Women and guns
Business week has a piece on how gun makers are trying to appeal to womenfolk:
Manufacturers are tweaking their products and changing how they approach the burgeoning female market, which is estimated to be worth at least $285 million this year in firearm sales alone. Gunmakers will display their new wares Friday through Sunday in Milwaukee, where at least 50,000 people are expected to attend the National Rifle Association’s annual convention.
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Women make up 15 percent of the marketplace when it comes to shooting sports and hunting, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the shooting, hunting and firearms industry. Participation in hunting and target shooting has risen 50 percent to 6.3 million women from 1999 to 2004, the group said.
Women will spend at least $285 million on firearms this year, the group said, plus at least $135 million on ammunition, accessories and hunting equipment. It’s a small drop in the entire market, which was worth $2.8 billion in 2004, but manufacturers believe it’s worth pursuing, said group spokesman Steve Wagner.
