Bass Pro Shop to buy Cabelas?

[MAT]

The problem with Cabelas is they started out building destination stores. First store in MN was Owatana, about 45 min south from the Twin Cities. Next was Rogers, again a distance from the metro area. I think the idea was you'd go there and buy more stuff because it's not close by and you would spend more time shopping. But it doesn't work today so now they are scrambling to catch up and build stores closer to where people live. My issue is every time I go there to look at something or to try it on they don't have it there. The sales people say we can order it for you, but that completely misses the point of having a retail store!

 

[mtswampfox]

remember when they both came to nw indiana. they put several mom and pops out of business as soon as announced and several more after a short time being built and open. nice atmosphere to shop especially bass pro with the restaurant and bar. clean well lit dumb staff normally not always. they do seen to make money for the stock holders too. like most others do most of my shopping from the keyboard now but would welcome a store here in se ga for the experience.both to me are a big step ahead of dicks. thankfully have a wonderfull small 10% above cost gun store in my area which have used several times, one just last week for a bl22 gr II which is a real hoot to shoot.........

 

[jmez]

We have both a Scheel's ,Cabela's, and Running's in Rapid City and they haven't put any of the mom and pop's out of business.

 

[Dos Perros]

Oh man, Rapid City Cabela's...one time due to some unfortunate circumstances I lost all my gear on my way to Montana for a bird hunting trip. Went into that Cabela's, in late September, and they didn't have any brush pants or bird hunting shirts in my size (32 waist, medium). I had to hunt in Carhart's bought later at a small mom/pop farm supply type place. It's f***ing South Dakota, arguably the bird hunting Mecca of the US, and they didn't have hardly anything for me to buy.

 

[belly-deep]

Oh man, Rapid City Cabela's...one time due to some unfortunate circumstances I lost all my gear on my way to Montana for a bird hunting trip. Went into that Cabela's, in late September, and they didn't have any brush pants or bird hunting shirts in my size (32 waist, medium). I had to hunt in Carhart's bought later at a small mom/pop farm supply type place. It's f***ing South Dakota, arguably the bird hunting Mecca of the US, and they didn't have hardly anything for me to buy.

That seems pretty typical of all the box stores, be it Cabelas, Scheels, or SW. For some reason, the local Scheels only wants to stock a bunch of cheap crappy bird pants with their name on them. For the life of me, I can't figure out why these stores can stock a decent pair of Columbia bird pants/vests/etc.

 

[HJ Handy]

oop

These stores can't be doing too poorly or they wouldn't continue to build new stores. Here in northern Utah Cabelas is building a new store that is less than an hour away from the other store. Sportsmans Warehouse has recently built 3 stores here with another one coming in March. Throw in the Scheels that is in between the two Cabelas stores and the other 3 Sportsmans stores that have been here for a while. I agree that they are all overpriced, but sometimes they'll have good deals/sales. I know for sure that Scheels and Sportsmans both price match and I believe Cabelas does as well although not sure if they'll do online price match. They are all usually pretty busy though, even on weekdays.

Cabelas is like any other big box corporation. They open stores up faster than they can support them and hope for market gain and sales but it hardly pans out the way the corporations want it to. They try to monopolize and corner the market in an area and what happens is one stores profits are paying to support 3 other dead end stores. They are literally robbing peter to pay paul. I rarely purchase much at all from Cabelas or Bass Pro or Sportsmans. Its usually a buy of a small item i cant find anywhere else and they just happen to carry it, like replacement blades for 1" slick tricks. I may make a bargain cave purchase or buy something thats on a hot deal if its something i regularly use. Outside of that the bulk of my business has gone to niche market companies or direct to consumer brands.

One thing i do like about cabelas is you can occasionally find sitka gear in the bargain cave at a decent discount and cheap ammo.

 

[cowboy]

Oh man, Rapid City Cabela's.... It's f***ing South Dakota, arguably the bird hunting Mecca of the US, and they didn't have hardly anything for me to buy.

Don't mean to bust your chops but I assure you that Rapid City or for that matter any of SD west of the Missouri is not the bird hunting Mecca of the US. Now the eastern half of the State is a whole different story when it comes to bird hunting.

 

[belly-deep]

Don't mean to bust your chops but I assure you that Rapid City or for that matter any of SD west of the Missouri is not the bird hunting Mecca of the US. Now the eastern half of the State is a whole different story when it comes to bird hunting.

Guess you haven't been to SoDak on pheasant opener....

 

[ChrisS]

That seems pretty typical of all the box stores, be it Cabelas, Scheels, or SW. For some reason, the local Scheels only wants to stock a bunch of cheap crappy bird pants with their name on them. For the life of me, I can't figure out why these stores can stock a decent pair of Columbia bird pants/vests/etc.

This has been my experience with nearly any big box store. The people ordering the stock seem to rarely know what it is that people in the area use the most, but they have plenty of stuff for fishing styles/species elsewhere. People don't fish for bluecats in NY! Seems like every store gets the same shipment of gear regardless of where they're located.

 

[mtmiller]

Don't mean to bust your chops but I assure you that Rapid City or for that matter any of SD west of the Missouri is not the bird hunting Mecca of the US. Now the eastern half of the State is a whole different story when it comes to bird hunting.

Guess you haven't been to SoDak on pheasant opener....

Agreed, a little exaggerated. Four highest area counts in 2015 were three locations on the River and one west of the Missouri. You can argue Mobridge, Pierre and Chamberlain are along the east bank, but obviously the counts are not only east of the South Dakota "cities".

Also agree, the RC Cabelas is a joke. Better selection at Scheel's IMO.

 

[jmez]

No bird hunting around Rapid City. You needed to stop in the Mitchell store. Tons of bird hunting gear. Cabelas changed their model and started stocking more location specific gear. Entire fly fishing section in Rapid and none in Mitchell. No bird hunting gear in Rapid tons in Mitchell. No Kryptek gear in Mitchell when they were carrying it and the full line in Rapid.

 

[cowboy]

Guess you haven't been to SoDak on pheasant opener....

Born and raised there and still own land 40 miles from the "pheasant capital of the world" - plus went to college in Rapid City. Two different parts of the State.

 

[kodiakfly]

We have both a Scheel's ,Cabela's, and Running's in Rapid City and they haven't put any of the mom and pop's out of business.

Agreed. A good Mom and Pop will survive and do fine if their knowledge and service is what it needs to be to compete with the box stores. And that's not my opinion. That's personally knowing of several local stores in a few states that have survived and thrived for a decade since Cabela's and/or Bass Pro moved in within 10-20 miles.

 

[Dos Perros]

Don't mean to bust your chops but I assure you that Rapid City or for that matter any of SD west of the Missouri is not the bird hunting Mecca of the US. Now the eastern half of the State is a whole different story when it comes to bird hunting.

I didn't say Rapid City was bird hunting Mecca, I said South Dakota, as in the entire state, implying that a Cabela's in South Dakota ought to be properly stocked to handle bird hunting season in late September.

 

[LongWayAround]

I prepped a bass pro construction site here along the Colorado front range last winter but they apparently scrapped the project. If they are planning on buying out Cabelas, it would make sense not to build their own competition.

 

[G5Archer]

I prepped a bass pro construction site here along the Colorado front range last winter but they apparently scrapped the project. If they are planning on buying out Cabelas, it would make sense not to build their own competition.

I wondered what happen to that site. I'm always up and down 25 & 34 and actually just noticed that the Bass Pro future location sign was gone.

 

[mtswampfox]

The mitchell,sd store was always a destination on the way to the pd towns west of there, just to purchase our predator licenses. Once bought a browning o/u 28 ga that was on the rack screaming out my name. Never spent much time in there but the guy at the gun counter was very knowledgable about local pheasant hunting and a good promoter of such tho never took him up on offer of a hunt.

 

[Mike7]

Apparently overall Cabelas is doing fine with a lot of assets and little debt, so they were a target of this activist investor, Elliott Associates. I could be wrong and am no business expert, but it looks to me like a whole lot of politics and a way to try to make a lot of money by this Elliot company without actually doing any work or providing any real service?



http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...er-activist-elliott-associates-takes-11-stake

http://m.omaha.com/money/what-you-n...f46-7dde-11e5-88f8-a792c7b60756.html?mode=jqm