Airsoft Action 04 - Xmas 2011 | Page 87

INSIDE AIRSOFT JD AIRSOFT The JD team: Tony, Phil, Joseph and Ross Airsoft Action visited JD Airsoft in Cannock, and owner Phil Corns gave us the lowdown on the company and where it’s headed J D Airsoft is a relatively small shop in Staffordshire – but it’s still a Mecca for airsofters. More than 160 guns hang on the walls and boxes upon boxes of guns are stacked throughout the shop. But it was very different in January this year, when JD Airsoft was in a dire position. Owner Phil Corns readily admits that it looked for a while like the shop would be forced to close. Twelve months on, though, and the company is in the midst of finding bigger premises to keep up with the levels of stock it needs to hold to meet demand. A change in business tactics has reversed JD Airsoft’s fortunes – and the next step is to establish the company as a premier airsoft superstore. The Staffordshire-based retailer has some 165 guns on its walls, probably more than any other shop in the UK. By buying huge quantities of guns direct from manufacturers the company has cut its prices on certain popular products, such as the G&P Magpul MOE (see our Xmas Gift Guide on p49!), which JD sells for £300. For those that don’t know, JD Airsoft is the third name the company has traded under. Originally known as Airsoft Armoury Midlands, Phil and his ex business partner soon decided to go it alone. Together they formed 6Mil Airsoft. Unfortunately the VCR Act hit the company hard – sales dropped by 50 per cent overnight once the bill came into effect. After splitting from his partner Phil rebranded the company JD Airsoft (‘JD’ is his son’s initials). Now the company has just about managed to shed its reputation as 6Mil – with good reason. “When we changed the name we changed our whole business ethos. At that point we started buying stock in much bigger quantities - in January this year we spent literally every penny we had on guns and accessories. Once we’d sold them we www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 087