A one-time auto parts store near the busy crossroads of Main Street and NC Bypass 98 has become the new home of the growing firearms retailer Carolina Gunrunners. The business was formerly located in Falls River Town Center in north Raleigh. “Our new location in Wake Forest is only about 15 minutes from our previous store,” says Michael Jarvi, co-owner of the business.
In its move to Wake Forest early this year, Carolina Gunrunners nearly doubled its space to 5,000 square feet. Founded in 2011, the company sells a wide variety of handguns, shotguns, rifles, ammo, knives, optical gear, and accessories. It does face-to-face sales and maintains significant online promotion. “The biggest advantage is simply the additional space,” according to Jarvi. “We’re now able to house everything under one roof.” Gunrunners, in fact, formerly leased a separate space to house online sales operations and surplus inventory. “At our previous location, we were pretty cramped,” Jarvi says.
Now, Gunrunners’ expanded footprint gives it room to merchandise its products more effectively, making it easier for customers to view and browse the business’s extensive inventory.
The availability of additional space, however, was just one among several factors that led the 15-year-old business to its new location. “Like many of the surrounding communities, Wake Forest is experiencing tremendous growth,” continues Jarvi. “It is one of the fastest-growing communities in North Carolina and also ranks toward the top of the state in median household income.” While such trends are no secret, Jarvi and his team also turned to their own internal data for guidance. “Our own customer database showed that a significant portion of our customers were already coming from the 27587 zip code,” he explains. “So, moving to Wake Forest made a lot of sense for us.”
Jarvi says Town officials have been welcoming. Its interaction with local law enforcement has been especially impressive. “The Wake Forest Police Department has been phenomenal,” he says. Late one night, for example, a product fell from its shelf onto the floor, triggering the company’s alarm system. Officers from the Town of Wake Forest Police Department were on the scene in less than two minutes. “We’ve never experienced a response time anywhere close to that,” Jarvi says. “I can’t say enough good things about our experience with them so far.”…