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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | They are closing the two Wisconsin stores.....Sucks, I like the fishing selection there compared to Gander and the others..... |
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Posts: 82
Location: Minneapolis,Mn | Why!!!  |
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Posts: 303
| greenbay and? |
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Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | sbro73 - 3/10/2009 8:50 PM
Why!!! :(
Economic downturn. 15 stores were also recently purchased by a Canadian Co-op. If there are French Canadians involved I would imagine the closing of the WI stores may also be retaliation for the MAC.
Kevin
The economy sucks. |
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Posts: 529
Location: Not Where I Want To Be | Green Bay and New Berlin |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | From a post by SUnshine on WalleyeFIRST
Sportsman's Warehouse stores closing in Wisconsin
By Doris Hajewski of the Journal Sentinel
Mar. 10, 2009 3:02 p.m. | Sportsman's Warehouse in New Berlin and De Pere will close in 60 days, the company announced Tuesday.
The stores, which opened in 2004, are among 23 that will be closed by the Utah-based sporting goods chain. New Berlin store manager Wanda Luebke said a liquidation sale will begin soon. Sixty people are employed at the store.
Sportsman's Warehouse also announced the sale of 15 locations to UFA Co-operative LImited, of Alberta, B.C. A release on the company's Web site said Sportsman's Warehouse hopes to stay in business elsewhere with 2,300 employees.
Before the closings and sale, the company operated 67 stores in 29 states. Sportsman's Warehouse is privately owned, with revenues of about $800 million. |
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Posts: 5
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All of the Minnesota stores are closing also.
Steve |
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Posts: 4266
| They sure spend a hell of alot of money on advertising. The sponsor a couple of "nights" on the Outdoor Channel. Maybe since they are a catalog operation as well as a string of retail stores, they are going to stick with the catalog sales and minimize the retail stores to cut costs. |
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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | I didn't know they had a catalog? |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | That really stinks! Good chain and stores to shop at. |
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| http://www.newwest.net/city/article/sportsmans_warehouse_closing_23... |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | They closed the West Bend store about a year ago too. Cabela's did them in. I too was very impressed with thier fishing dept. I bought alot of leader making stuff we just don't carry. I'm pretty disapointed to see them go. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | That blows. The Depere store was such a nice convenience for me, and it seemed that I needed to stop for at least something on every Green Bay trip, to or fro. Their selection and prices were simply unbeatable in WI. Too bad. |
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Easily the best prices out there! They outdid Gander Mtn. right across the street in Woodbury by at least a dollar on every fishing lure (sometimes 3$). Anybody know the timetable when they'll be closing in MN, especially the Woodbury location since I'm right down Ct. Rd. 19 from em'?
Customer service was WAY BETTER than Gander Mtn., too...not even close, just like their prices.
Steve |
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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | <p>I think Gander learned the hard way that you really need a catalog and website to draw in people especially since so many are looking on websites before they head to a store and shop. Sportsmans didn't really have either. <br /></p>
Edited by Muskiemetal 3/11/2009 11:35 AM
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | I also really like Sportsmans warehaouse. The had a great selection for shooting supplies as well. This was always my first place to shop before I hit Gander and Fleet Farm in Green bay. |
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Location: Right Here | I just got word yesterday that they're closing the one in Lafayette, IN too. I really liked the store, but knew it wouldn't last. Lafayette is a college town, not a very outdoorsy town. No big sporting goods store has ever lasted there.
It does suck for sure.
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Muskiemetal - 3/11/2009 11:32 AM
I think Gander learned the hard way that you really need a catalog and website to draw in people especially since so many are looking on websites before they head to a store and shop. Sportsmans didn't really have either.
It took a court battle with Cabela's to get both the catalog and website rights back. That happened within the last year. |
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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | I went through the first bankruptcy back in 95 with Gander, I actually like the Gander old catalog, Cabelas used to never have good fishing equipment in theirs (hunting) and Bass Pro was just well, Bass tackle. I can't believe Cabelas then bought the mailing list (right?) from Gander and the rights to a catalog.
Sportsman's didn't have the long reach that a catalog or website offers, people walk into Cabelas now and talk about seeing items in the catalog and website and are their to buy that and more.
Sportsman's was great at the selection in the fishing deparment, granted the archery and hunting were off, but the fishing was top with a wide selection and lures that you couldn't find anywhere else. The crankbait selection was always top notch and you usually saw the newest lures there first than anywhere else. |
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Posts: 727
| NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I love that place. |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | It is unfortunate to hear that the New Berlin store is closing.
They have some great people that are knowledgable about their equipment and outdoors activities.
It was a nice option to Cabelas. Good Luck to the employees. |
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Posts: 581
Location: deephaven mn | was inthe Coon Rapids store today.they said closing between May 12 and the 28th i assume the same for Woodbury |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Within 60 days is what the announcement stated |
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Posts: 1185
Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | I too am bummed. It was way better then Gander. Now who is going to keep Gander's prices in line? It was where I bought my stuff. |
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Posts: 89
Location: Breezy Point, MN | Hello all,
As a Gander Mountain Store Manager, I simply wanted to share my two cents on this deal. It is truly a shame to see an outdoor retailer struggle because it is bad for the whole industry, especially the vendors. There were a few comments on here in regards to their "unbeatable prices" etc. Last I checked, the way to stay in business is to meet the bottom line and to make a profit, and apparently their pricing strategies failed, period. Guys, it's Business 101 here, and they weren't getting it done in regards to margin dollars. We (Gander) may not always be the cheapest retailer out there, and you all have plenty of choices of where to shop. But I can assure any of my customers here in Ohio a broad selection (60 feet of musky lures) at a fair price (Double Cowgirls @ $24.99, etc) and exemplary customer service from myself and my staff. If you are getting poor service from a particular store, grab the Store Manager and tell him/her about your poor experience, as that will help that given store get better.
Once again, this is bad news for the industry as a whole. Obviously it is good for our stores in the regions they are shutting down, but overall it's not good for the fishing and hunting industry.
Edited by Tom Dietz 3/11/2009 10:10 PM
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Obviously all I can go on is my experience with Gander in Woodbury, MN. When I went in to purchase a Garcia 7001i I was told they didn't have any. Then, when I asked about ordering it, I was told it wasn't possible. All of this was done by the fishing dept. manager of the store. I said okay and went across the street to Sportsman's...They did not have it, but the Fishing Dept. Manager took me into the back room, got online, made sure it was the exact reel I wanted, and ordered the reel for me. It arrived shortly after. I wanted Sportsman's to put line on it, but they didn't have what I wanted. So, took the reel back over to Gander because I knew they had the line. Walked in, the kid working said, "you should have bought the reel here, we would have put the line on free." I went through the whole story with him...He said, "no, it's right here"...pulls the exact same reel out.
I know it's not an indictment of all Gander's, but as a customer and "ultimate consumer" of outdoor products I want the best customer service and of course the best price.
Steve |
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Posts: 281
Location: Girdwood, Alaska | Unfortunate... I was in the De Pere store nearly twice a week. Hard to leave that store without buying something because there was always a deal to be found somewhere; I'm really going to miss that store. |
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Posts: 4266
| Some people love catalog shopping, but as mentioned, you don't get knowlegeable service people helping you in the pages of a catalog.
More jobs vanishing is probably the worst part of the story.
Beav |
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Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | Beaver - 3/12/2009 5:31 AM
More jobs vanishing is probably the worst part of the story.
Beav
You have that right, Beav. Circuit City, Linens and Things, Sportsmen's Warehouse, etc. How many hundreds of jobs right there in the Brookfield/New Berlin area of WI alone? And those are retail jobs. Hell, I saw where Walmart closed a store or two in AK. If the evil empire is closing up shop, Best Buy, Target, K-Mart, etc. can't be feeling too comfortable. How many of those people were relying on those jobs to pay the mortgages on their homes that are declining in value?
It is UGLY, and bound to get uglier. Thank God the banks get bailed out.
Kevin
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| Tom, you I am afraid are in the minority as far as fair Gander Mountain prices go the Eden Prairie store is still charging $29.99 for the DCG. I wish you ran the E.P. store. It has gotten to the point where I have to ask for the price match guarantee on nearly every item I buy, it gets old after awhile. |
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