Is Cabela’s played out?

[Shraggs]

The corporate stock play and leverage to sell was sad, but legal. Shame on the csbelas leadership for allowing their guard down. But confirms what most have echoed that the decline stayed long before.

It’s sad for sure. Bass pro always sucked to me, except for fishing. Now they are bass pro.

 

[137buck]

My son wanted a new Cabelas sweatshirt for Christmas, so I went into the Missoula MT, Cabelas thinking I could find one...nope, not a single one. One of their employees asked if I needed help, said yep, I need a camo Cabelas sweatshirt, she searched and not one found, but did find a redhead ass pro one, and I told her nope, won't spend my money on that one. It's sad when you can't even find a Cabelas branded camo shirt in a Cabelas store anymore. Ass pro is a joke, like it was stated before, they're nothing more than a walmart outdoors store with the cheap redhead stuff.

 

[Chief254]

a lack of quality gear has left me shopping online or waiting until I run across Scheels on business travel.

 

[Rrobason]

It is a sad... candelas use to be a great store with a killer warranty to back their brand products

 

[Hunt41]

Cabela’s is definitely past it’s glory years. Like someone else said. I’d rather give them my money than Dick’s.

 

[Hhardrockminer]

I took a Asspro Bone Dry rain absorbing set back which wasn't in the computer so not able to return it, we don't have a Asspro here so Cabela's gets to say "SORRY, can't do anything for you".
Both stores suck big time

 

[huntineveryday]

I think Cabelas quality had been on a downhill slide since going public years ago. They were still better than BPS and Dick's though. The buyout just finalized the downfall of Cabelas quality to big-box store level. I have one close and still go there from time to time, but I had been buying less and less there for a decade.

Interestingly, I have probably purchased more from Cabelas since the buyout though, because now they price match (before they only price matched local print-ads, with no competition close enough to match). It can be hard finding higher quality items there, but they price match REI, Backcountry.com, and Midway USA web sites and I've been able to get items at 35%-40% off by watching sales at those sites.

 

[3Blade]

The stores have always been just a building to look at mounts it seems. They have never had what i needed on most occassions and had to go home and order it online anyway.

 

[Richd]

The downhill slide started years ago but was kicked in to overdrive with the BPS takeover. I used to easily find the excuse to make the hour + drive at least a few times a year to my local store...now I can’t come up with a good excuse to go at all.

 

[bozeman]

Stopped by one today just south of Houston- 3 Sitka jackets and 2 hoodies.....everything else was Red Head, some Drake, a lil UA and a few other ‘off brand’ camo I’ve never heard of. Honestly, the casual apparel area was twice the size of the camo section......disappointing to say the least.

 

[tgus59]

It used to be hard for me to get out of there and spend less than $100, and now I don't know what to do with my gift cards. I'm lucky to have a Scheels 25 miles from my house, and that is an awesome store.

 

[jspradley]

Big box brick and mortar retail is a dying model.

 

[tgus59]

Big box brick and mortar retail is a dying model.

I agree, unless the retailer brings a lot of value to the customer. If I could walk in there and talk to a true expert about something, get tips, learn something etc. I'd be willing to pay more at a B&M.

 

[wjm1776]

I think the only thing keeping them relevant is the huge amount of Cabela’s credit cards out there. I know I would normally look for items at other local shops I like or online places that have better prices, but my Cabela’s points keep bringing me back... I guess that’s the way retail is going, but it’s sad you can’t find what you want when you go there any more.. My kids do still like the mounts and fudge though....

 

[BRTreedogs]

The downhill slide started years ago but was kicked in to overdrive with the BPS takeover. I used to easily find the excuse to make the hour + drive at least a few times a year to my local store...now I can’t come up with a good excuse to go at all.

It's where I go to practice field judging, I make my guess then look at the plaque to see how close I got.

 

[cciliske]

Dying store. Spent over an hour there the other day taking my son to see Santa, and couldn't find anything in the store that I wanted that wasn't horribly overpriced.

 

[16Bore]

They need to go full Amazon. Big f’n catalogs for the old folks, several big f’n distribution centers, and free f’n shipping.

Then several f’n outlet stores in prime locations.

Have the BOD call me.....

 

[tdhanses]

Cabela’s was played out well before BPS purchased them. Really BPS will probably regret the deal in the end.

 

[tgus59]

Cabela’s was played out well before BPS purchased them. Really BPS will probably regret the deal in the end.

They weren't at their best before the BPS move, but they were still worth going to, and had some good gear. They've reached a new low now.

 

[tdhanses]

They weren't at their best before the BPS move, but they were still worth going to, and had some good gear. They've reached a new low now.

They were an overpriced tourist destination even then. Really unless I had to have something that day, there were always better deals to be had.

But it was good to take the kids to and let them walk around looking at all the cool taxidermy.

I will say though some people believe it’s a good place to shop and I’ll never understand it, same as shopping at Walmart, just doesn’t make sense unless you like big crowds and long checkout lines.

But I also like having my grocery’s delivered to my house now as well, lol.