Sportsman’s Warehouse

[thinhorn_AK]

Hey now, dump on crappie and bluegill fishing all you want, but ice fishing is church in the upper Midwest! I miss the hell out of it! AK winters would be 10x better with something similar.

Fair enough, I go smelting sometimes in the winter. Im not sure I enjoy it though. Standing in the freezing blasting wind bobbing a stick up and down hoping to get a pile of 4" fish that I don't like to eat isn't super cool but people around here seem to love it so I end up getting out and doing it a few times each winter.

 

[HuntHarder]

Sad to see for me. 20 years ago, I remember opening the first SW in Arizona. The place was mystical and was insanely busy. Like everything else, the small store feeling has left and they now go to the cookie cutter, one size fits all mentality. It is depressing to go in that store now and see that it's the same crap on every aisle. It is quite crazy to me to think that they have went this direction. BPS is absolute shit and should be really easy to beat when it comes to local sales. I too, think that SW will be a thing of the past within 10 years.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Sad to see for me. 20 years ago, I remember opening the first SW in Arizona. The place was mystical and was insanely busy. Like everything else, the small store feeling has left and they now go to the cookie cutter, one size fits all mentality. It is depressing to go in that store now and see that it's the same crap on every aisle. It is quite crazy to me to think that they have went this direction. BPS is absolute shit and should be really easy to beat when it comes to local sales. I too, think that SW will be a thing of the past within 10 years.

Bass pro has been shitty for at least 10 years. I still like going to sportsman's when I'm in Anchorage though, I'v e actually never been to cabalas in an anchorage. Last time I was down south and I tried to ask the gun counter guy if they had the Garmin chronograph, He was an ass about it and told me to get a number and stand in line (the line was like 20 people) I just wanted to know if they had the chromo or not.

 

[Jmort1754]

The SW in Erie Pa for the longest time didn't carry walleye or steelhead tackle. They told me they they didn't carry it because corporate tells them what to order.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I cant think of a store that I have tried harder to spend money at. These days I dont even look out the window as I drive by

19 people in customer service, 32 people wandering around, and one poor woman running a register with a line that goes half way across the store...

Last straw for me was trying to buy a red dot. Tell the guy I'll take such an such. No problem I gotta get one from the back...He then starts dicking the dog for 15 mins or so. This was right when they opened. We were the only 2 people there.... Ended up leaving and buying one elsewhere. I doubt he even noticed I left.

 

[Phaseolus]

It’s a corporate store. In The SW in Grand Junction 3/4 of the muzzleloading bullets and powder on the shelves are not legal in this state.

 

[5MilesBack]

SW in Anchorage was selling snake bite kits and turkey calls a few years back. There are neither snakes or wild Turkeys in Alaska

Well duh.....it's so all the Alaskans can buy them before they leave Alaska to come hunt turkeys in snake country down here.

 

[Rotnguns]

We have two SW's in the Treasure Valley; one in Meridian and one in Nampa. My wife and I have always liked both. The Meridian store has been a fixture for many years. Now that a giant Scheels store has opened in Meridian, I wonder if the area can support two SW's, a Cabelas, and Scheels. Not to mention the dozens upon dozens of smaller firearms stores in the valley.

 

[Beendare]

I'm no retail expert but it seems they are clueless. The stories of turkey calls in Ak aren't surprising...but then you try to buy the 9mm hard cast ammo for bears in Idaho- "Oh no, we don't stock that"

 

[gbflyer]

They put one in Juneau AK for whatever reason. It’s OK I guess but I never really understood why. Apparently the mall space lease is staggering. They have pared down the staff some, used to be more help than customers in there. I can’t imagine it’s profitable.

 

[Phaseolus]

It’s a corporate store. In The SW in Grand Junction 3/4 of the muzzleloading bullets and powder on the shelves are not legal in this state.

@Maverik1, Sabots and pelletized powder aren’t legal for frontstuffer hunting in Colorado yet they make up the bulk of offerings on the shelf here in Western Colorado

 

[AZ8]

Sad to see for me. 20 years ago, I remember opening the first SW in Arizona. The place was mystical and was insanely busy. Like everything else, the small store feeling has left and they now go to the cookie cutter, one size fits all mentality. It is depressing to go in that store now and see that it's the same crap on every aisle. It is quite crazy to me to think that they have went this direction. BPS is absolute shit and should be really easy to beat when it comes to local sales. I too, think that SW will be a thing of the past within 10 years.

I used to stop at the one in Mesa almost everyday after work! Not always buying, but just enjoyed walking around and "window" shopping. It was a great store when it first opened. And it continued for years.

Then I started seeing what everyone else was seeing. Stop going.... maybe once a month. Sad. I've since left the valley, so haven't stepped foot in there in years.

 

[roosiebull]

I despise that chain, I don’t go there unless it’s my only option, and it’s not unless I do something dumb.

They screwed me around on a gun purchase that was the last straw for me, and they have lots of stuff, but hardly any of it relevant to the region

There are always a couple obnoxious know it all know nothings walking around, fudds at the gun counter… the list goes on

I actively avoid spending money there

 

[missjordan]

The SW in my town sucks too. They went through a big remodel few years back and they’ve gone downhill since. Same with Cabelas too.

Scheels can take all my money. Only place i choose the shop locally for hunting/outdoors gear


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tony]

SW opened a store in Parkersburg WV I'd say a year ago. About 45 minutes up the road from me.

Few times I've been there its always a handful of people shopping. Prices are on par with REI, you can find things cheaper for sure.
I'd hate to see them go out, for this region I think its nice to have. As big an outdoor state as WV is, outdoor stores are few and fair between.

 

[def90]

SW near me is pretty good, shop there all the time. I refuse to step in a Cabelas or BP. Scheels is too far to drive and the one time I was there it just seemed like just another Cabelas or BP.

 

[waspocrew]

SW was a great store when I was younger (early 2000s). Like others have mentioned, if you go in one now, it has low stock and hardly anything you'd want to buy.

Scheels is by far my favorite.

 

[Maxhunter]

I worked part time at SW for about a year back in 2022. I’ve never worked retail in my whole life. They would send us stuff that wouldn’t sell period. I live in WY and it’s not legal to bait. We got a bunch of deer bait stuff. A lot of the workers are clueless. My gut tells me they’re going out of business. Our local store has nothing. I spend my funds online or other stores.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

I remember when SW came to town. We lost two family-owned hunting/fishing shops and a few real gun shops that year. One of those gun shops had it coming though, b/c they refused to stock modern sporting rifles. Then Cabelas opened and the SW guys were all nervous about their jobs.
I guess what goes around, comes around.

 

[.204smokechaser]

I went into the one in Lewiston for something this last week and immediately walked out. You could almost set up a kid sized basketball court with the amount of empty floor space. Every now and again I’ll get something small from there when I am in town and North40 is closed (price matching everything of course).