T.REX TALK - Black Friday Wrap-Up Q&A

Published on December 8, 2021
Duration: 75:34

This T.REX TALK episode provides a comprehensive post-mortem of T.REX ARMS' Black Friday sale, detailing operational challenges, lessons learned, and future plans. The discussion covers significant sales volume, supply chain bottlenecks, customer service efforts, and manufacturing efficiency improvements. Insights are shared on topics ranging from reloading 300 Blackout to the future of night vision technology and the complexities of firearm manufacturing.

Quick Summary

T.REX ARMS experienced its largest Black Friday sale ever, facing challenges with unprecedented order volume and supply chain bottlenecks for materials like nylon and elastic. They managed by increasing stock, offering deeper discounts, and improving production efficiency, while also highlighting the importance of backup financial systems and addressing customer inquiries about lead times.

Chapters

  1. 04:53Welcome & Black Friday Recap
  2. 05:34Department Shout-Outs
  3. 06:32Early T.REX Work Experience
  4. 07:14Black Friday Sale Scale & Surprises
  5. 08:03Backup Credit Card Processor
  6. 09:28Defining a 'Big' Black Friday Sale
  7. 09:56Market Shortages Impacting Sales
  8. 10:36Food Impacting Processing? (Humor)
  9. 11:01Lead Time Inquiries & Website Clarity
  10. 11:30Retail vs. Made-to-Order Lead Times
  11. 12:08Discount Policies & Pre-Orders
  12. 12:39Shipping Station Bottlenecks
  13. 13:02Current Lead Times (Retail & Holster)
  14. 13:24Random Shipping Issues & U-Haul Use
  15. 14:18Post Office Delivery Limitations
  16. 14:39Potential External Factors Affecting Shipping
  17. 14:48Holster with O-Light Inquiry
  18. 14:56Sales Prediction Algorithms
  19. 15:36External Factors in Sales Forecasting
  20. 15:46Mars Carriers Discount Strategy
  21. 16:00Production Load Balancing
  22. 16:23Catching Up on Post-Sale Orders
  23. 16:44Mustard Yellow 1911 Holster Question
  24. 17:12Ready Rigs ETA & Waitlists
  25. 17:45AC1s and L210s Sales Performance
  26. 18:17Hiring Extra Help for Black Friday
  27. 19:57Company Complexity & Training Needs
  28. 20:10Mount Types (Picatinny, M-Lok, Weaver)
  29. 20:40Christmas Sale Plans
  30. 20:53Black Friday Cancellation Rumors
  31. 21:10Keymod vs. M-Lok Discussion
  32. 21:42Order Status Inquiries & Holiday Gifts
  33. 22:02Worst Time to Ask Order Status
  34. 22:16Delivery Service Onboarding (Amazon, UPS)
  35. 22:37Holiday vs. Christmas Terminology
  36. 23:51Merry Christmas & Future Discussions
  37. 24:04UPS Holiday Hiring Practices
  38. 24:48Priority Mail vs. First Class Issues
  39. 25:01US Postal Service Issues
  40. 25:10Company Christmas Party Plans
  41. 25:44Biggest Supply Chain Bottleneck (Nylon/Elastic)
  42. 26:07Nylon Shortage & Resin Shortage Impact
  43. 26:18Resin Shortage & Holster Mold Material
  44. 26:505.56 Reloading Viability
  45. 27:00300 Blackout Reloading Benefits
  46. 27:54Black Friday Order Shipping Speed
  47. 28:31Isaac's Signatures on Holsters
  48. 29:19Lora/Mesh Network Comms Progress
  49. 30:50Dead Space Remastered Stream Request
  50. 31:00Retro Gaming with Kids
  51. 31:31Public Events & Meetups
  52. 32:05T.REX Arms Presence at Events
  53. 32:22Political Rally Ideas
  54. 32:38Sharpie Writing on Holsters (Production Numbers)
  55. 33:21Location: Tennessee
  56. 33:27Playing Command & Conquer with Kids
  57. 33:56XCOM Game Recommendation
  58. 34:10Christmas Sales (PLC, Armor)
  59. 34:31Huntsville Event Potential
  60. 34:44Space Center Visit Idea
  61. 34:55Black Friday as a System Stress Test
  62. 35:40Sidecar Production System Improvements
  63. 36:33Cloud Defensive Pistol Light Excitement
  64. 37:17Various Reef Stocks Discussion
  65. 37:25Volume Increase vs. Margin Loss
  66. 38:42Isaac is Lucas's Brother
  67. 39:00Hesco L210 Plate Expiration Date
  68. 40:36Armor Plate Warranty Period
  69. 41:40Tabletop CNC Machine Suggestions (Soft Aluminum)
  70. 42:04Lucas's Eye Healing Progress
  71. 42:33Glock 20 Sidecar Plans (Large Frame Glocks)
  72. 42:49Glock Parts Equality Discussion
  73. 43:11Brownells BRN-180 Thoughts
  74. 43:21Beretta 92 Sidecar Release Update
  75. 44:15Shoulder Rig Holster ETA
  76. 44:41Beretta Factory Visit & Manufacturing
  77. 47:20Firearm Industry Obstacles & Innovation
  78. 48:11T.REX Arms Aspirations (Private Company)
  79. 48:45Glock Parts Quality Comparison
  80. 49:45Lead Time Normalization & Shipping
  81. 50:05Aimpoint Acro Sales Plans
  82. 50:23Suppressors as NFA Items
  83. 51:02Open Source Defense Article on Suppressors
  84. 52:08Open Source Defense Newsletter Recommendation
  85. 52:20Technology Accessibility & Disruption
  86. 53:51E-Bike Developments for Maneuver Warfare
  87. 55:08Garand Thumb Podcast Conversation
  88. 55:30Survival Stuff & Cold Weather Dislike
  89. 56:00E-Bike & Electrical Scout Vehicle Plans
  90. 56:30Silencer Central & E-File Form 4
  91. 56:36What Would Stoner Do 2020 Rifle
  92. 57:38Age & Cold Weather Tolerance
  93. 58:01Red Beard Tactical & Korean War Lessons
  94. 58:30Tennessee Cold vs. Snow
  95. 58:45Christmas Trip to Colorado
  96. 59:05Poly Lower Manufacturing (Katy Arms)
  97. 59:10Why People Dislike the MRO Optic
  98. 59:21Random Questions & Topics
  99. 59:21Night Vision for 'Peasants'
  100. 60:02Podcast Exclusive: How Night Vision is Made
  101. 60:24Digital Night Vision Arrival & Evolution
  102. 60:44Psionics Aurora Night Vision Device
  103. 61:39Analog vs. Digital Night Vision Value
  104. 62:30Analog Tube Availability & Government Demand
  105. 62:54T.REX ARMS Improvement Areas for 2022
  106. 63:11Company Identity & Strategic Planning
  107. 64:53Company Culture & Vehicle Analogy
  108. 66:00Big vs. Small Company Diversification
  109. 66:33T.REX ARMS as a Small Company
  110. 66:36Future Goals: Holsters, Accessories, Improvements
  111. 67:07Plate Carriers & AC1 Production
  112. 67:37Educational Mission & Cultural Impact
  113. 68:02Holster Manufacturing & Responsible Carry
  114. 68:25Manufacturing in Small Spaces & Towns
  115. 68:39Bringing Manufacturing Back & Decentralization
  116. 69:02Beretta Factory Educational Tours
  117. 70:07David Bodkin & Five Pillars of Statism
  118. 70:40Pushing Back Against State Monopoly of Force
  119. 71:14Lessons Learned from 2021 & 2022
  120. 71:37Sidecar 2 Production Lessons
  121. 71:46Nylon Industry Lessons
  122. 72:00Appreciation for Customer Support
  123. 72:23Support Beyond Purchases (Ideas, Input)
  124. 72:44Newsletter Subscriber Loyalty
  125. 73:05Tremendous Encouragement from Support
  126. 73:11Potential for Platform De-platforming
  127. 73:34End of Stream

Frequently Asked Questions

What were the main challenges faced by T.REX ARMS during their Black Friday sale?

T.REX ARMS faced significant challenges during their Black Friday sale, including unprecedented order volume, supply chain bottlenecks for materials like nylon and elastic, and carrier delays impacting shipping times. They also had to manage production load balancing and ensure customer service could handle the influx of inquiries.

How did T.REX ARMS prepare for and manage the high volume of their Black Friday sale?

T.REX ARMS prepared by increasing stock, offering deeper sales, and ensuring they had a backup credit card processor. They also focused on production efficiency, with teams working overtime, and utilized a stress-test approach to identify and improve system weaknesses, such as implementing motorized conveyors for holster production.

What are the current lead times for T.REX ARMS products?

As of the discussion, retail items had lead times of 5-10 business days, while holsters had lead times of 1-5 weeks. These times were being actively reduced, but shipping was still impacted by carrier bottlenecks and the sheer volume of orders post-sale.

What are the key supply chain issues affecting T.REX ARMS?

The primary supply chain issues involve nylon-related products and elastic, exacerbated by shortages in both nylon and resin. This has impacted the production of items like plate carriers and cummerbunds, and even affected the quality of materials used for holster molds.

What is the outlook for digital night vision technology?

Digital night vision is expected to significantly improve in quality and become more affordable within the next 3-4 years. While current analog night vision is still viable and holds value, future digital advancements promise better performance and mass-producibility.

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