how the technology operates and the advantages it offers customers can significantly enhance your sales pitch.”
Gale notes that the iRAY USA dealers who have dived deepest into knowing the tech regularly sell out of his thermals. “It is not the price or technology that holds dealers back—it is the sales, marketing, and product knowledge,” Gale argues. “Geek out on the product, learn it, and you can sell it very effectively.”
So, how do you receive that education? Most night-vision and thermal manufacturers provide in-store sales and educational training, either using their own staffers or via sales rep agencies. PARD, for example, partnered with a 30-person national rep group to support dealer-level needs, including in-store education of staff and consumers. In 2023, PARD also introduced a series of informational videos on topics such as the difference between NV and Thermal and optical versus digital zooms and many more related tech topics (pard.com/support/video-collection). “All of this is provided free of charge to any retailer that finds value in it to use on their website or in their shop,” says Cole.
Armasight recently launched its Night Vision University (armasight.com/night-vision-university) and Thermal University (armasight.com/thermal-university) websites. Both offer numerous articles that explain the respective technologies. They also feature examinations of individual units, their capabilities, and specifications.
Armasight's PVS14 night-vision monocular mounted to a Team Wendy Helmet.
In-Store Help
In addition to its extensive online educational resources, PARD USA offers a full catalog of spec sheets and product comparison sheets as in-store sales aids. PARD USA also aids its dealers when introducing new products or upgrades. Last year, the company rolled out a line of upgraded thermal units.
“We supported this launch with a 100-percent product switch-out commitment at the retail level,” Cole says. “We also issued authorization for retail partners to submit a claim for price protection on the new devices that were priced below our original offerings. Big margins for the dealer, no liabilities on product transition, and lower retail prices for the consumer.”
Armasight supplies its dealers with in-store sales training, plus product literature and display stands. The company and its dealers follow a MAP policy, and Armasight does co-op advertising with its larger dealers.
At iRAY USA, “We have a program called ‘iRayBucks,’ where salespeople can earn credit toward a unit of their own,” says Gale. “Similar to airline miles, ‘Bucks’ build up and then can be redeemed through iRayUSA. Nothing beats selling from first-hand experience and personally owning and using the models you sell.”
Fusion is a newer entrant to the thermal market, offering scopes that feature the company’s intuitive three-button control system and an amazing clip-on unit, the Recon 55XR. “Preferably, we like to be onsite in our dealer partner's store,” says Chris Wisecarver, president of Fusion Thermal. “We want to work behind the counter with the sales team. When they hear what we have to say to their customers about our products, they come away not only with better product understanding, but also the knowledge of how to sell the products.”
In addition, Fusion offers a full complement of literature ranging from catalogs to product specific brochures. “In a digital format, we also provide a counter sales tool that empowers even the freshest face behind the counter a step-by-step quick-reference guide on how to sell our thermals, from the user interface to the deepest tech information,” he adds. “We are expanding our point-of-sale tools this year to include counter mats and stylized and branded scope stands.”
iRay’s HYH75W low-distortion eyepiece and a 1.03-inch large-format 2560×1920 AMOLED display provides comfortable viewing as a dedicated sight while still maintaining the pixel density and resolution required for use as a thermal clip-on.
Sales Pitch
“The beautiful thing about thermal is that it sells itself,” says Wisecarver. “You just need to turn it on and hand it to a customer. There is nothing else in your store that will make as dramatic a product demonstration as a thermal scope. It's nearly impossible to find someone who doesn't want one after they look through one.
“When I work with a dealer, I always have a thermal turned on. When a customer walks over to the gun counter, I say, ‘Want to see something really cool?’ and hand him the scope. If he's never looked through a thermal, it will blow him away.
“Even if that particular shopper does not buy, he will 100-percent be telling his friends about the cool thermal scope he saw in your store. The wave of interest and sales that follow using this simple technique is nothing short of amazing.”
One Fusion dealer, Texas Guns & Gear (texangunsandgear.com) in Stephenville, Texas, always has an MSR or two on display with thermal scopes mounted on the rifles. The display alone attracts attention. The shop will also give customers a bargain price on the rifles for a thermal-rifle combo sale. The relative few dollars lost by the rifle’s low price is more than made up on the thermal profit margins.
The Avenger 55XR scope from Fusion Thermal, a newer entry into the market.
Ease of Use
If you think that some customers are going to be intimidated and may assume they need to be a computer science Ph.D. to effectively use and understand night vision and thermal, you need to understand this assumption is simply not true. If a customer can navigate the functions and apps on their cell phone, he or she can learn and use today’s thermal and night-vision units, which are easier to operate than ever before.
True, it wasn’t always this way. Initially, zeroing a thermal scope was often an exercise in extreme acid reflux for this writer. The instructions were confusing when not outright contradictory, and the the controls hard to manipulate. Every thermal scope I’ve used in the last couple years, though, possesses what is basically a one-shot zeroing system. Meanwhile, menu controls have gone to turrets that are more intuitive than the hard-to-feel button pads of the past.
Simplification has also come to the other functions like changing to different reticles for the scope models to taking video and photos to adjusting image quality. Having your customers make a few such adjustments at the counter will remove many tech-based fears.
A Marketing Surge
These same companies are branding and marketing at a high level.
They are responsible for a noticeable surge of advertising on print and online platforms. They host numerous media events like demonstrations and hunts to generate content and work directly with social media influencers.
Social media has become a huge driver of night hunting, too. Night hunting groups are very popular on Facebook, for example, where they share hundreds of hunt videos with their members.
Yes, it’s kind of chaotic out there in this Wild West of Nighttime Technology. But units are selling like never before, with independent retailers cashing in with impressive profits. It all takes time and commitment, but then what doesn’t?
An Armasight Contractor 320 mounted on a Henry lever action helped the author take down this Texas hog.
Online Sales: One Company’s Experience
Strictly Offensive Kit (SOK) is an online dealer offering night-vision and thermal units made by Armasight and others. Preston Walls launched SOK as an online business in 2021, and this entrepreneur is experiencing amazing growth.
“My business has really launched itself in a big way this year,” says Walls. “We're on pace to at least double 2023 revenues.”
Walls spent many hours building up the business, which has coincided with an ever-expanding interest in the technologies SOK offers.
“My opinion is that people are accustomed to the Amazon Prime mentality—got to have it now,” Walls says. “The way we support this is through superior customer service and a grace period for product returns free of charge, so long as it's returned in the same condition received. It is costly to our business, but it's the right thing to do.
“My number one goal is to talk to every single customer before they transact with us. SOK freely shares tribal knowledge and first-hand experience, free of charge, to ensure the customer has the best information available prior to spending their hard-earned dollars. This prevents product returns and ensures the solution fits their problem statement.”
Top items SOK currently sells include the Armasight Sidekick 640 Mini Thermal Monocular and the DJI Mavic 3 Thermal Drone.
Night Vision Versus Thermal
Often “night vision” and “thermal” are used interchangeably to describe units that can help people “see” in low- to no-light conditions. Yet, in fact, they represent two very different technologies.
Thermal optics are not “optics” in the traditional sense. Essentially digital cameras, thermals identify electromagnetic radiation, what we non-scientists call “heat.” The unit’s front lens detects this heat; that information runs through a digital sensor or “core,” which projects an image to the rear or ocular lens.
Night-vision units, however, intensify the available light using image intensifier tubes or digital sensors to make images visible. That light can be from the stars or moon, streetlights, or other sources like infrared illumination.
Given these requirements, night vision doesn’t work in complete and utter darkness. It needs some sort of light or infrared help. Night vision also can’t be used during daylight hours, either.
Thermal can operate during the day. But certain environmental conditions, like high humidity and very dusty air, can degrade the images seen through a unit and reduce detection range.
By knowing the capabilities of the two technologies, as well as the pros and cons for specific uses, a retailer can effectively direct customers to the best units for the desired uses.