Gander Mountain Bankruptcy
Wisconsin
Contributors to this thread:
Minnesota-based hunting and fishing retail chain Gander Mountain is preparing to file for bankruptcy as early as this month, after an aggressive effort to expand its store base failed to pull in new customers, according to people familiar with the matter.
Enjoyed shopping at GM when it first opened its doors but I am not surprised at this news.
MF's Link
No surprise. Their store in Rochester MN seldom had more than 1 or 2 customers in it when I was there. Then Scheels opened up a 140,000 square foot store at the mall. Lots of stuff for kids to do and traffic draw from the rest of the mall was a win for Scheels. I usually bought my licenses at Gander and registered deer there because being close to Sams club and my barber it was a convenient location with easy parking but their prices on anything else I wanted were seldom reasonable. They even sold Wisconsin and Iowa licenses so that was another plus for Gander. I will keep my eyes open for any bargains at any going out of business sales they might have.
I just checked to make sure it's not April first today. Think I might actually cry.. the Sheboygan location is the smallest of all their locations but always have what's needed with staff that knows what they're selling unlike the box stores. And 20 min away I was glad to go there. With schells and cabelas a hour away it's hard to make that drive when you need some small items.
No surprise here either. Their Milwaukee store is usually void of customers, never has anything I'm looking for and is always highest price.
Didn't GM go into bankruptcy in the early 90's? They were good before that when they still had their catalog business. After they had to sell the catalog they went down hill.
The only store I ever liked was the sportsman's Warehouse they had in New Berlin. Was sad when they closed that store.
Out of all of the non local shops, I always had the worst luck at Gander. Always high in price, and when I started bow hunting, the guy in the archery shop sold me the incorrect arrows. If I'm going to pay higher prices, I would rather do it at a family owned or local archery store.
Expect someone will buy it on the cheap and bring it back in the same or different format. This is the second time for gander.
When I read the announcement the other day I was not surprised. They are the absolute worst of all the big box stores. The worst CS of any business ever. If they disappeared completely. I can't say I would miss them.
Difficult to stay in business when prices are higher than competitors and inventory is limited.
not me I have over 60.00 in gift cards, better use them, and I agree the Sheboygan store is a good one, and I will go in this week, use my cards on fishing stuff
I like the store but agree with others, prices too high until sale time. Give a decent deal right off the bat and stop relying on sales so much. Same deal with the old "Pranges" and now Kohl's and Younkers and even ShopKo in some aspects. Stop the high prices/deep sale discounts and just price everything fair in the first place and you might get more of my business. Do a lot of "prime" shopping on amazon though. Nice to have free delivery to your door in two days!
If memory serves me right Gander MT was sold to Erickson (Holiday Stations) in the '90s when they were having issues. Buyers were not allowed to go with the catalog sales only brick and mortar.
I have not been to one of GM stores in years.
Wausau location has turned into a women's clothing store. 70% of the store is clothing and shoes.
x2 GoJakes, about two years ago they re-did the store and removed 80% of the mounts till you wouldn't recognize it anymore - wtf... Pretty sad since theres aways people in there but w/ their prices most people check out product then buy elswhere. They have an excellent gunsmith there that has done a lot of work for me and when they had boat services I heard they were good too. Right now I have a new string, cables and cam module ordered w/ them??
Last time I was there was well before cabelas opened. Was the one in Kenosha. Bought my muzzleloader there. The pr8ce was good.
Haven't been back since but mostly because of convenience and marketing. I pass a Gander on the way to Cabelas but have no idea how to get to it.
The CEOs wife desired more eco tourism and wanted mounts removed. Wrote them a letter they were staying the path they desired. Last time I went into one.
I believe that's the Gander Gun Store in Germantown, Casey. Guns and more guns.
Funnya gm can bk twice but Trump cant ever?
I worked at the Kenosha store in the gun department. It was the only thing keeping them afloat. Although they expanded the gun dept, it seems to have gone to a big clothing/shoe store too. Their fishing supplies can't compare to BassPro.
That boat rental program they tried was a disaster for them. People trashed the boats. Bent props, trashed lower units and even had to go retrieve one someone left at Geneva.
Nov, could you please explain the relevance of your last post, after you sober up?
Kind of scary, but I understood November's post.
The CEO of Gander Mountain is just laying the groundwork so he can run for President in the future, LOL!
Capt Mike +1 Maybe he is feeling the pain of the Badgers losing to Northwestern and drowning his depression .
I can only understand this because I have people that text message me in this language. Funnya gm can bk twice but Trump cant ever? Translation: Funny, a Gander Mountain can bankrupt twice, but Trump can never?
Gander is not a bad store but it can't compete with Cabelas. Sometimes the little things turn you toward one store or away from another. In my case I give 90% of my business to Cabelas because they have a military discount it is not much only 5 or 10% but it is the principle. Like others said when you remove mounts and try to be PC you lose many of us as we want to support a business that is in line with our beliefs. I just hope the Cabelas buy out from Bass Pro shops does not destroy another good chain. I had both Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas at the last place I lived and BPS never impressed me.
Glad to hear my boycott finally worked! Their gunsmith in Maple Grove pissed me off so bad about 15 years ago and I vowed to NEVER step foot in a Gander again. Besides that I don't wear $39 high-tech underwear..
South Farm is so primitive he doesn't need to wear ANY undewear. ;-)
Kevin™ ????'s Link
Ranger,. The Cabela's deal is not looking too good right now.
Can't believe it took this long. The Brookfield store, after moving across I-94, has been nearly vacant. Most cars in the lot are employees'. Too expensive, and most employee's there didn't know their ass from a hole in the ground.
It seems that the new GM store in Deforest and newly remodeled store in Janesville had shifted their primary focus to firearms. Their prices on guns seem inline and sometimes much better than Cabelas. The "academy" in Deforest has both live fire and virtual indoor ranges which are always being used every time I go there. I've spent several hours on the live fire range. I will miss this if they end up closing.
If you know what your looking for and aren't depending on a sales person, its really hard to beat Fleet Farm on pricing. I never really cared for the Ganders.
Fleet in Antigo and Point are great stores. Never understood why the one in Wausau is such a runt.
The GM in Wausau I don't think they know what they want to sell other than Northface or Columbia clothing.
I was only in GM once and that was when they were in Wilmot, Wi (I think) many moons ago.
I bought my first traps from their catalog when they had their only store in Wilmont. Back then it was them or Herters in Beaverdam.
"If you know what your looking for and aren't depending on a sales person, its really hard to beat Fleet Farm on pricing. I never really cared for the Ganders."
True Dat! Hard to beat their ammo and fishing section anywhere.
The wilmont store! That takes me back.
I had forgotten all about thag store .
Was that the 80s?
I think it was way before the 80's. I bought a cold weather sleeping bag there for our Colorado hunt and that was in the early to mid seventies --------I think. It's a bit*h to get old as time just flies and the mind goes awry. lol I know they had a catalog, but then Cabela's bought out their catalog rights - I think?