It's official - Bass Pro acquires Cabela's

[salvelinus]

http://www.scout.com/outdoors/wired2fish/story/1713214-bass-pro-shops-to-officially-acquire-cabela-s

 

[franklin]

I view this as a bad thing as Bass Pro branded products have generally dropped off in quality the past few years. With the exception of their fishing rods and boats.

There were rumors that the Hamburg store would be consolidated into the Harrisburg store. Another negative in my opinion.

 

[bigjohn58]

franklin wrote:
I view this as a bad thing as Bass Pro branded products have generally dropped off in quality the past few years. With the exception of their fishing rods and boats.

There were rumors that the Hamburg store would be consolidated into the Harrisburg store. Another negative in my opinion.

100% agree with everythign you just said there.

 

[pcray1231]

There are some exceptions, but I generally don't have much that is branded Bass Pro nor Cabelas. Shop at both on occasion but typically get name brand stuff. And both of them sell it.

I do the Cabela's club card and get points and it covers most of my purchases. Press release says that all stays. But for how long?

Also interested in consolidation of stores. I think this will happen. How exactly, I dunno. But, for instance, a Cabelas in Hamburg and in Delaware and a Bass Pro in Harrisburg. That's 3 mega stores within about an hour of each other. I'm not sure how viable that is.

And worse, there are other places where there are Bass Pro's and Cabelas within minutes of each other. I'd think 1 of them has to close.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Big blow to Hamburg. If they go, hard to see many of those other stores staying. Hopefully CI won't follow.

This is bad news. Bass Pro sucks donkey. Cabelas has been a staple for over half a century. But those big stores have so much overhead. I forget what the average consumer has to spend to break even (several hundred dollars), but if you've been to Hamburg during the week, it's a ghost town.

 

[FarmerDave]

I suppose I might be upset if there was a Cabela's nearby, but there isn't.

I used to buy quite a bit of clothing from Cabela's but IMO, that stated going down hill several years ago.Since I had been buying online, I made the switch to LL Bean a few years ago. Prices seem to be a little bit higher, but free shipping and awesome service.

No longer had a need for Cabela's club, so I eventually canceled it. I still get the occasional sales flter though.

 

[nomad_archer]

I agree with the bad news forecast. At least from a consumer stand point. It has been my experience that cabelas typically had better pricing and selection that bass pro. A lack of competition at a national retailer level is going to hurt since I expect cabelas pricing to be adjusted accordingly.

 

[UncleShorty]

Farmer Dave: I agree, Cabela's quality, at least in their outdoor clothing, has been on the slide for years.

Recently purchased a pair of their dry plus pants to replace a pair bought in the late '90's.

I'm still the same size. The 90's coat still fits well.

The new pants, same size as the old ones? Couldn't get them past my hips.

But on the bright side, those children in China need jobs too...

 

[Swattie87]

This stinks. I much prefer Cabelas over BPS.

Of the three stores local to SE PA (Harrisburg, Hamburg, and Christiana) Hamburg is by far the largest and nicest, and should be the flagship for the region. Granted, that’s probably not what will determine which one(s) close from a business perspective.

I don’t see Christiana closing because of the Philly market being so close to there. It’s smaller, and probably less to operate too.

As for the other two, I’d much rather see the Harrisburg location be consolidated into Hamburg than the vice versa. Hamburg is marginally closer to my home, but Harrisburg is minutes from my work…I can get there and back with 30 minutes of shopping time easily on a lunch break. Convenient when I need to pick something up quick. I’d still rather make the drive to Hamburg on a weekend though…much nicer store in a much nicer location.

 

[bigjohn58]

I can't ever see that Bass Pro Shop leaving Harrisburg. The location is too prime with the Susquehanna River there. I never quite understood the Hamburg location (they actually considered McElhattan, PA for the Cabelas location where the failed outlet are. I still have the email they sent me wanting some thought on the location). It is a beautiful store but I also hear those stores NEVER pay off in the long run.

 

[Bamboozle]

Nothing against Bass Pro but there is no comparison between the two in regards to anything except possibly conventional fishing gear which I'll give Bass Pro the edge on.

Bass Pro shops in Harrisburg has a fraction of the camping gear and fly fishing stuff that Cabela's has and I'll take Cabela's branded Chinese crap over Bass Pro branded Chinese crap any day.

 

[pcray1231]

While I live here and can't complain, I always felt SE PA was kind of over represented by these giant outdoor shops. BPS in Harrisburg, Cabelas in Hamburg and another in Christiana. Got Bean in Allentown and KOP, not to mention another in Philly suburbs in NJ and also northern Delaware!

Yet, western PA, where there are also a lot of people and I think a higher % actually hunt and fish, you got, uhhhh. A Cabelas in WV, I guess. Look at Ohio. BPS and Cabelas combined, they got 8 stores! And that's not counting the WV store and Dundee, MI, both just across their border. PA's got 2, both close to each other in SE PA.

Gander Mountain and Dick's new venture "Field & Stream" stores have kind of picked up the slack. Small by comparison but the same clientele. They would be easily crushed by a superstore, though, so they aren't exactly an impediment.

I always thought a Cabelas or BPS would do very well say, in Erie. It's PA's third biggest city and not short on sportsmen, and the S side of Buffalo and E side of Cleveland are also under-represented. Bellefonte would also be a good location, in that stretch where I99 and I80 meet. You grab the Altoona, State College, Williamsport clientele, as well as western towns of Clearfield, Dubois, etc. No shortage of sportsmen in that area. And for the southerly PA folks who travel north for outdoor fun, it puts you on an awful lot of routes.

Even Pittsburgh. I mean, I know the WV store covers S and W of Pitt. But Grove City would be an ideal location, with 79 providing Pittsburgh and Erie people and 80 providing Akron, Youngstown, Clarion, Clearfield, Dubois, etc. Already a huge shopping area for those reasons, and a lot of husbands would go to an outdoors giant while the wives are busy in the outlets.

 

[franklin]

Swattie87 wrote:
This stinks. I much prefer Cabelas over BPS.

Of the three stores local to SE PA (Harrisburg, Hamburg, and Christiana) Hamburg is by far the largest and nicest, and should be the flagship for the region. Granted, that’s probably not what will determine which one(s) close from a business perspective.

I don’t see Christiana closing because of the Philly market being so close to there. It’s smaller, and probably less to operate too.

As for the other two, I’d much rather see the Harrisburg location be consolidated into Hamburg than the vice versa. Hamburg is marginally closer to my home, but Harrisburg is minutes from my work…I can get there and back with 30 minutes of shopping time easily on a lunch break. Convenient when I need to pick something up quick. I’d still rather make the drive to Hamburg on a weekend though…much nicer store in a much nicer location.

The Christiana store is oriented towards salt fishing. The fly section is much smaller than Harrisburg, only has a couple staffers, and is out on the main store isles.

The Harrisburg site where BP is located is poor. Parking and traffic can be difficult during the holiday rush.

A new Gander Mountain just opened up near me and they have also changed for the worse over the years.

 

[pcray1231]

The Christiana store is oriented towards salt fishing. The fly section is much smaller than Harrisburg, only has a couple staffers, and is out on the main store isles.

The Harrisburg site where BP is located is poor. Parking and traffic can be difficult during the holiday rush.

Agree. Christiana Cabelas should be farther down the Delmarva. Dover. Salisbury. Somewhere like that. They're already catering ocean and Chesapeake fishing. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But locate near there. And the BPS in Harrisburg should be Bellefonte or State College, for both hunting and fishing reasons. As it is they're doubling up clientele with the Cabelas in Hamburg, which actually is in a decent location (Allentown, Reading, Harrisburg people).

And something should be further west. As I said I think Grove City would be ideal, for both Erie and N Pitt people as well as the I80 corridor of Akron, OH, over to Dubois. Could argue for Bedford/Somerset area as well, especially if the Harrisburg location goes bye bye.

 

[Camp]

Not a good thing IMO.

I used to be a huge Cabelas fan, but like others have seen a marked decrease in quality over the last 10 years or so.

I don't see this as helping stem the slide. Used to be that the Cabelas branded items were particularly good value.

Did all of my buying with confidence through mail order, never been in a store of either brand.

 

[REDNECK_FLYFISHER]

I just don't see much good coming out of this. When one giant retailer takes over another giant retailer the only thing that happens is cheaper quality items stay and the prices skyrocket. I wasn't really A big fan of Bass Pro but did enjoy my trips to Hamburg, mostly to take the grandkids to the aquarium and get A lunch at Cabelas. I did like the Hamburg fly shop , got lots of Cabelas clothing there too. But with this merger , at least for me, means that the Evening Hatch Fly shop and McConnell's Fly Shop are going to get even more of my business.

 

[steveo27]

I was at the Cabelas in Wheeling on Saturday. Seems their selection has gone down hill in the last few years. The local Field & Stream store seems to carry everything Cabelas carries (minus the Cabelas branded merchandise) safe for a few things.

 

[FarmerDave]

Pat, I didn't even know there was a Cabela's stores in Ohio, let alone 4. But none are close-by.

I looked it up. Also discovered there are 3 bass pro shops in Ohio. The 4th appears to be just a service center. I knew about the big store in Cinci. Didn't know they had 2 stores there.

I agree with you about NWPA could have used one, and that wouldn't have gone unnoticed by me. Heck, I probably spend more money shopping in PA than I do in Ohio.

I used to order stuff from Herter's way back in the 70s. Then I went away to college and simultaneously contracted some strange and dreaded Italian disease called Myfundsarelo.

Years after I graduated, I started buying from Cabelas. Years after that, I realized, same company. Or was it... Cabela's bought out Herters? Can't remember.

 

[FarmerDave]

steveo27 wrote:
I was at the Cabelas in Wheeling on Saturday. Seems their selection has gone down hill in the last few years. The local Field & Stream store seems to carry everything Cabelas carries (minus the Cabelas branded merchandise) safe for a few things.

Was at the Dundee store when it first opened. I was a club member, so I think I got an invitation to attend before the general public was allowed. Long time ago. It was awesome.

I visited the Wheeling store about a year after it first opened hoping for similar experience. It was filthy, especially the food service area. Haven't been to a Cabela's since.

Never been in a BPR.

 

[Bamboozle]

FarmerDave wrote:

steveo27 wrote:
I was at the Cabelas in Wheeling on Saturday. Seems their selection has gone down hill in the last few years. The local Field & Stream store seems to carry everything Cabelas carries (minus the Cabelas branded merchandise) safe for a few things.

Was at the Dundee store when it first opened. I was a club member, so I think I got an invitation to attend before the general public was allowed. Long time ago. It was awesome.

I visited the Wheeling store about a year after it first opened hoping for similar experience. It was filthy, especially the food service area. Haven't been to a Cabela's since.

Never been in a BPR.

One constant in most Big Box environments (whether it is Cabela's or Lowe's) is a BIG SPLASH grand opening with tons of items for sale and reduced inventory and pizazz once they are established.

Regardless of what happens to my local Cabela's and Bass Pro with this merger, I expect a similar NEW grand opening and a return to general suckiness in a year.