Your weekly dose of innovation, inspiration, and insights.

Welcome to This Week’s coreWEEKLY!

It’s Black Friday season—the Super Bowl of sales—and we’re here to equip you with the tools, insights, and strategies to help you crush it this year! Whether you’re looking to maximize sales, engage customers, or roll into the holiday shopping season with serious momentum, Coreware has you covered.

We’re kicking things off with this week’s blog, Black Friday: A Golden Opportunity for Retailers in the Firearms Industry. Did you know Black Friday started as a term to describe chaotic Philadelphia traffic? In the blog, we dive into the history and significance of Black Friday and share actionable tips for making this holiday season your strongest yet.

To help you get prepped, we’ve included two timely Help Desk articles: coreSTORE - Sales: Tiered Discounts for Black Friday Sales and coreSTORE - Sales: Creating Flash Sales for Black Friday (Example). These guides will ensure you’re ready before the holiday sales rush begins.

Next up is the latest episode of Compliance COREner, where Tony discusses a recent executive order on school security preparedness and highlights a court case surrounding Glock switches and the 3D printing of guns and parts. Compliance never takes a holiday, and we’re here to keep you informed.

If you haven’t already, check out the replay of our webinar, Black Friday Boot Camp. Josh Okey dives deep into how to leverage coreSTORE for Black Friday success. This is a must-watch for anyone looking to level up their holiday sales game.

We’re also continuing our Fraud Prevention Tips series this week. Fraudsters don’t take time off, especially during the holidays, so we’re sharing actionable advice to help you stay ahead and protect your business.

Of course, we couldn’t forget to highlight one of our glowing 5-Star Google Reviews. These reviews fuel our passion and commitment to making Coreware solutions the best they can be—so thank you to our amazing customers!

Lastly, don’t miss our coreARCHIVE. Past editions of coreWEEKLY are packed with valuable insights, tips, and tools. Just because they’re older doesn’t mean they’re any less useful—check them out!

We’re not done with Black Friday prep just yet—stay tuned for more Black Friday Boot Camp sessions where we’ll keep sharing insights to help you make the most of this holiday shopping season. Let’s make this your most successful Black Friday yet!

Cheers,
The Coreware Team

Latest From The Blog

Black Friday: A Golden Opportunity for Retailers in the Firearms Industry

As the holiday season approaches, one day stands out for retailers: Black Friday. This shopping extravaganza has become synonymous with massive sales, crowded stores, and early-morning lines of eager customers seeking the best deals. For business owners, especially in competitive fields like firearms retail, Black Friday is not just another sales day—it’s a powerful revenue booster and the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

This article explores the history of Black Friday, its significance for retailers, and creative strategies to help firearms retailers make the most of this critical day. By building momentum and leveraging Black Friday’s unique opportunities, retailers can set themselves up for a strong start to the holiday season. For those ready to supercharge their efforts, Coreware offers resources like the Black Friday Boot Camp webinar to guide you toward success.

From The Help Desk

coreSTORE - Sales: Tiered Discounts For Black Friday Sales

In this guide, we will cover how to set up tiered discounts in your coreSTORE system for Black Friday. Tiered discounts are highly effective during this sales event as they encourage customers to spend more to reach higher discount levels, ultimately boosting the average sale value for businesses. These discounts cater to various budgets, making promotions accessible to a wider audience while giving shoppers a sense of control over their spending. The structured approach also creates urgency, motivating customers to increase their cart value to unlock better deals—an essential strategy during high-demand sales like Black Friday.

Click on Price Rules

First, navigate to the Price Rules sub-menu located under the Inventory menu in coreSTORE.

coreSTORE - Sales: Creating Flash Sales for Black Friday (Example)

Flash sales are limited-time promotions that create a sense of urgency, driving customers to make quick purchasing decisions. These sales are especially significant during Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, as they offer businesses a competitive edge to attract more customers and boost sales.

Running flash sales allows businesses to clear inventory quickly, increase revenue, and engage with a wider customer base. By offering exclusive, time-sensitive discounts, companies can create excitement, encourage impulse buying, and build brand loyalty. When properly executed, flash sales can significantly enhance customer traffic and maximize profit during peak shopping periods like Black Friday.

Click on Price Rules

First, navigate to the Price Rules sub-menu located under the Inventory menu in coreSTORE.

Compliance COREner

Unpacking the Future of Firearms: Executive Orders, Emerging Threats, and Legal Insights

Dive into the latest episode of Compliance COREner as Joel and Tony tackle the September 2024 executive order targeting "Emergency Firearms Threats" and school safety protocols. Explore how cutting-edge issues like 3D-printed gun parts and legal precedents are reshaping firearms compliance. With insights into the political landscape and the balance between legislation and education, this thought-provoking discussion is a must-watch for anyone navigating the evolving world of firearms regulations. Don’t miss it—stay sharp, stay legal, and stay informed!

🎥 Replay Available: Dive Into Our Black Friday Bootcamp Success Strategies!

Missed our live Black Friday Bootcamp or want to revisit the powerful insights shared? Good news! The replay is now available exclusively in this week's newsletter. Discover the expert strategies we unveiled to maximize your sales with coreSTORE this holiday season. Whether you're fine-tuning last-minute details or planning ahead, these tips will ensure you're fully equipped to tackle the busiest retail days of the year. Watch now and transform your Black Friday approach!

Webinar Recaps:
Watch with Webby by Your Side!

Missed our latest webinar? No worries! Now you can watch the recap whenever it fits your schedule. But here’s the game-changer—meet Webby, your perfect webinar companion. As you watch, Webby is right there with you, ready to answer any questions or provide extra insights on the spot. It’s like having an expert by your side the entire time. Ready to dive in with Webby? Click below to start watching and chatting!

Master Black Friday Sales: Exclusive coreSTORE Course Now Live!

Ready to conquer the busiest shopping day of the year? Enroll in our comprehensive "Black Friday Bootcamp with coreSTORE" course, now available on CoreU. This detailed course provides step-by-step guidance on leveraging coreSTORE to maximize your holiday sales, manage inventory efficiently, and outperform your competition. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to boost your Black Friday strategy. Access the course now and start your journey to retail excellence!

Here are 5 fresh tips to help you protect against fraud this holiday shopping season:

1. Monitor Gift Card Activity Closely

Gift cards are a popular holiday purchase—and a frequent target for fraudsters. Scammers may use stolen credit cards to buy gift cards or attempt to hack accounts to steal card balances.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Set purchase limits for gift cards (e.g., a maximum dollar amount per transaction).

• Monitor for unusual patterns, such as bulk purchases of gift cards or repeated failed payment attempts.

• Require ID verification for large gift card purchases.

2. Beware of Return and Refund Scams

Fraudsters often exploit lenient return policies during the holiday season. This can include returning stolen items for cash or claiming a product was never received to demand a refund.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Require proof of purchase for all returns.

• Use tracking numbers for shipments to confirm delivery.

• Implement store credit or exchange-only policies for certain items or holiday sales.

3. Screen International Orders Carefully

International orders can be more challenging to verify and are often targeted by fraudsters. Shipping expensive items overseas without proper validation increases your risk.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Use address verification services (AVS) to confirm billing addresses.

• Require signature confirmation for international deliveries.

• Set up additional fraud checks for high-value international transactions.

4. Monitor Social Media for Scams

Fraudsters often impersonate brands on social media, creating fake profiles to scam your customers or steal sensitive information.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Regularly search for fake accounts using your business name or logo.

• Report fraudulent profiles to the platform immediately.

• Educate your customers about your official social media handles and warn them not to share sensitive information online.

5. Set Velocity Checks for Transactions

Fraudsters often test stolen credit cards by making multiple small purchases or rapid-fire transactions in a short time. These "velocity attacks" can fly under the radar if you don’t have safeguards in place.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Implement velocity checks that flag transactions if too many occur within a short time.

• Set limits on the number of transactions allowed per account or credit card within a day.

• Use fraud detection tools that monitor unusual patterns in real-time.

By staying proactive and implementing these fraud prevention strategies, retailers can minimize risks while focusing on providing a seamless shopping experience for their customers this holiday season.