Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Has Cabelas gone down hill?

NDGuy said:
Scheels is just licking their chops at how shitty Cabelas has become.
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Let's just hope Scheel's doesn't sell out a few years down the road. I've been in the store in Reno once and it was quite nice to see the selection they had of hunting stuff that wasn't 99% Redhead brand.
 
Bambistew said:
Cabela's up here is coasting on fumes. Not enough people and too much competition. I think the entire corporate structure was unsustainable given their market share slipping to online retailers and all the competition selling the same things. The only way to stay competitive with a brick and mortar store is to sell cheap garbage with high margins. They're barely a notch above Walmart.

We've had a store here for about 8 years. I've shopped there maybe 5 times, 4 of those times I ended up at sportsmans warehouse or another local store to get what I was looking for. You can't stock a store with items no one uses and expect to stay in business. They have a big selection of fishing stuff, a bunch of cheap clothes and chinese made boots (about 75% of the store) the only thing worth shopping there for is the meat processing items. Everything else is just generic or can be bought elsewhere for less.
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Disagree, I have been to 2 Walmarts in AK both had a surprisingly good selection of sporting goods.

;)
 
As a kid in the 90s I loved the Cabelas catalog. Looked through it and planned all the gear that I would use on adventures one day. We didn’t have a store within several hundred miles and when I was about 25 they built one near me and I was disappointed for sure.
 
The search function on their website is so bad it eliminates things you know they sell. Prices aren’t great...blah blah blah
 
Scheels and online stores is where shop these days. At one time I would stop at Cabelas in Mitchell or La Vista on trips out west and kind of be excited to go in and shop and break up the drive. Now i just drive by. Not worth the time anymore.
 
I disagree a brick and mortar store cannot survive these days: exhibit 1 is Scheels. Do it right and you are fine. If you get rid of most of your inventory in order to stock North Face and yoga pants, you are in trouble. Staff it with people who don't know their craft and you are in trouble. Raise prices to try and compensate for both above and you are in trouble. Stock your store with cheap, house-brand (Redhead) junk and you are in trouble. For Cabelas, that is trouble X 4 and they are toast.

And it saddens me. I used to like Cabelas. Cabelas branded gear always treated me well. Their return policy gave me confidence even if i never returned anything.
 
geetar said:
As a kid in the 90s I loved the Cabelas catalog. Looked through it and planned all the gear that I would use on adventures one day. We didn’t have a store within several hundred miles and when I was about 25 they built one near me and I was disappointed for sure.
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Same exact situation.
 
Gr8bawana said:
Let's just hope Scheel's doesn't sell out a few years down the road. I've been in the store in Reno once and it was quite nice to see the selection they had of hunting stuff that wasn't 99% Redhead brand.
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Agreed I don't see it. They pride themselves on being the best and are enjoying snagging market share while Gander Mtn, Cabelas, Bass Pro go down the turd drain.

Employee owned as well, I'd be surprised if the owners would but hey who knows. Who would they even sell out to?
 
THINKIN6X6 said:
Scheels and online stores is where shop these days. At one time I would stop at Cabelas in Mitchell or La Vista on trips out west and kind of be excited to go in and shop and break up the drive. Now i just drive by. Not worth the time anymore.
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I don't understand the Scheel's love. As I said, Cabelas is a sad shadow of its former self, but is still better than Scheels or sportsman's warehouse or any of the rest.

Ben, shop Duluth Trading.
 
mdhunter said:
The search function on their website is so bad it eliminates things you know they sell. Prices aren’t great...blah blah blah
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Best part about Scheels is they will price match literally any bullshit store you can find on the internet as long as it is in stock and the price includes delivery/fees.
 
geetar said:
As a kid in the 90s I loved the Cabelas catalog. Looked through it and planned all the gear that I would use on adventures one day. We didn’t have a store within several hundred miles and when I was about 25 they built one near me and I was disappointed for sure.
Click to expand...

Trying to dislodge the fall master catalog from the mailbox was a highlight of late summer.
 
wllm1313 said:
Disagree, I have been to 2 Walmarts in AK both had a surprisingly good selection of sporting goods.

;)
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I've been to a couple myself. Amazes me to see the snake bite kit on the shelf! 🤣

I've been to the Anchorage Cabela's as well as the Bass Pro Shop soon after they both opened. Both were nice and we picked up a few things for our cabin. It was a big change from the local Cabela's we've gone to when we walk in and see a stack of crab pots sitting there! Haven't been there in a while now and don't really see any reason to.
 
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