How is Cabela's Still in Business?

[ianpadron]

Cabelas used to be the go-to brick n mortar outdoor store. Loved wandering around their stores as a boy, and was always impressed with their sales and bargain cave as a young man. Not to beat a dead horse but ever since the BPS merger, I can't say I've ever left Cabelas thinking "man there were some great deals in there". The hunting and fishing gear is overpriced, the store brand stuff is junk, and the employees don't know anything. Sad state of affairs and I too wonder how long it'll last. The Cabela's Alaskan Guide stuff was the shit!

 

[MtnW]

The sun is setting on Cabela’s.
Everything that use to make them special is gone.

 

[TheGDog]

Most annoying thing... re: BP/Cabelas is the searching frunctionality on their site... they don't put in the extra work on their various search pages to allow you to have needed search parms.. such as ability to look for lead-free ammo...or. in terms of pistols... the retarded "CA Compliant" type of checkbox. Wastes a lot of time because you'll be looking at a firearm... but then you're like "Oh... wait a minute... hold on... Alt+Tab to goto the insulting CA Handgun Roster search list thing the CA "Dept of Joy!" tyrannically imposes upon the poor citizens of this tyrannical experiment state.

Also... I needed a jacket for lower temps... and time was an issue so I went to the only BP there is in SoCal... found a jacket I liked the fit and feel of... but... best I can tell... it's not truly waterproof. Seems like a lot of em are purposefully vague when it comes to describing what type/kind of water protection a garment actually provides. I have a rain shell I keep in the pack anyway.. but still... seems kinda EFF'd up to bother making a jacket for cold weather... but then drop the ball and only have it be DWR coated.. rather than with an actual GTX layer in it.

 

[Agross]

There was a store in Michigan called Lunkers that I used to go to as a child. I loved that store, and it epitomizes what a good outdoor store can be. Big, but not Cabela’s warehouse big. Good staff. Good selection. And, they had the Lunkuarium.
Cabela’s is no Lunkers.

Where was lunkers?

 

[jlh42581]

Bass pro is lucky that tackle warehouse doesn't wanna eat their lunch with retail storefronts. They'd slaughter them.

 

[journeyman713]

We have gas stations in our area that out easily compete Cabelas selection and prices. Very sad.

 

[kpk]

Here in MN I think they do well simply due to their locations. There's a Cabelas on every interstate heading north into lake county. Their hunting/gun/ammo selection is awful now but I think the fishing is where it's at for them - at least here.

 

[eamyrick]

At the bass pro my kids keep the lights on playing the Jurassic Park video game.

 

[bobinmi]

There was a store in Michigan called Lunkers that I used to go to as a child. I loved that store, and it epitomizes what a good outdoor store can be. Big, but not Cabela’s warehouse big. Good staff. Good selection. And, they had the Lunkuarium.
Cabela’s is no Lunkers.

at least we've still got Jay's

 

[PaulieNY]

Couldn't agree more. Cabelas has become worthless, I am disappointed every time I step into the store.

 

[conley417]

I bought a new Wooltimate jacket 2 years ago and it's been great.


I still enjoy going in any sporting goods store. Hell I enjoy looking at hunting and fishing stuff at Wal-Mart.

 

[Smallie]

Scheels gets my business now just based on customer service/help in store. Had a guy work with me on boot fitting for about 45 minutes and very knowledgeable. Was even wearing the boots I was going in there to look at. Signed up for the credit card got $70 in store credit just for signing up. No need to go into Cabelas or BP anymore and I have two locations within 20 minutes of my house. Plus they never have anything in stock that I go in there for even though the website says they have it there.

 

[NDGuy]

We have a Scheel's about 2 hours away. The prices aren't any better

Scheels will price match literally anything you can find online and that's in stock. They factor in taxes and shipping if applicable but it doesn't matter if it's Midwayusa or kinkyhuntinggear.com. They'll match it.

 

[texjitter]

Scheels will price match literally anything you can find online and that's in stock. They factor in taxes and shipping if applicable but it doesn't matter if it's Midwayusa or kinkyhuntinggear.com. They'll match it.

Good to know!

 

[GringoBling]

Cabela's stays in business because they own a bank and finance their own customer's bad decisions.

aka, Sears.

They don't own a bank. The Cabela's Club card is issued by Capital One Bank. And they used to have another long term finance partnership with AgriCredit, but I don't know if that still exists anymore.

 

[ceejay]

Cabelas/BP has become by and large a corporate non-customer service based crummy company. What I dislike the most is trying to navigate their website to find if they actually have something in stock. The worst is the sales clickbait ads for items they do not have in stock or never intended to actually offer for sale ...... just something to lure to their website. I echo what others have said ...... they ain't what they used to be that made them so successful.

 

[kentuckybowman]

Have not shopped cabelas in years. They are not competitively prices and the quality stuff they used to have has been discontinued for the most part. Hedge fund managers at their best.

 

[LostArra]

I drove I-80 last week by the big store in Sidney. From the looks of the parking lot I thought they were closed.

In recent years, Cabelas has employed a unique business model: any good product (yes, they had some in the past) was downgraded or eliminated.

 

[ranchhand02]

Go to one around Christmas and they are always packed. During the rest of the year they get a lot of foot traffic, but I dont see many people at the registers.

 

[mtwarden]

Right now our Sportsman’s has some pretty nice gear- Sitka, First Lite, Benchmade knives, high end optics, Crispi, Kenetrek, Zamberlan, Lowa boots, etc.

I’m pretty sure when Ass Pro finishes purchasing them, they’ll get rid of all the good stuff