Cabelas RIP

[Stein]

I had an hour to burn yesterday, so I swung into the promised land for a little browsing.  I will admit it is much easier working through the store with half the merchandise they used to have, but I couldn't believe the transformation.  The bargain cave was a shell of it's former glory with the majority of stuff being jeans and shoes.  The rest of the store seemed more of a clothing store with some fishing and hunting stuff thrown in.  No Koke rods in my price range, no 10 mm pistols, no large shrimp bait tubes, so I left with a copy of the Reel News.

I used to love that place and bought a pile of stuff from them, but I don't see a reason to go back.  I still get a catalog from them often, but they seem to forget how to send out sale flyers or coupons and the stuff in the store is way overpriced.  On the way out, I glanced at a shrimp pot that was 20% higher than John's in Everett.

[Karl Blanchard]

They've taken on bass pro pricing and are on a different planet now.  I was a bit desperate for some h4831sc a while back and went into our cabelas.  $38 a pound   or I can go to bimart and get it for $26.  Rest of the stuff is about the same.  I like shopping brick and mortar but when I can get it online, pay shipping, and tax and still get it for less than what the tag on your shelf reads 

[ellensburgpo]

I've basically given up on cabelas unless it's in the online bargain cave or I'm in an absolute bind.  Nothing remotely like the company it used to be unfortunately.

[jeffitz]

I recently had a Cabelas gift card so i went browsing - was tough to find something to buy and eventually ended up getting a box of overpriced .338 Win ammo only because i needed the brass Lol

[boneaddict]

Nothing remotely like the company it used to be unfortunately.

[Cab]

I wonder if they are struggling now after talking on Bass Pro. If they are pushing clothing thats not a good sign generally as that means they are pushing more high margin product to make up for past loses. Thats pretty much how I knew Dicks was in trouble, when they switched to pretty much spandex sports only and stopped selling hard goods as much. As someone that is in that product world and knows their business pretty well I do understand sku reduction because honestly Cabelas has too much crap in it but if they are loosing key items thats not good.

[Mfowl]

I've always preferred Sportco and Sportsmen's Warehouse over Cabelas or Pass Pro. I have seen many of the same items for much less on the shelves of Sportco than the Tacoma Bass Pro. I see no reason to make the extra drive to visit Cabelas any more. Been disappointing for quite some time now.

[Blacktail Sniper]

I recently had a Cabelas gift card so i went browsing - was tough to find something to buy and eventually ended up getting a box of overpriced .338 Win ammo only because i needed the brass Lol

I got a gift card for Christmas, went into the Lacey store several times, very disappointed.  Then I got a letter saying my bonus points would be expiring next month if I didn't use them.

Went in over the weekend and bought a metal detector.  Not something I was really planning on getting, but when all was said & done it was $16.00 & change out of pocket.

I do think it will be fun to play with though, and my card & points are done, so if never go back, won't feel like I am missing or loosing anything.  But I do hope they realize what they had and turn things around...

[Iveexcaped3]

So the story is Mr. Cabelas died Mrs. Cabelas didn’t want to deal with the company so they sold it to the highest bidder being bass pro. If anyone else would have bought them I would probably still shop there because it would probably still be a hunting store. Bass pros model is selling clothing and useless material goods(bedding lamps, etc.). At this point I shop sportsman’s warehouse or online. I hope ours closes and a sportsman’s moves in.

[full choke]

I wonder if they are struggling now after talking on Bass Pro. If they are pushing clothing thats not a good sign generally as that means they are pushing more high margin product to make up for past loses. Thats pretty much how I knew Dicks was in trouble, when they switched to pretty much spandex sports only and stopped selling hard goods as much. As someone that is in that product world and knows their business pretty well I do understand sku reduction because honestly Cabelas has too much crap in it but if they are loosing key items thats not good.

I might be wrong, and am definitely over simplifying it, but the driving force behind all of this was the stock owners. Basically some super rich hedge fund guy owned a bunch of shares in both companies and wanted to maximize his profits. Pretty much straight up Wall Street type stuff. Slash and burn and take out profit where you can- and burn down the rest. Don't be surprised if you see a Cadillac parked out in front of Cabela's at 2am with a couple of Pesci and Liotta types getting ready to torch the place...

[Cab]

I wonder if they are struggling now after talking on Bass Pro. If they are pushing clothing thats not a good sign generally as that means they are pushing more high margin product to make up for past loses. Thats pretty much how I knew Dicks was in trouble, when they switched to pretty much spandex sports only and stopped selling hard goods as much. As someone that is in that product world and knows their business pretty well I do understand sku reduction because honestly Cabelas has too much crap in it but if they are loosing key items thats not good.

I might be wrong, and am definitely over simplifying it, but the driving force behind all of this was the stock owners. Basically some super rich hedge fund guy owned a bunch of shares in both companies and wanted to maximize his profits. Pretty much straight up Wall Street type stuff. Slash and burn and take out profit where you can- and burn down the rest. Don't be surprised if you see a Cadillac parked out in front of Cabela's at 2am with a couple of Pesci and Liotta types getting ready to torch the place...

  too bad Cabelas was always a fun experience

[psr81]

Just to be clear, Bass Pro Shops was and still is a private company owned by the founders.   Cabela’s was a publicly traded company with a floundering stock price where the Board (including Jim Cabela) began pursuing a sale of the company before said hedge fund had amassed a meaningful stake or approached Cabela’s about exploring a sale. 

In the end, the Board for Cabela’s, like every board of directors, is responsible for maximizing long term value for its shareholders, and if that meant selling Cabela’s to the highest bidder, then that is the outcome they must pursue.  Many of you probably owned Cabelas stock somewhere in your 401k/IRA and are better off because of the sale. 

Unfortunately, we are in a very tough period for retail, all our own doing.  Be sure to support small brick and mortar when you can.

[HillHound]

Yeah I’m sure it helped the stock owners in the short term, just like Safeway and Albertsons, sears and kmart, the list goes on. Look at them now, not lookin quite so good. going in to the Yakima Cabelas anymore is a joke. I feel like I’m walking into a lands end or an L.L. Bean store. Seems like it’s about 85% clothing, 10% Fishing, and the other 5% is whatever you used to like buying that has now been replaced with bass pro’s brand.  And when I say clothing, not like their 10 different brands of raingear you could pick from before, more like maybe some yoga pants or a nice new sweater. Just what I’m looking for when I go to Cabela’s. Maybe they’re trying to appeal to the women but if they drive the husbands out of the store they loved it really doesn’t do them any good if they are attracting their new target audience. It is definitely obvious that they have reset the store based solely on margin, not off customer likes, satisfaction, needs. But I guess whatever they have to do in the short term to make stockholders happy for now. But I don’t think I would ride that wave for too long if I was in on it now because I think it’s going to break soon

[magnanimous_j]

Facing the change to the retail landscape, Cabelas took the exact wrong direction. But there is still time to correct course.

If I know exactly what I want, I will go online and find the lowest price and buy it. If I DON'T know what I want, I need a knowledgeable salesman to help me, and I will accept paying more money for it.

Cabelas made really nice stores that were well laid out and nice to shop in, but the prices are high and the employees know nothing. Compare that with REI. I went in there a year or so back because I had no idea how to pick a hiking pack. The guy fitted me for it, explained the different options and I walked out the door happy, knowing full well I paid more than I could have online.

That's what Cabelas needs to do. Ironically, technology and razor-thin margins makes salesmanship even more valuable on the retail level.

[BD1]

They were dead to me a long time ago. In the beginning it was amazing...they are really obsolete now.