Ohio-based Fin, Feather, Fur Outfitters closes over COVID-19 threat

In an unprecedented move, the Ashland, Ohio-based Fin, Feather, Fur Outfitters has closed the chain’s six stores during the coronavirus crisis.

The announcement came Saturday evening in an emotional four-minute and 17-second YouTube video by Mike Goschenisk, the firm’s founder and president-CEO.

Fin, Feather, Fur is arguably the largest firearms and ammunition in northern Ohio, if not the entire state. As a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the ratcheting of activities that people do – or allowed to do – along with fears of a social order break-down, a run on firearms and ammunition is sweeping the country.

This stampede is particularly evident with ammunition supplies of popular self-defense handgun and rifle caliber rounds have paralleled those of hard-to-find bottles of disinfectant spray and toilet paper.

Using his Wooster store’s firearms room as the video’s backdrop, Goschenick explains his reasoning.

He starts with a very short history of Fins’ genesis, and then emotionally recounts that as a 19year-old he “made a bad decision” that cost his best friend his life. Goschenick stops for brief periods as he collects his obviously strained emotions.

Using that as a catapult to explain the chain’s temporary closing, Goschenick said the stores have, during this COVID-19 crisis, “crushed’ every sales record for the firm. This, as potential buyers that numbered up to 400 at a time stood in lines “for hours” just to enter the establishments.

That sort of close contact cuts against the local, state and federal guidelines which urges people to practice what-is-being called “social distancing” and also to avoid crowds.

Goschenick said that when he saw on the news how four members of the same New Jersey died from the virus, a reflection of what’s truly important came to the forefront.

“I need to make sure that I make the right decision now,” Goschenick says in his You Tube video, “and the right decision was how we can take care of my employees.”

In going further, Goschenick said he doubts he could look himself in the eye should an employee or an employee’s family member were to succumb to COVID-19 “because I kept the stores opened, continued to wait on customers.”

“Sooner or later, someone was going to pay the price,” he said.

Goschenick did say he was sorry “for the suddenness” of the closing, adding that the store will begin calling customers with back-ordered firearms. The store will offer refunds on credit card purchases, if the customer prefers. Goschenick said.

“It’s not about making money. It’s not about using your guns and ammunition. It’s about how do we save lives. How do we save your families’ lives, and how we can save our employees’ lives,” Goschenick said. “I hope you’ll understand this in the future.”

Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s did not respond last week for that duel-chains’ comments regarding potential v=COVID-19-associated activities or store closings. Only Bass Pro Shop’s Pennsylvania store is shuttered as a result of that state’s gubernatorial order for the closure of all non-essential businesses.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com