Gander Mountain circling the drain

[T.O.M.]

Sent the article by a friend...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/05/02/gander-mountain-may-close-many-stores/101188510/

Gander Mountain is in trouble.  Small wonder.  At least near me, Gander Mountain is by far the most expensive for anything firearm related, higher than any of the LGS or even other big names (like Cabelas).  And their camping gear is also as expensive, if not more so. 

A few years back, Gander Mountain near me "shut down" as a general outdoors sports store, and reopened as a pure firearms store.  It kind of sucked as a gun store.  Everything was overpriced.  Their selection was great, if you wanted a used Tokarev or P-38, a Taurus, or something that cost over $1K.  Otherwise, they either didn't have it, or the sales staff actually tried to steer you away from it.

Side story:  I saw a pistol on their web-site I was interested in, a used SIG P226.  Called the number to ask about paying cash (my preferred way of buying gun stuff), and asked if I could put down a deposit at the local store, have the gun shipped their, and then pay the balance.  Was told I had to pay in full up-front before they would ship.  Indicated I would prefer to pay in full only after I had a chance to look at the pistol, since it was used.  Guy said I probably ought to shop somewhere else.  I did.  Local Gun Store for the win.

[RevDisk]

I've hit a couple of closing Radio Shacks. At liquidation sale pricing, most of their stock is still more expensive than reasonable/going prices. Sorry man, but $30 HDMI cables and $20 USB cables aren't a great deal even if 60% off.

They were quickly known for marking up prices before 'discounting' them but it's been a historical thing. Some businesses stay fat, stupid and lazy when their niche starts drying up. There's a million things Radio Shack could have done. Batteries Plus is a great example of a Radio Shack killer that is very profitable. Wide selection of batteries and light bulbs at reasonable prices. Consumables, so you will always need more. Fixing busted cell phone or tablet screens is another business that will never die out. Monoprice is another insanely profitable thing they could have done.

Instead, they doubled down on being Sprint stores and making their merchandise more expensive as online shopping got cheaper and cheaper. Rather than leverage their advantages, supply chain and geographical advantages... They just priced themselves out of a market.

Stupid. Incredibly stupid. I'm sure someone got paid a lot of money to destroy the company. Sounds like Gander Mountain used the same playbook. As people shop less, mark up the prices more and cut the service level. Act surprised when people go elsewhere.

[Perd Hapley]

I think we had a thread on this a couple of months ago. The stores near here were supposed to close; then we heard otherwise. shrug

[wmenorr67]

http://www.gandermountain.com/store-locator/

Pull this up and it says they are growing.  Thought that the Tulsa store was closing but according to this it is still open.

[Jocassee]

I'm sure someone got paid a lot of money to destroy the company.

The story of America in the 21st century.

I'm constantly astounded that the tolerance for f*ckups is so high at executive levels. I was at Windstream for 4 years. We had 3 CIOs and two CEOs. All forced out, the way I heard it, yet they will be eminently employable wherever else they choose to go.

If you get screw up that bad at my level you have to lie your ass off to get another job.

[lee n. field]

Sent the article by a friend...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/05/02/gander-mountain-may-close-many-stores/101188510/

Gander Mountain is in trouble.  Small wonder.  At least near me, Gander Mountain is by far the most expensive for anything firearm related, higher than any of the LGS or even other big names (like Cabelas).  And their camping gear is also as expensive, if not more so. 
 

Soulless gun mall, with mostly insane prices.

The local (well, the far side of Rockford, so call it an hour by the time you get there) was good for having nice prices in their sale fliers, then never having the sale items.

Side story:  I saw a pistol on their web-site I was interested in, a used SIG P226.  Called the number to ask about paying cash (my preferred way of buying gun stuff), and asked if I could put down a deposit at the local store, have the gun shipped their, and then pay the balance.  Was told I had to pay in full up-front before they would ship.  Indicated I would prefer to pay in full only after I had a chance to look at the pistol, since it was used.  Guy said I probably ought to shop somewhere else.  I did.  Local Gun Store for the win.

Asked after 9mm Makarov ammo once.  Gander's clerk laughed at me.  OK, be that way. 

[T.O.M.]

I used to read posts on forums where people indicated a willingness to pay a higher price at a local gun store as opposed to a big box.  At the time, I didn't get it, as there was no good local option for me.  Then the place opened within 5 miles of my home.  I met the owner and staff and found them to be super friendly, helpful, and not even blink an eye if I just stopped by to drool on their cases doing "research" for a future purchase.  They have even hosted my Scout troop for shooting events, and charged us a price low enough that I know they lost money.  Now I get it, and they're getting my money.

[Brad Johnson]

GM here is closing. Going Out Of Business sale prices make them almost competitive. Of course ammo and guns are not included in sale prices.

Brad

[cordex]

This thread reminds me that I've got a GM gift card I need to use up.

[HankB]

GM here is closing. Going Out Of Business sale prices make them almost competitive. Of course ammo and guns are not included in sale prices.

Brad

Saw an ad with pretty much the same disclaimer for our local GM store a few months ago.

So . . . the stuff I might actually be interested in is NOT included in the sale prices? Yeah, sure, that REALLY influences me to shop there. 

[cordex]

And now they are closing all the stores.  Use up gift cards by 5/18.

[HankB]

And now they are closing all the stores.  Use up gift cards by 5/18.

Another store that was GREAT in the '70s, done in by incompetent management. 

[Fly320s]

No stores close to me.  I wonder if their going-out-of-business prices will be any good.  Probably not.

I see they were bought by Camping World, which also owns Overton's.  Looks to me like Camping World bought Gander just to get a cheap price on the properties.

[Jamisjockey]

Good
Riddance

[K Frame]

"Indicated I would prefer to pay in full only after I had a chance to look at the pistol, since it was used.  Guy said I probably ought to shop somewhere else.  I did.  Local Gun Store for the win."

I can't remember the last time I ordered anything from Gander Mountain, but I do know that their shipping was slow and, as you note, their prices high.

[K Frame]

I just clicked the "guns" section of their website from the google page, and got a big splash screen that says that every store is going out of business and they're in a total liquidation sale.

[lee n. field]

I'm mildly tempted to go, and see if there's any reloading stuff left for cheap.

[BlueStarLizzard]

We only just got one a couple years ago. Dad said they've been super slow for a long time.

The thing is the brand new Field and Stream is booming and the stand by LGS just shut down along with the comblock hole in the wall, plus the class III tacitcool store is circling the drain. You'd think, at least around here, both the last hold outs would be doing decent, but while F&S is packed on the weekends and making so many gun sales that the registers at the gun counter are gun sales only and there is a line, Gander is empty.

[Unisaw]

Closing all locations:

http://www.fox19.com/story/35359558/gander-mountain-closing-all-locations-nationwide

Capitalism is pretty good at sorting out the businesses that should exit a given industry.

[French G.]

We only just got one a couple years ago. Dad said they've been super slow for a long time.

The thing is the brand new Field and Stream is booming and the stand by LGS just shut down along with the comblock hole in the wall, plus the class III tacitcool store is circling the drain. You'd think, at least around here, both the last hold outs would be doing decent, but while F&S is packed on the weekends and making so many gun sales that the registers at the gun counter are gun sales only and there is a line, Gander is empty.

The LGS was forced out I happened to drop in when the proprietor was cleaning up. Development owner declined to renew the lease of a very old and trouble free client. Can't help but thinking the town's crap politics had a hand in that.

[BlueStarLizzard]

The LGS was forced out I happened to drop in when the proprietor was cleaning up. Development owner declined to renew the lease of a very old and trouble free client. Can't help but thinking the town's crap politics had a hand in that.

Part of the story. Kenny was giving it up anyway. He makes more on the safes. He was going to give all his inventory and the store over to the one guy that had been there for years which was when the asshats refused to renew the lease.
They've all been at logger heads for years, so it's not that surprising.



... I don't know why you persist in explaining the local gun store gossip to me when I live with the king of all LGS gossip. Seriously.

[zahc]

The whole segment is contracting; Field and Stream by my house just closed. Actually retail in general is contracting due to online sales; I'm not sure what these companies were thinking. There's a Cabela's, a Bass Pro, two Gander Mountains, and  (was) Field​ and Stream within 20 miles of my house, not to mention countless Dicks and REI stores.

[French G.]

Part of the story. Kenny was giving it up anyway. He makes more on the safes. He was going to give all his inventory and the store over to the one guy that had been there for years which was when the asshats refused to renew the lease.
They've all been at logger heads for years, so it's not that surprising.



... I don't know why you persist in explaining the local gun store gossip to me when I live with the king of all LGS gossip. Seriously.

I forget that part.  Kenny seemed pretty okay with the concept of vacation. Safes are indeed a gold mine, or at least mine felt like one. And all the big shops in Richmond can't sell liberty safes because he has the distributor agreement for the area.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I forget that part.  Kenny seemed pretty okay with the concept of vacation. Safes are indeed a gold mine, or at least mine felt like one. And all the big shops in Richmond can't sell liberty safes because he has the distributor agreement for the area.

Yes. I know. 

[BlueStarLizzard]

The whole segment is contracting; Field and Stream by my house just closed. Actually retail in general is contracting due to online sales; I'm not sure what these companies were thinking. There's a Cabela's, a Bass Pro, two Gander Mountains, and  (was) Field​ and Stream within 20 miles of my house, not to mention countless Dicks and REI stores.

We've only got the Gander, Field and Stream, two Dick's (one which is also brand new and literally attached to the Field and Stream) and a few local outdoorsy type places that don't do hunting and guns.

I think the Field and Stream will do well. Gander wasn't just high, they were also in a really stupid location on 29 north. That side of the county is as liberal as can be and getting more so by the minute. Field and Stream is right on the redneck exodus point of liberal territory (all hail route 20) and close to the local gun country club range.
Kenny's shop was also on 29 north, but he had a stoplight and he was a fixture for as long as I can remember (which is a long time, since that was one of the gun stores where I got patted on the head and fussed over at as a little girl) so being a little out of the way wasn't a problem for him.