Jay Leno once said that taking a hunting trip with Dick Cheney might not be on everybody’s bucket list.
But visiting the new Valley Firearms storefront on Bay Avenue should be.
The Urquhart family recently moved their shop from their home in the Pend d’Oreille into the downtown core. Their goal is to encourage more foot traffic.
On Saturday the grand opening sale at 1281 Bay Ave. will feature Sako and Baretta shotguns, Benelli semi automatic firearms, Jikka rifles and much more.
“We’re opening at 9 a.m. and it’s limited to quantity,” said John Urquhart Jr. “So it’s limited to first come, first serve.”
But what’s new only starts with the renovated store front. Valley Firearms has broadened its horizon by stocking fishing and camping supplies, dried foods and hiking boots.
“Next year we’ll probably get into tents,” Uruqhart said. “Who knows where we’ll go next? We purchased this building with the intent that we could use upstairs to double in size if we need to.
“It just depends on what customers feel they need in the area and we can expand and go that way.”
The Urquharts are looking for customer feedback to see which way to gear the new storefront, and to which demographic. Urquhart said the fairer sex is “the fastest growing demographic in all of the hunting and shooting sports.”
And there are a variety of reasons why people get into it, he noted.
“For some it’s a new challenge, some it’s for a safe food alternative to get organic free range, and you can’t get any better than that,” Uruqhart said.
“People want to know where the food on their tables is coming from.”
The store will be open weekly from Tuesday to Saturday between 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For more information call 250-364-2242 or 1-866-785-2246.