BPS buys SW.

[MN Fisher]

"In an effort to better serve its loyal customers, Sportsman's Warehouse has entered into a definitive agreement to join the Great American Outdoors Group, parent company of Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, White River Marine Group and a collection of nature-based resorts."

 

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/12/21/2149037/0/en/Sportsman-s-Warehouse-to-join-The-Great-American-Outdoors-Group-to-better-serve-outdoorsmen-and-women.html

[Log Catcher]

We will probably lose our Sportsmans Warehouse since there is a Cabelas store less than 2 miles away. Sportsmans had some high prices but they did carry some brands BPS wouldn't. I could get SPRO and 6th Sense baits and I'm sure there are others they have that BPS won't carry.

[Dens228]

I liked BPS for fishing items, Cabela's for hunting items.  After the merger the Cabela's near me flat out sucks.   Low/no stock, not so helpful staff,.........I hope it doesn't go that way for SW. 

[MN Fisher]

I think our SW will stay open - 16 miles between them

Cabelas - North-West part of metro - Rogers

SW - North-East part of metro - Coon Rapids

 

[DogBone_384]

4 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

I hope it doesn't go that way for SW. 

What’s history shown us?

[GTN-NY]

We just got a SW a few years ago when they bought out Field n Stream. I wonder if BPS will change a gun area. SW has a good selection of guns other than hunting guns. I had words at BPS when I asked if they had a M1a rifle. I was told with attitude “we only carry hunting guns”. So I asked what could I hunt with that 3” barrel .25 cal pistol. For some reason he walked away from me 

[Darth-Baiter]

My SW has no energy.  Shelves are bare, workers are not enthusiastic at all. I hope they make it. 

[Bankbeater]

Have you pulled up the Cabela's website, and the BPS website?  Not only is it the same merchandise, but it looks like the same webpage.

[Spankey]

Not sure how old some/most of you guys are but BPS has taken a nose dive for a long while now. Heck I understand the world is a bit different and business and marketing in not my field of expertise. But there was a time that BPS use to be full line dealers of Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, Bandit, Strike King and all the soft plastic mfg. and many others. They sort of jumped the shark when they went to push their own company brands. Myself I’m not all that interested in the XPS Lures and house brand soft plastics and terminal tackle. But to each his own. 

[GTN-NY]

Waited all year for the spring BPS catalog to show up. No internet ordering back then. 
Now no big deal

[the reel ess]

4 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Have you pulled up the Cabela's website, and the BPS website?  Not only is it the same merchandise, but it looks like the same webpage.

If there was a Cabela's product you really preferred, it's likely been discontinued. I like d the Tournament XT rods. They disappeared right after they merged. I also got a Cabela's Guidewear zip-up hoodie that I love. I use it all winter. It's gone and the only thing close to it is the BPS 100 MPH jacket with no hood for $300. I haven't bought anything from BPS/Cabela's in quite a while. My buddy goes to their spring sale and brings me back Spots and War Eagle spinnerbaits he got on sale.

[bulldog1935]

SW has been the best place to buy Lamiglas rods, carrying pretty much all of them with free and quick shipping on a rod purchase, and easy to find discount coupons.  It will be a shame if that service suffers. 

For general outdoor gear to dress shoes and 400 thread-count sheets, I was a sierratradingpost junkie for decades, and got some incredible deals - $550 retail Marmot Goretex III light shell for $130 - good thing about that, it will last 30+ years.  Since the original owner sold the company and they franchised, the good deals and good customer service went out the window.  

 

[Johnbt]

I used to order enough stuff from Cabela's to get a hardback catalog instead of the paper ones. Now they don't sell anything I really want, like a Cabela's brand 3-in-1 Goretex parka with a zipout Thinsulate liner and/or a similar duck hunting coat. 

 

I should have saved all of those hard bound books. They're being sold on ebay as collectibles. 

 

www.ebay.com/b/Cabelas-Vintage-Hunting-Catalog/71135/bn_1860547

[billmac]

You guys are fortunate to have some options.  I have Walmart and (about 30 miles away) a Runnings.

[MN Fisher]

Just now, billmac said:

You guys are fortunate to have some options.  I have Walmart and (about 30 miles away) a Runnings.

DSG about 10 miles, Scheels about 12 miles...next closest is Cabelas.

[Michigander]

Read this yesterday in my news feed, mixed feelings. We just got a SW last year after our Gander Mountain closed the year before. It's the only game in town. Their inventory was not great as far as the types of tackle carried. Cabela's got ruined by getting bought by the company that owns BPS but it might help SW.

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, Michigander said:

but it might help SW

Oh they'll probably end up with lots more tackle...all of it with Johnny Morris' signature on it.

[Michigander]

26 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Oh they'll probably end up with lots more tackle...all of it with Johnny Morris' signature on it.

If that's what it takes to get rid of the saltwater gear, then so be it. Nearest ocean is over 600 miles from here, lol.

 

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, Michigander said:

If that's what it takes to get rid of the saltwater gear, then so be it. Nearest ocean is over 600 miles from here, lol.

 

I've never been to our 'local' SW - it's a 45 minute trip each way so I don't know if they have salt gear there. We're 1000mi+ from salt water here.

[Vilas15]

45 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Oh they'll probably end up with lots more tackle...all of it with Johnny Morris' signature on it.

You get three different choices: Bass Pro Shops, XPS, or Johnny Morris

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Vilas15 said:

You get three different choices: Bass Pro Shops, XPS, or Johnny Morris

That's like choosing between a Chevy, GM or Oldsmobile - same company,

[Boomstick]

15 hours ago, Dens228 said:

I liked BPS for fishing items, Cabela's for hunting items.  After the merger the Cabela's near me flat out sucks.   Low/no stock, not so helpful staff,.........I hope it doesn't go that way for SW. 

Before the merger, it seems that it varied a little store to store. I have 2 Cabelas and one BPS in a three hour driving radius. I haven't been to the BPS in a good year so maybe this changed, but they were by far the best of the three, at least for fishing gear. They were also in a generally higher income area, for what it's worth.

 

The Cabela's in eastern MA was fairly small, unorganized and not well stocked before the merger. Considering this is a generally higher population and higher income area, this was surprising. I have no idea what it's like after the merger as I had no desire to go back to that store.

 

The Cabela's in E. Hartford CT, which is generally a lower income but higher population area used to be pretty good before the merger. After the merger, the fishing department has generally been picked clean everytime I'm in there, and various items either doubled in price if they had any left even or were discontinued, such as Roboworms for example.

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, billmac said:

You guys are fortunate to have some options.  I have Walmart and (about 30 miles away) a Runnings.

There is a Cabelas outpost store about 50 minutes from me, SW is about 60 minutes in the other direction, a real Cabelas is about 2.5 hours from me, and the closest BPS is around 3 hours from me. 

[OCdockskipper]

I have always liked BPS, back to when I first saw a catalog of theirs about 40 years ago.  That said, I don't like the continued growth through acquisition, for I feel the end result is less choice for the consumer. 

 

For example, BPS made a positive change about their shipping charges a year or so ago,  The reason was to stay competitive with Tackle Warehouse, who offers free shipping for $50 orders.  My concern is that like any business, if BPS doesn't have to compete to get your purchase, they won't.  Nothing personal with BPS or Johnny Morris, it is just human nature to get complacent if no one is competing against you.

[Stasher1]

2 hours ago, Vilas15 said:

You get three different choices: Bass Pro Shops, XPS, or Johnny Morris

 

That pretty much sums up the Atlanta (Lawrenceville) store. It's either a BPS house brand or a Zoom product. It's so bad, I only stop in once or twice a year, even though it's less than 20 minutes from home or work.

 

Tackle Warehouse recently opened a location just north of Atlanta, so maybe that'll be the "kick in the pants" this BPS location needs to step up their game.