BPS buys SW.

[throttleplate]

fargo nd had a cabellas and a gander mountain  around 9 years ago but they couldnt compete with scheels which has been here since the 60,s.

 

Scheels is expensive for its clothing for men, woman kids but the fishing is pretty in line with Fleetfarm. People here just flock to scheels as it is the only real sporting good place in town with no competition.

 

The scheels lures branded scheels work fine except for the hooks attached. For example i snaged 2 lures square bills on a lilly pad stem and the treble hooks didnt bend they snapped off and left me with 2 hooks out of 3 on the treble.

[Big Hands]

SW isn't near me, so no biggie from a B&M standpoint. But if you can't beat a competitor, buying them is probably the next best strategy.

 

I live in a county of over 10 million people. The nearest BPS is almost 100 miles away, in a  different county. The Dick's near me removed all of there fishing gear. The Walmarts do have fishing gear, but nothing too fancy, all very basic. I have a few independently owned tackle stores that are 12 miles (two of them), another @ 20 miles, and another @ 35 miles away from me.

 

The only time I go to BPS or Cabela's is when I visit my friend in Texas, where there are several of them. They're definitely not the same place they used to be, and maybe it's just been an odd time when I visited, but  they don't seem to have been bustling with customers the last few times I have been there.

[Michigander]

3 hours ago, Stasher1 said:

 

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.

 

 

My nearest BPS is a bit of a drive but I used to do my annual restocking and tackle buying extravaganza there every spring. Haven't done this the last few years as I end up not finding much I want anymore. Now I shop online and go to some independent stores that have much better inventory for me.

[Stasher1]

5 minutes ago, Michigander said:

My nearest BPS is a bit of a drive but I used to do my annual restocking and tackle buying extravaganza there every spring. Haven't done this the last few years as I end up not finding much I want anymore. Now I shop online and go to some independent stores that have much better inventory for me.

 

It's a weird feeling, the first time you walk thru BPS and don't see a single thing you want. My last few purchases from BPS haven't even been fishing-related. They were camping supplies.

 

My local Academy Sports has a much smaller assortment of lures, but I'm far more likely to find something I want.

[Michigander]

2 minutes ago, Stasher1 said:

 

It's a weird feeling, the first time you walk thru BPS and don't see a single thing you want. My last few purchases from BPS haven't even been fishing-related. They were camping supplies.

 

My local Academy Sports has a much smaller assortment of lures, but I'm far more likely to find something I want.

Yeah. It's mind boggling that of all the products they carry that I'll walk out with barely anything. Though to be fair I walk out of SW empty handed a lot too. Usually that's because they don't sell what I am looking for. SW inventory constantly leaves me scratching my head, and this was long before the pandemic when you just had to be thankful they had anything available.

[12poundbass]

Tackle Warehouse is coming to Atlanta, GA next year so we’ll see what that does for everyone. 

[slonezp]

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

Tackle Warehouse is coming to Atlanta, GA next year so we’ll see what that does for everyone. 

Are they expanding or moving?

[Michigander]

Just now, slonezp said:

Are they expanding or moving?

Hopefully moving, California time is inconvenient for me. LoL

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Michigander said:

Hopefully moving, California time is inconvenient for me. LoL

I hope it's an expansion...then maybe we'll get one here.

[12poundbass]

10 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Are they expanding or moving?

From what I’ve read expanding to Atlanta. 

[schplurg]

13 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

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

 

BPS and Cabelas will be selling their branded items at SW. I read it a few minutes ago. Good thing we don't allow monopolies in this country  

[Sphynx]

I wouldn't be surprised to see an antitrust lawsuit filed on account of this merger, I used to spend a fortune at Cabelas and BPS, but as things have continued to nosedive in the quality department my spending has dropped in proportion...I do not know how we can have an antitrust law and yet allow one corporation to buy up the two largest competitors in their sector...ridiculous development. 

[schplurg]

On 12/23/2020 at 9:06 PM, Sphynx said:

I wouldn't be surprised to see an antitrust lawsuit filed on account of this merger, I used to spend a fortune at Cabelas and BPS, but as things have continued to nosedive in the quality department my spending has dropped in proportion...I do not know how we can have an antitrust law and yet allow one corporation to buy up the two largest competitors in their sector...ridiculous development. 

 

And it's nothing compared to Amazon.

 

I remember around 1980 I think that Bell (telephone) was broken up. I was a kid so not sure when. They were a corner store compared to Amazon.

 

The corporations largely run the government now...pay for the elections, lobby for laws they need. I guess it's only fitting they're able to do whatever they want. What a mess.

[looking45]

It will be interesting to see what changes occur. Will SW start selling boats? Most

of their stores aren’t big enough. I don’t expect

to see any changes for a year 

[Sphynx]

8 hours ago, schplurg said:

 

And it's nothing compared to Amazon.

 

I remember around 1980 I think that Bell (telephone) was broken up. I was a kid so not sure when. They were a corner store compared to Amazon.

 

The corporations largely run the government now...pay for the elections, lobby for laws they need. I guess it's only fitting they're able to do whatever they want. What a mess.

Bell was one, the AT&T T Mobile merger was next, Facebook is under fire about some acquisitions of late, these things get filtered through...eventually...I just don't enjoy the nature of corporate mentality and the overall world it is creating, I have some other serious gripes with things that are becoming normal these days too, but these positions are inflammatory to many and are not helpful to the discussion of this topic, give it time, you may be surprised what the feds have to say about this 

[Jaderose]

I buy Stik-O's.  That is literally ALL I buy at BPS anymore.  I was recently in the market to stock up on some GYCB Kreatures so I looked at BPS.  9 bucks.  Couldn't believe it.

[WRB]

On 12/23/2020 at 7:56 AM, MN Fisher said:

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

Oldsmobile is no longer a choice substitute Buick an your spot on.?

Tom

PS, buying up competitors is killing the eggs, Sportsman Warehouse will soon be a memory. 

[roadwarrior]

Here in the Mid South SW was never a player in the fishing market.

 

[GTN-NY]

17 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Here in the Mid South SW was never a player in the fishing market.

 

Never heard of them in NY until they bought Field n Stream 

[MN Fisher]

47 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

I buy Stik-O's.  That is literally ALL I buy at BPS anymore. 

Zoom plastics - they got a wider color selection than TW does.

Newest reel - Pres XT Limited for $50.

 

I do like the BPS Extreme Qualifier bags - holds more boxes than the Plano bags in a way that still fits under the center seat of my canoe.

BPS 370 boxes - more compartments than a Plano 3700 - my personal pick for terminal tackle.

 

That's it...everything else I'd need I can get elsewere.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

On 12/23/2020 at 9:12 AM, Johnbt said:

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

I know what your talking about I have a few shelves full of them...Its really a shame that things went the way they did for Cabelas.  I don't know if its true, but the original stores in the Midwest employed large portions of entire rural towns and after the merger most of the original Cabelas employees were replaced with BPS employees.  Whether its true or not in tandem with inflated prices and low quality standards I hesitate to even use my BPS/Cabelas gift cards.   

[swhit140]

11 hours ago, Rusty_Shackleford said:

I know what your talking about I have a few shelves full of them...Its really a shame that things went the way they did for Cabelas.  I don't know if its true, but the original stores in the Midwest employed large portions of entire rural towns and after the merger most of the original Cabelas employees were replaced with BPS employees.  Whether its true or not in tandem with inflated prices and low quality standards I hesitate to even use my BPS/Cabelas gift cards.   

Hedge funds forced Cabela's/Bass Pro merger. In Sidney, NE a lot of people lost their jobs, they had a choice of a severance pay/eventually loose their jobs or forced to move.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Yeah, it was kind of a shady deal, I guess what goes around comes around.  Herters used to be juggernaut and once Cabelas acquired them they put Herters name on the lower grade products.  Its a cut throat bussiness    

[garroyo130]

Don't worry guys, it will all be Amazon soon. And since they allow 3rd party sellers there's no danger in confusing it with a monopoly. 

[slonezp]

On 12/25/2020 at 11:16 PM, Sphynx said:

Bell was one, the AT&T T Mobile merger was next, Facebook is under fire about some acquisitions of late, these things get filtered through...eventually...I just don't enjoy the nature of corporate mentality and the overall world it is creating, I have some other serious gripes with things that are becoming normal these days too, but these positions are inflammatory to many and are not helpful to the discussion of this topic, give it time, you may be surprised what the feds have to say about this 

The feds won't say anything about it. Everyone is on the take.