Gander Mountain Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

[Woody's Workshop]

32 locations set to close it's doors
You can read more "HERE"

 

[TangoJuliet]

We had one open in Mobile about two years ago. I went in once just to see what it was. I'm not a hunter or fisher so none of those items appealed to me. I do enjoy camping, but what I saw all looked overpriced to me. I spoke to a friend last week who told me they were closing ours due to the Ch. 11 filing. He's a gun enthusiast, and he said they were overpriced.

 

[Buckeye]

Interesting. Gander Mountain was the first hunting/fishing "superstore" chain that I can recall. Looks like they couldn't keep up after Cabelas and Bass Pro expanded from their catalog operations to include more retail stores.

When I was a kid, it was a thrill to order from the catalog. Cabelas stores are everywhere, now.

 

[markkoelsch]

Even Cabellas is struggling. They are in discussions to sell to another company.

 

[Buckeye]

Even Cabellas is struggling. They are in discussions to sell to another company.

I just read up on this. You are right. Bass Pro. Any brick and mortar business will be in decline, but Cabela's online business is also struggling - double whammy. I was surprised to see that. Eventually, Amazon will be the only retailer of everything!

 

[jd2cylman]

I just read up on this. You are right. Bass Pro. Any brick and mortar business will be in decline, but Cabela's online business is also struggling - double whammy. I was surprised to see that. Eventually, Amazon will be the only retailer of everything!

I saw some Snap On tools on Amazon the other day. Must have been a private seller ( I hope). I didn't look too close. But, yeah, you can get almost everything there nowadays...

 

[markkoelsch]

I just read up on this. You are right. Bass Pro. Any brick and mortar business will be in decline, but Cabela's online business is also struggling - double whammy. I was surprised to see that. Eventually, Amazon will be the only retailer of everything!

It is a shame as I really like Cabellas

 

[pyrobob]

I thought it was already a done deal be apparently not, Bass Pro has been working to acquire Cabelas for a while now: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bass-pro-shops-to-acquire-cabelas-1475500278

The one Gander Mountain I've been in was really nice and had a large selection of everything outdoors. As other have mentioned though, their pricing seemed out of line with other brick and mortars.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

I think Sportsman's Guide has taken a lot of there business.
I know I get email deals from all 3, and none compare to Sportsman's Guide.
When ever I look at stuff, mostly clothing, it's not made here.
Knowing that, the price is way out of line.
If I have to resort to buying foreign made stuff, I want to get it as cheap as I can.
I'd buy mostly from Duluth Trading, but the little bit I have to spend on clothing I can't afford it. Maybe someday.
I think the root problem is when things were good, the corporate heads got use to the big salaries and bonus'.
When things tapered off, they still kept up the same ideal.
And you just can't do that in slower times.

 

[Nytrunner]

If Bass Pro buys Cabelas, maybe they'll start to carry Goex and I won't have to drive an hour and a half to find some.

 

[CaptainVideo]

I just read up on this. You are right. Bass Pro. Any brick and mortar business will be in decline, but Cabela's online business is also struggling - double whammy. I was surprised to see that. Eventually, Amazon will be the only retailer of everything!

I certainly hope NOT!!!! One of my other hobbies is airguns and Amazon won't ship those to my state even though it is NOT illegal to do so! Very annoying, competition is the only answer for problems like this.

 

[Cl(VII)]

If you can pick up a Gander Mountain Mojo cot on clearance you should. As comfortable as a cot can be in my opinion. We even use them as guest beds when people come to town.

 

[Buckeye]

I think Sportsman's Guide has taken a lot of there business.
I know I get email deals from all 3, and none compare to Sportsman's Guide.
When ever I look at stuff, mostly clothing, it's not made here.
.

I never heard of Sportsman Guide, but I will keep my eye out for them.

65% of clothing sold in the USA is not "made" here, if you mean final assembly. However, a lot of the R&D, design, and engineering is done in the US.

I think Cabela's-branded clothing is a good buy for the performance. I have a lot of it for fishing, backpacking, and traveling. My $89 rain jacket works just as good or better than that $400 shell from the fancy places like Northface. I hope BassPro keeps the clothing line going.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

I never heard of Sportsman Guide, but I will keep my eye out for them.

"Sportsman Guide"
The membership fee is worth it.
I saved more than the fee on my first order of 3 pair of pants and 3 shirts.
All to accommodate my sudden weight gain.

 

[Banzai88]

Meh, Gander Mountain. In the Mid-Atlantic region, at least, they've ALWAYS been over priced compared to Cabelas or Bass Pro. The one that they opened in Richmond, VA was right between the Bass Pro and Green Top (the local power house in guns/ammo), and they lost out BIG TIME in no time flat.

I had thought that Bass Pro buying out Cabelas was a done deal, maybe it's not. In any case, if Cabelas goes the Wal Mart way of Bass Pro, won't really be much reason to go back. Bass Pro has nice fishing gear, but everything else is over priced foreign made cheap crap that you'll be lucky to get a season out of. Keep your receipt, you'll need it!

I do a LOT of western high country hunting (Colorado, Wyoming) and grass land prairie dog shooting (South Dakota), and the only gear that's lasted more than one trip has come from Cabelas. It might cost a little more, but if each hunt or excursion is the trip of a lifetime, Bass Pro gear has failed me in the field at every turn. If Bass Pro takes over the procurement chain and Bass Pro's Cabelas to slightly cheaper prices because of cheaply made crap, then mail order direct to the manufacturers or through Amazon will be the only hope.

 

[Peartree]

Meh, Gander Mountain. In the Mid-Atlantic region, at least, they've ALWAYS been over priced compared to Cabelas or Bass Pro. The one that they opened in Richmond, VA was right between the Bass Pro and Green Top (the local power house in guns/ammo), and they lost out BIG TIME in no time flat.

I had thought that Bass Pro buying out Cabelas was a done deal, maybe it's not. In any case, if Cabelas goes the Wal Mart way of Bass Pro, won't really be much reason to go back. Bass Pro has nice fishing gear, but everything else is over priced foreign made cheap crap that you'll be lucky to get a season out of. Keep your receipt, you'll need it!

I do a LOT of western high country hunting (Colorado, Wyoming) and grass land prairie dog shooting (South Dakota), and the only gear that's lasted more than one trip has come from Cabelas. It might cost a little more, but if each hunt or excursion is the trip of a lifetime, Bass Pro gear has failed me in the field at every turn. If Bass Pro takes over the procurement chain and Bass Pro's Cabelas to slightly cheaper prices because of cheaply made crap, then mail order direct to the manufacturers or through Amazon will be the only hope.

Yeah, I was surprised to hear that Bass Pro was taking over Cabela's. My son and I have been to both, and both of us thought that Cabela's brick and mortar store was far superior in terms of ambiance, selection, and overall customer experience. Unless you want to buy a boat, then Bass Pro had more, otherwise the edge went to Cabela's in a big way.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

You ever look down the side of one of Bass Pro's Aluminum boats?
Wavier than the lake than their on.
Not sure about the glass boats, but the aluminum ones aren't pretty.

 

[KarlS]

There is another store in the mix in our area: Field & Stream. They opened two new stores in the last 3 years in the greater Cincinnati area. They are smaller than either Cabela's or Bass Pro.

 

[JRL303]

Yeah, I was surprised to hear that Bass Pro was taking over Cabela's. My son and I have been to both, and both of us thought that Cabela's brick and mortar store was far superior in terms of ambiance, selection, and overall customer experience. Unless you want to buy a boat, then Bass Pro had more, otherwise the edge went to Cabela's in a big way.

Interesting. My experience here in Denver has been the complete opposite.

 

[Peartree]

Interesting. My experience here in Denver has been the complete opposite.

In fairness, we've only been to one Bass Pro (in Missouri near where we stayed for NARAM) and two Cabela's (in Southern Michigan near Toledo, and in West Virginia near the Ohio River on I-70).

 

[rharshberger]

Honestly I prefer both Bass Pros and Cabelas catalogs to the actual stores. Both have very nice locations but the catalog gives me the options to comparison shop. I have visted 5 Cabelas, 3 Bass Pro's, and one Gander Mountain store ( the store in Farragut/Knoxville, TN). Gander seems overpriced since sometime in the 90's, as I used to buy products from them via catalog.

 

[Buckeye]

There is another store in the mix in our area: Field & Stream. They opened two new stores in the last 3 years in the greater Cincinnati area. They are smaller than either Cabela's or Bass Pro.

Yeah, we have one, too, that opened just a year ago. It is a lousy store. Field and Stream wants to be a playa in this market, but they just look like a warmed-over Dick's for outdoor gear.