What's up with Cableas & Bass Pro

I read an article some weeks ago that stated bass pro would basically leave cabals alone to keep doing their own thing. Smart move in my book.

VoodooMountain said:

I read an article some weeks ago that stated bass pro would basically leave cabals alone to keep doing their own thing. Smart move in my book.

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I heard this too. Cabelas definitely has better clothing than Bass Pro.


I read that there was monopoly type problems with them merging.


Also, with Gander declaring bankruptcy I read that that might also effect this merger.

I hope the deal falls through. I really like the Cabela's by me, but the local Bass Pro can suck it!

Actually, it looks like it's still moving forward.

http://www.omaha.com/money/cabela-s...cle_592b7b9a-23ae-11e7-8def-8765faada1fd.html

Cabela's is a great place to look at a product and decide if you want it, then buy it elsewhere for much less.

Article in this morning's Wall Street Journal stating that one of the regulatory roadblocks related to Cabela's banking business has just been resolved. Seems that the merger is still going ahead.

Went to a Cabela's in SC the only one I've ever been in. That store had all the Bas Pro stores I've been to (3) beat hands down. The only trouble with both of them are their prices. Of course the only stuff I look at in these stores is shooting and fishing stuff. Don't know about all the other stuff.

Who really cares? Like someone already said, I use both stores for looking at and checking out something I am interested in. If I like the item, I then buy it somewhere else, usually online, at half their price or there about.

tsieger wrote:
And will Cabela's stores just be re-purposed as BPS, or just kept as Cabelas?

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I haven't seen anything in any of the filings about how BPS would handle the merger. If you look at the distinct format of each brand's stores - BPS stores devote a significant amount of square footage to non-retail displays to create an "ethos" to help justify the higher prices they charge - that unless and until similar changes could be made to the acquired Cabelas stores, simply sticking a BPS sign in front of a former Cabelas would risk "diluting" the BPS brand. So, it seems likely BPS would - at least in the near-term - continue to operate the Cabelas stores separately from BPS.

For the long-term, it seems there are three possible outcomes:

• BPS continues to operate Cabelas as a separate unit benefitting from the increased buying power of the combined operation.
• BPS converts some Cabelas to BPS stores and closes the ones that compete directly with BPS stores.
• In recognition that the format of the Cabelas stores are more conventional than BPS stores and may not be amenable to retrofitting to bring them up to BPS standards, BPS rebrands unconverted Cabelas as "BPS Express" stores or some such similar thing.

I'm not going to speculate on which way they might go. Over the years BPS made some moves that didn't, to me, seem consistent with their brand, but their management has so far been "crazy like a fox" so I'll just sit back and watch the maestros perform.

JohnnyFlake wrote:
Who really cares?

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I do.

Using retail stores as "showrooms" for unaffiliated on-line retailers ultimately dooms the retail stores.

tsieger said:

Saw an article today about Cabelas selling to Bass Pro - but it's the first I've heard of anything in months. Is this thing happening? And will Cabela's stores just be re-purposed as BPS, or just kept as Cabelas? Anybody know anything about this?

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Do a search on the subject . Current information available.

Cabela's, LL Bean and Eddie Bauer used to be the names that outdoors men could count on for quality, the fact that they're in decline or gone already speaks volumes for anything retail that ain't Amazon.

The Cabela's here in Denver has decent advertised ammo deals that I take advantage of, but their gun selection is limited and prices are high. I never see decent ammo deals at the Bass Pro Shop in Denver, their gun selection is ridiculously more limited than Cabela's and prices for what they do have are significantly higher than Cabela's, at least $50.00 more for a Gen3 G-19. It's hard to imagine that both locations will still exist after the BPS acquisition of Cabela's, and I can't imagine that the net result will be a better firearms selection at better prices, but hopefully I'm wrong!

hdwhit said:

I do.

Using retail stores as "showrooms" for unaffiliated on-line retailers ultimately dooms the retail stores.

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A lot of people don't realize it yet, or maybe wont accept it yet, but certain classes of retail stores are already dead, it's just that they too, don't get it yet!

If you want to pay crazy prices to support your local big name retailer, so be it! I have worked very hard for what little money I have and I'm not throwing it away!

Cabela's and BPS target market shifted when they started building retail stores from serious outdoors types, hunters, fishermen etc. to more urban, style/trend oriented people.
That isn't a criticism of anyone, just an observation.
I and most serious old school hunters don't care about the latest 3D Super anti UV exclusive mossy forest camo pattern. Some people do and in fact just having the newest products is their hobby.
It worked for both stores for a long time but now with rising and different competition they will have to adapt or decline.

Neither are in practical driving distance from me. I support the local "mom & pop' gun stores FIRST. There are half a dozen within an hour of my house. I shop at GANDER second as they usually have a little more variety and they DO price match. LASTLY, third - I shop on line. This is not really the way I want to go for the future. It can't be all about money. I need some customer support and human faces with whom to address my problems and conversation.

JohnnyFlake said:

Who really cares? Like someone already said, I use both stores for looking at and checking out something I am interested in. If I like the item, I then buy it somewhere else, usually online, at half their price or there about.

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Then I guess you can't complain when they close.

I find that I can buy from both stores when they put stuff on sale and they have good sale prices quite often . I prefer Cabela's clothes and BassPro for most other things , but only on sale .

I talked to couple of BPS employees and they say that not much will change at Cabela's. But, the BPS folks also said that Cabela's invested heavily in guns and that it has not paid off for them. If that is true, it's hard to imagine that their way of doing business with guns will not change. When Cabela's in KC first opened it was loaded with paying customers. I could always find bargains and good sales. They would send out coupons good for $100 off and purchase of over $500. With that coupon I bought 3 new guns and couple of scopes. But, they quit doing that along with other incentives that brought in customers. Now when I go to the store, the crowd size is down. The prices on the clothes, especially good camo, is just north of ridiculous. Like most of you guys, I buy some stuff on line and at other shops, but, still buy from Cabela's and BPS when I need to. It's a tough competitive market out there.

As of now, the deal between Bass Pro and Cabelas fell through. Can't tell you how I know. But I know.

BigBore44 said:

As of now, the deal between Bass Pro and Cabelas fell through. Can't tell you how I know. But I know.

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Do you know why it fell through?

Aim1 said:

Do you know why it fell through?

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I know of two main reasons. But it really isn't something I'm at liberty to discuss. No im not a power player. No I'm not a lawyer. No im not corporate. But it's more than what in the article tsieger posted.