Several mentions of Amazon and online retailing, but none of the fact that Sports Authoity dropped their firearms department several years ago. Meanwhile Academy Sports has a large firearms department and seems to be doing OK.
I think both things are important factors.
Slightly OT, but that reminds me of something humorous that happened to me way back when.
I bought a new Browning 12 ga. A-5 at Sports Authority back in the mid '90s. Their policy was that a store employee had to walk boxed firearms to the exterior door prior to handing them over to the purchaser.
The person who was doing the task was, shall we say, a bit tomboyish. No, a LOT tomboyish, if you get my drift. Anyway, I had my young old son with me and right at the crowded cash registers he piped up in that piercing 4 year old voice - "Dad! Why does that man have your gun?"
LOL.