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Post by MK-M-GOBL on Dec 3, 2010 15:43:34 GMT
On several of my trip to PA (spring turkey or deer) I've stopped over the years at Gander Mountain to pick up last minute things (license & ammo ) that I couldn't get or find here in NH. That store is pretty well set up for any die-hard sportsmen They've been around for years & kind faded away a little. Then they seem to be back in the last 6 years & looking pretty good. Now not to take away from the local hunting shops around here where I like to shop but I wish there was one close by for those hard to find things that shops don't carry. Has anyone been to one or shop Gander?
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Post by bassandbucks on Dec 3, 2010 17:19:27 GMT
I shop Gander Mountain online all the time...Since they are not in the area I have been unable to visit a store. But I have nothing but great things to say about gander mountain...pretty good selection of item online with reasonable prices and ALWAYS free standard shipping. They get my business quite often and highly reccomend them
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Post by NHGriff on Dec 3, 2010 18:14:51 GMT
I worked for Gander from 1991 to 1995. Back then the catalog business was bigger than the retail stores. Our annual Fall catalog made over $250 million alone. The annual revenue was over a billion much of which came from reloading materials. That was the original base of the business. Then in 1993 there was a shift to move into more brick and mortar locations and the catalog suffered from inventory shortages. Well you know how you hate to have stuff on back order especially during the season. All of the inventory we had bought for catalog was going into the retail spaces to make the bottom line look good. The CEO and CFO were crooks and just looking to make a quick buck.
The company was taken public with Goldman Sachs and within 1 year we were sold in a bankruptcy auction with the catalog going to Cabelas and the retail and naming rites going to a company in Minn that also owned Holiday Gas stations. It is back trading public and now has 116 stores and seems to enjoy locations in small markets where they don't compete with Cabelas or Bass Pro.
They are firmly in the hook and bullet business and still understand that market better than anyone. You don't get all of the show and frills like at a Cabelas, just quality products at good prices by people who love the outdoors.
A good friend of mine is working for them out in St. Paul now as the VP of sourcing. She mostly works on apparel and outerwear with the Gander Mtn label on it. The private label is growing but still is not as strong or good in quality as the branded product they carry.
Tom, You'll be happy to know that PA was the state with the most orders followed by Texas when I was working for them.
I left Wisconsin after the bankruptcy and moved on to Victoria's Secret. Imagine the culture shock there! When I had to put on a suit and be the only straight guy in the office.
So there you go..everything you ever wanted to know about Gander Mtn.
Now I need to call up my friend and order up some ice fishing stuff that she can get her discount on!
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Post by MK-M-GOBL on Dec 3, 2010 21:01:53 GMT
WOW I figured PA would be up there seeing I pass by a dozen of them in my travels. Their stores are not real fancy like you said Jim. The one I stopped outside of Harrisburg had an old beat up & crack concrete floor which meant nothing to me seeing I was only looking for ammo & a license. As for mounts & displays, I went there & saw them once but in my last four stop to Cabela's...their old news. So can she get my wife a good deal on the Marcum Showdown Fish-finder? bassandbucks...I didn't realize that they had free shipping. But then I've only looked at the store when I know I'm heading back home & can stop in. Good information to know
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danf
Poult
Transplanted BOILERMAKER
Posts: 403
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Post by danf on Dec 4, 2010 0:16:40 GMT
From my limited experience with them in Indiana (and from what I've gathered from others that have shopped the stores there), they tend to be overpriced on many things, selection tended to be better at Dicks, and finding someone in the store that knows what the difference is between a 12 gauge and a 20 gauge or the difference between a fly rod and a spinning combo can be nearly impossible on a consistent basis. It may just be the individual stores back home though. As for reloading stuff- they were never a consideration when I bought any. It was usually cheaper to order from Midway (even with the (un)fair shipping charges....) than it was to buy directly in the store. It was certainly a sad day when Sportsmans Warehouse in Lafayette closed- that is where I went most of the time. I know there used to be a Sportsmans in PA, but not sure what happened to that one since a bunch of them closed down at the same time.
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Post by MK-M-GOBL on Dec 26, 2010 0:32:51 GMT
Well Gander Mountains mail service gets a huge F- from me This was the first & DEFINITLY the last time I will order anything from them ever again. Melis ordered my Showdown back in early December…the 8th. It was NOT on back order & it took them until December 21st to ship it. So, now according to Fed Ex (the best & fastest delivery services in America…NOT!!) tracking number, my Showdown fishing finder is freaking sitting in a freaking Fed Ex shipping warehouse in St. Paul Minnesota. To boot, Gander Mountain has now stop replying to my wives email trying to inquire about what’s going on! I guess it’s out of their hands now so F the customer
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Post by NHGriff on Dec 27, 2010 14:28:12 GMT
Brookstone and the Gap screwed my G/F this year as well. She ordered way early and Brookstone completely sent the wrong size and an incomplete order. Then when she called them they took forever to get her a return authorization. Very frustrating for her. Gap claims they sent it but they use a combination of Fed Ex and USPS and that never seems to work. Fed Ex says the Post office has it and they say they don't. Either way the customer is left screwed.
Gander should stick to brick and mortar stores, they do that best, everyone thinks that they should be on the web but it's a totally different retail environment.
I think a lot of retailers took a wait and see policy on inventory and didn't want to overextend themselves. Sales were higher than expected and everyone was inventory cautious.
I bought a 54" Panasonic 3D Plasma on black friday from Best Buy and it still has not showed up. The sales guy has been good though and got me a deal on a PS3 Move for the kids so I know it's Panasonics fault but still a disappointment under the tree. So not a good year for us...the only one that has been awesome this year was Zappo's and Amazon. Both get 5 stars from our family.
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danf
Poult
Transplanted BOILERMAKER
Posts: 403
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Post by danf on Dec 27, 2010 15:30:43 GMT
The few times in recent memory that I've ordered anything that is shipped to the local PO for final delivery it has come through fine. I don't know how long the common carriers have been doing it but it seems like only a few years. It's an added frustration when you are tracking the package, 'cause once it hits the local PO the tracking is essentially done.... But it seems like it always shows up the next day.
Best Buy, don't get me started on them. The ONLY way I'll shop there is if its something small and NO ONE else has it. They lost my business almost 3 years ago when we bought my wife's laptop and the entire debacle with it.....
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