Quote:
Originally Posted by Muss Muggins
Camping World bought the company out of bankruptcy, and rebranded some Gander Mountain stores as Gander Outdoors. The key was apparently the leases on the respective buildings and whether or not they could be renewed. The Camping World CEO was very critical of the Gander Mountain model, which was to try to be everything to everybody. His goal was to personalize the store inventory to the region the store was serving. Seems like less than half of the former Gander Mountain stores reopened as Gander Outdoors, including the one closest to me in west St. Louis County, still two hours away . . .
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The one up in Charlotte is being converted to a Kohls.
Store inventory wasn't their problem. It was actually a strength. Their problem was national pricing, not local pricing. You have to price competitively in your local market. Cabelas, and especially Academy, took their customers. It was obvious; everyone knew it. Gander was the store of last resort.
I hope this Camping World CEO isn't on the road to the same mistake. There is nothing wrong with regional inventory, but without regional, even local, pricing, he will be wasting lots of capital.