Dairyland Peach Sections Business Profile 2019 | Page 11

Dairyland Peach Business Profile 2019, Page 11
Osakis General Store/Guns Galore LLC
“Everything outdoors” is the motto Gregg and Judi
Anderson claim with their hometown business, Osa-
kis General Store and Guns Galore, located at 204
Central Avenue, Osakis.
The business has evolved over the past 30-plus
years, when Gregg was originally the pharmacist/
owner of the Gillis Drug on Main Street and Cen-
tral Avenue. In 1987, several years into the pharma-
cy-drugstore business, Gregg saw the need to open a
hardware store in the community. The need and the
focus later shifted to become the General Store, which
has now evolved into a sporting goods shop featuring
hunting and fishing supplies and accessories.
Guns Galore LLC is located within the General
Store and features a full line of handguns, rifles, ARs,
muzzle loaders and shotguns. Guns Galore has more
than 900 new and used guns on display, including
about 100 used handguns and long guns.
Guns Galore stocks ammunition and accessories,
gun cleaning supplies, holsters, magazines, targets,
muzzle loader accessories, reloading supplies and op-
ticals. Scope installation is free with the purchase of
the scope at Guns Galore. Only the better scopes are
for sale, including those manufactured by Leupold,
Nikon, Vortex and Redfield, which come with a life-
time guarantee.
Judi Anderson and her husband, Gregg, make
the General Store and Guns Galore a fun place
for all who enter their doors.
Guns Galore is a direct gun buyer from Winchester
and Browning and a stocking dealer with Glock and
Smith & Wesson.
In addition, the store hosts permit to carry classes
one Saturday each month with seasoned instructor
Jerry Pommerenke.
Anglers find the General Store a one-stop shop,
starting with fishing licenses.
Leeches, Waxies, angleworms and night crawlers,
suckers, shiners, fatheads and crappie minnows are
available in the live bait department.
For the sportsman, General Store also has game
calls, scents and reloading supplies in stock.
The Andersons are very committed to conserva-
tion. They have personally put about 40 acres of their
home property in CRP buffer strips along the Sauk
River, as well as the Conservation Reserve Program
to maintain wildlife habitat.
Gregg is a committee member of the local chapter
of Ducks Unlimited, and has been a life-sponsor for
the past 30 years. He is also a member of the Alex-
andria Pheasants Forever Chapter, and a sponsor of
their banquet.
The business provides firearms for many fundrais-
ing banquets and raffles in the area for schools, re-
gional firefighters and non-profit organizations like
Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Northwest
Turkey Federation, Elk Breeders, Muskies Unlimited,
etc.
They also order in trap loads in bulk for use by the
expanding high school trap shooting leagues, in order
to provide better pricing to the districts.
General Store and Guns Galore offers very person-
al customer service.
“Our staff is knowledgeable,” Gregg said. “They’re
all sportsmen and sportswomen, hunters and fisher-
men. Our staff knows what people are asking for and
they know what works. That advice component is
something people really value.”
A visit to the General Store and Guns Galore web-
site is almost as much fun as visiting the store in per-
son.
Search osakisgeneralstore.com for important in-
formation including dates and registration forms for
the permit to carry classes, as well as local events and
sales.
One section of the website features the “Brag
Book,” with photos of local sportsmen, women and
children, with their big buck or big fish.
“Absolutely anyone can brag on our site,” Judi
said. “I guarantee you though, once they set foot in
the store, they become a customer. It’s not unusual
for people to bring in their phones and show off their
game. I give them my email and tell them to email me
the pictures. Then I’ll put them on the Brag Book.
People who are sportsmen and women are kindred
spirits, and enjoy sharing their successful hunting and
fishing stories with one another.”
After 30 years, Gregg and Judi are contemplating
Gregg Anderson started the General Store in
Osakis in 1987. He enjoys it so much, when re-
tirement comes, he’d love to stay on part-time.
retirement, and putting the General Store and Guns
Galore up for sale. Judi retired in June from her po-
sition at Alexandria Technical and Community Col-
lege. Their children are grown and they are thinking
about doing a bit of traveling.
Gregg hedges, though, hoping to work part-time
at the General Store and Guns Galore after a sale is
finalized.
Business hours at the General Store and Guns Ga-
lore are Monday - Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and
Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call the General Store
at [phone] or Guns Galore at [phone],
for more information.
OSAKIS
GENERAL STORE
AND GUNS GALORE
204 Central Ave. • Osakis, MN
[phone]
www.osakisgeneralstore.com