Author Topic: gander mountain to file bankrutcy  (Read 7270 times)

Offline Neil McCauley

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #30 on: Feb 13, 2017, 11:25 AM »
Seems like at some point every summer I need to buy a perch pattern Rapala Dive-To-16 crankbait replacement. I go to Dick's....out of stock. Walmart...yea right. Gander, out of stock. BassPro.com-- backorder. I go to the little bait and tackle shop on the other side of the river and they have 3 of them on the shelf.

These big stores have no interest in knowing what is actually in demand and who their customers actually are. They would rather fill 20 clothes racks with Duck Dynasty shirts made in China than pay attention to what lures and items are hot.

/rant

Offline RapShack

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #31 on: Feb 15, 2017, 01:27 AM »
It probably doesn't help that this is the age of online shopping and Gander's website is basically a digital dumpster fire.  If they are going to restructure they should start by canning everyone associated with it and start over. 
I'm a man, but I can change, If I have to, I guess.

Offline 52isntbigenough

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #32 on: Feb 15, 2017, 07:26 AM »
It probably doesn't help that this is the age of online shopping and Gander's website is basically a digital dumpster fire.  If they are going to restructure they should start by canning everyone associated with it and start over.

I do web orders for customers probably 2-3x a week, mostly guns, and don't see too many issues. The problem lies in that GM does orders, but the product comes directly from the MFGs. You have little control over their on-hand inventory, thus we see a lot of cancelled orders on items because the vendor runs out. While it's smart not to have the overhead in inventory, it does screw customers over when they have to cancell orders.

Offline RapShack

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #33 on: Feb 15, 2017, 07:49 AM »
That's not what I'm talking about at all, the few times I've had to order off the website my orders showed up just fine and all that.  My issue is that they are light years behind pretty much everyone else in their website design and inventory management.  One of the main reasons I end up on a retailers web site is to check prices and on hand inventory for my local store.  Everybody from Farm & Fleet to Walmart I can pop on and see the full range of product and what is on hand in a matter of seconds.  If the local store doesn't have it, I just place an order and get it delivered or shipped to store.  The Gander website is so bad that as far as I can tell most of the products they sell in the stores you can't even buy online.  Example: Go on the Gander sight and do a search for "Northland".  See anything(s) missing?  Go to Cabelas and click the link to their Ice fishing section and browse around a bit, then go to Gander and do the same.  There is a boatload of money they leave on the table by simply not having the products available for online purchase or ship to store.
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Offline slamminsam

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #34 on: Feb 15, 2017, 07:59 AM »
Gander, Cabela's, even Bass Pro... really wouldn't bother me if they all went under. They now have only 3 basic categories of products: 1) Chinese-made junk, 2) Ridiculously over-priced, 3) Permanently out-of-stock.
x2   online stores have hurt these guys the most IMO...the economy dictates what we the consumer do with our money...and if finding the best price online is the way to go, then so be it.  Times are tough and what little "expendable" money we have, we gotta do our homework to buy more toys.
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Offline Kobey

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #35 on: Feb 15, 2017, 08:23 AM »
I can imagine the struggles that brick & mortar stores face.  The rent in a mall is probably outrageous, plus staffing costs.  With online, they just need people to pull the items off the warehouse shelves and box them up.  That keeps costs down.

I remember the days when the people that worked in a store were knowledgeable about their products.  Now they mostly just hire people that can look things up on a computer.  Have you gone to an auto parts store lately?  I don't think very many of them could even change their own oil.



Offline 52isntbigenough

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #36 on: Feb 15, 2017, 09:17 AM »
That's not what I'm talking about at all, the few times I've had to order off the website my orders showed up just fine and all that.  My issue is that they are light years behind pretty much everyone else in their website design and inventory management.  One of the main reasons I end up on a retailers web site is to check prices and on hand inventory for my local store.  Everybody from Farm & Fleet to Walmart I can pop on and see the full range of product and what is on hand in a matter of seconds.  If the local store doesn't have it, I just place an order and get it delivered or shipped to store.  The Gander website is so bad that as far as I can tell most of the products they sell in the stores you can't even buy online.  Example: Go on the Gander sight and do a search for "Northland".  See anything(s) missing?  Go to Cabelas and click the link to their Ice fishing section and browse around a bit, then go to Gander and do the same.  There is a boatload of money they leave on the table by simply not having the products available for online purchase or ship to store.

Gander keeps all their baits separate from ice fishing. Which to me is a huge mistake, I 100% agree. When I shop for ice stuff, I want all the ice stuff in one spot. I did a search for Northland on the home page and had no issues fining them though......


Offline mjk67

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #37 on: Feb 15, 2017, 09:28 AM »
There was a time when a parts store employee could also raise a family and own a house.  They were knowledgeable, and cared about being up to speed with the industry.  When you pay someone $11.00, that knowledge moves into different areas...



I can imagine the struggles that brick & mortar stores face.  The rent in a mall is probably outrageous, plus staffing costs.  With online, they just need people to pull the items off the warehouse shelves and box them up.  That keeps costs down.

I remember the days when the people that worked in a store were knowledgeable about their products.  Now they mostly just hire people that can look things up on a computer.  Have you gone to an auto parts store lately?  I don't think very many of them could even change their own oil.

Offline hays47

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #38 on: Feb 15, 2017, 09:29 AM »
When I was younger and hunted and fished both. Partners and I often dreamed of owning and operating our own Bait, Tackle and gun shop.
We all had good paying jobs in steel fabrication or auto industry. As the rust belt caught up to us the three of us all became unemployed rather suddenly. One responded by becoming a drunk. The other fella and I decided to make our dream come true.

We started wholesaling bait and tackle at first. Then purchased a retail store. We survived for about 12 years. In that time I never put in longer hours for so little pay. Last 4 years I was by myself as partner could no longer afford to go without a paycheck during the winter months.

Some of our problems like detours ( road construction and bridge replacements ) bad weather during our normal best retail month ( May ) and always being short of cash. During these 12 years I hunted and fished very little as we had to be open. The Sunday before the first day of deer season was always a madhouse. You would not believe how many guys wait until the last minute to get prepared. Then when we would run out of anything. Customers would get upset at us for their lack of planning. This might be the only day out of 365 days a year we would see these people.

Just letting some of you know that running one of these operations is not as easy as you would think. I know because I thought it would be that easy. For instance if you stock too much ice fishing equipment one year. Then that year has no ice or very little. The spring fishing stock takes a hit because you don't have the same investment capital.

We did everything we could think of to draw customers in. Rod and reel repair , Coleman lantern repair and gun repair and light gunsmithing. That we survived longer than two years was amazing.Customers loved our repair capabilities but bought retail elsewhere. Tackle trade shows , K-mart ,Bass Pro , Cabelas. Regardless how early we opened. We constantly heard that we should open earlier. Yet the amount of business we did prior to 8 AM was pitifully tiny. When we opened at 4 AM. We tried to survive on about 4 hours of sleep a night. Finally decided to go with 7:30 AM opening time and stuck to it.

During my 10th year of operation I got a job at a electrical generation coal fired plant. After two years of doing both job and business. I had paid off all my business debt and decided to close store. My dream had become nothing more than a nightmare. I had some fun and met some great people. But I would never do it again regardless of circumstances.

I have had other people ask for advice on how to open and operate a business of this type.  My first word out of my mouth is " don't ". Some listened and some did not. Only one is still in business. He started out as retail. Then became wholesale and retail. Then wholesale only. He used to be a pleasant guy to fish and chat with. Last time we had a conversation he was so negative and grouchy that was enough for me.

In closing if anyone thinks there is a fortune to be made. If you have lots of money to lose and don't care how little rest time you can get. Have at it. The reason the brick and mortar stores do not have knowledgeable staff. The smart ones have figured out you never make your hobby your business. They are out hunting and fishing the same time that you like to go.






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Offline 52isntbigenough

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #39 on: Feb 15, 2017, 09:38 AM »
There was a time when a parts store employee could also raise a family and own a house.  They were knowledgeable, and cared about being up to speed with the industry.  When you pay someone $11.00, that knowledge moves into different areas...


Last I heard we had about 7000 employees and only about 3000 were full time.  Unless you're a store manager or a dept manager, you're going ot have a an awfully hard time of making a go of it.

Offline RapShack

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #40 on: Feb 15, 2017, 09:56 AM »
I did a search for Northland on the home page and had no issues fining them though.....

What I meant was take a look at what's online, and take a look at what's hanging on the racks at your store.  Virtually none of their ice lures are online.  No Buckshots, no Forrage Minnows, none of the lipless cranks, none of the impulse plastics, can't find the VMC rattle spoons or ANY of the Clam branded jigs.  And that's just a quick couple minutes of searching off the top of my head.
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Offline Ketchan Raleese

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #41 on: Feb 15, 2017, 10:33 AM »
They should be called a "sporting fashion" store. 10 times the space devoted to Under Armor and Columbia than actual "sporting Goods". Is a real hunting and fishing store actually fiscally impossible?
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Offline 52isntbigenough

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #42 on: Feb 15, 2017, 12:28 PM »
They should be called a "sporting fashion" store. 10 times the space devoted to Under Armor and Columbia than actual "sporting Goods". Is a real hunting and fishing store actually fiscally impossible?

The margin on clothes and shoes is upwards of 300%. Fishing electronics...20%.

Offline mjk67

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #44 on: Feb 15, 2017, 07:14 PM »
Exactly!  I worked for a Kohls distribution center years ago in College. Found an invoice on a shipment of Air Jordans and Nike T shirts.  I was floored..

The margin on clothes and shoes is upwards of 300%. Fishing electronics...20%.

Offline big bass bowman

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #45 on: Feb 16, 2017, 07:22 AM »
Pulling ice fishing gear off the shelf for spring time fishing in early February has to be dumbazz women running the show but I guess they need more room for over priced clothing :-\
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Offline wallyworld

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #46 on: Feb 16, 2017, 07:53 AM »
Pulling ice fishing gear off the shelf for spring time fishing in early February has to be dumbazz women running the show but I guess they need more room for over priced clothing :-\
Excuse me ??? ???

Offline Kobey

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #47 on: Feb 16, 2017, 07:55 AM »
Everybody Duck!

Offline 52isntbigenough

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #48 on: Feb 16, 2017, 07:58 AM »
Pulling ice fishing gear off the shelf for spring time fishing in early February has to be dumbazz women running the show but I guess they need more room for over priced clothing :-\

GM usually keeps some sort of assortment for ice until local game fish seasons come close to ending. My store still has augers, electronics, accessories, rods, tip-ups....it's Feb 16th.

Offline AriettaBob

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #49 on: Feb 16, 2017, 08:59 AM »
Pulling ice fishing gear off the shelf for spring time fishing in early February has to be dumbazz women running the show but I guess they need more room for over priced clothing :-\

They'll let anyone in here!

Offline buck05

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Re: gander mountain to file bankrutcy
« Reply #50 on: Feb 16, 2017, 09:26 AM »
Our local one is shutting down this sat. Mark :tipup:

 



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