Gander Mountain Store in San Antonio Closing

[Lee's Landing Billy]

Opened up here about a year ago. Went once out of curious nature. It's on the main highway leading into Myrtle Beach. One of the busiest roads in the county. When their research folks say there are 1 million people a week passing the front door, they aren't lying. What they don't take into account is that those folks are going TO the beach or going HOME. They wouldn't stop if you were handing out $20s. Most locals stay off 501, but the times I have been by the parking lot looks like a skating rink.

 

[DWalt]

Looks like there is a new Orvis store coming to San Antonio. I don't know much about them. I always associated the Orvis name with high-end fly fishing, not hunting or guns. Except I know of no fly fishing areas anywhere close to San Antonio. So maybe they will have some guns.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Same here... bye bye Gander Mtn.

There's just so much competition in the Chattanooga area. We've got a new Cabela's and Bass Pro, two Academy Sports, Sportsman's Warehouse and Dick's Sporting Goods.

As far as price.. none of them are competitive with online sellers of guns, ammo and accessories unless the price is slashed for a sales flyer to get folks in the front door.

 

[Watchdog]

Looks like there is a new Orvis store coming to San Antonio. I don't know much about them. I always associated the Orvis name with high-end fly fishing, not hunting or guns.

We have an Orvis store here. It's high end stuff, for the most part. I'm talking about $500 hunting boots, for example. And yeah, they do fishing stuff. Also clothes, accessories, hunting dog supplies, etc.

They also sell a high end line of shotguns. They advertise them as custom built and custom fitted to the customer. A $4K over/under isn't unusual.

Their hunting stuff seems mostly geared towards bird hunting...upland and otherwise. I get the idea they lean towards the more gentlemanly aspects of hunting.

Their doubles are made by Arrieta, and their over/unders are made by Caesar Guerini.

I'm thinking most people who shop at GM, Cabela's, and Bass Pro won't shop at Orvis once the novelty and glitter wears off. I wasn't even aware we had a store here until today. I may check it out...it's in a really uppity-posh group of stores on the uppity-posh side of town.

 

[gman51]

I went to gander at the GM near me that's closing to see what was what. Most cars in the parking lot that I had ever seen. While inside I saw very few had any items in their arms. 10% discount signs on most shelves and even with the discount the prices were still high IMO.
Guns and ammo aren't included in the discounts and both are really high priced.
I expect GM will have to discount the merchandise a lot more before they will sell much. Even their closing sale seems higher than competition normal prices. I asked an employee what they will do with merchandise that doesn't sell and he said they will probably keep going to higher discounts. I expect 50% off sale coming before long. He said liquidators will probably get the left overs.
All I can say is GM management still doesn't have a clue as to why they are doing so poorly in sales. When you have to dust off the products that might be a clue you have a problem.

 

[the ringo kid]

They just built one near me. The very first big box type gun store here. Cabela's is closest at 2hrs away and Bass Pro is about the same. So I walked in on their grand opening and wow was I shocked......prices were outrageous. I came and left. Driving by a few weeks ago I decided to just check in and see if it got better. Sadly it didn't. Outrageous prices and some people were actually buying things. Well I know where I won't be spending my money

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Here we dont have any of the above stores but, have a Dicks. Same thing--extremely high prices nd **** for invatory. Like the Romans said: "I came, I saw and ( slightly changing it) I left.

 

[mauser9]

Judging from all the comments here sounds like they will go the way of Sears, J.C. Penney, and Macy's.

 

[Arik]

Here we dont have any of the above stores but, have a Dicks. Same thing--extremely high prices nd **** for invatory. Like the Romans said: "I came, I saw and ( slightly changing it) I left.

I don't count Dicks simply because around here they are mostly a sporting goods/camping store. Firearms are an afterthought. It was like they had extra space and nothing to put there so they got so.e random long guns. The counter is all knives and optics and the wall has shotguns (OU, pump) and rifles (lever, bolt, various 22lr and a few ARs). Nothing I'm interested in.

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[jack the toad]

Not to hijack or drift but since someone mentioned them... even if their prices were any good, Dicks is too PC for me in they have no handguns and IIRC they (for a while) dropped all the "evil" black rifles post sandy hook. With that in mind, I don't patronize them. But I will say that the name is a good fit.

 

[rwt1405]

I remember buying things from Gander Mountain, from their mail order catalog in the 1990's.

I remember them having some good prices and sales back then.

Sorry to hear what they've become.

 

[Texasgordo]

Here we dont have any of the above stores but, have a Dicks. Same thing--extremely high prices nd **** for invatory. Like the Romans said: "I came, I saw and ( slightly changing it) I left.

I have been to the one in New Braunfels and never went back. The horrible selection and prices kept me away.

 

[Texasgordo]

Not to hijack or drift but since someone mentioned them... even if their prices were any good, Dicks is too PC for me in they have no handguns and IIRC they (for a while) dropped all the "evil" black rifles post sandy hook. With that in mind, I don't patronize them. But I will say that the name is a good fit.

That's another reason to stay away from them. To me they are as bad as Cheaper Than Dirt.

 

[StakeOut]

Dick's and Field & Stream are the same company.

They just opened next to each other in the Costco shopping center in Cedar Park TX and are connected in the middle with common to both check out registers.

The F&S part has all the hunting,fishing and shooting stuff>rifles,shotguns,hand guns,ammo,primers,brass,bullets but no powder.

 

[glenncal1]

The closed an older GM near me when they opened a big new one a few miles away. They occasionally (very occasionally) have some ok prices on ammo when it is on sale. I haven't seen really good prices on ammo at any brick and mortar store in a long time. I buy online, shipping runs the same as sales tax roughly and they deliver it to my door. Sportsman's guide had a special on free shipping this week so I ordered some stuff that they had at good prices. It will be here in a few days.

 

[Texasgordo]

This is posted at a Houston area GM.

 

[the ringo kid]

I have been to the one in New Braunfels and never went back. The horrible selection and prices kept me away.

Ive only been in the local one 3 times. 1st time was because I had a $10 cupon and bought 2 boxes of ammo for $20.
2nd time was just to buy a Diet Dr. Pepper.
3rd time just to use the restroom.

Never a 4th visit-at least so far.

 

[muddocktor]

Never been in a GM since they don't have any in Louisiana. Nearest one to me is around Beaumont, TX I believe.

They do have a Dick's/F&S in Lafayette, LA and I went in it a couple months ago and really wasn't impressed. Prices were high to me.

 

[DWalt]

There was a Sports Authority store here which closed last summer, but I was never in it until they started their liquidation sale. I had never associated them with shooting, but they did sell ammunition, and they had it marked down 20%. I spoke to the manager about whether it could be reduced more, and if so, I would buy a large quantity of it. He said his hands were tied, either buy at -20% or don't buy. They never did reduce it further, and much was still remaining when they closed their doors. No idea what happened to it as I think all SA stores nationwide closed. SA was formerly Oshman's.

 

[gman51]

I had totally forgot about Oshman's.I bought a leather jacket and some boots from them back in "83". They were like Academy is now way back then. They used to have a good business so maybe SA ran it into the dirt?

 

[4506517]

I think what you are seeing with Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, Cabelas, etc. is the same problem industry wide in retailing. No matter what they're selling, retail stores are having a difficult time staying open. They built a Field and Stream in my area about two years ago.....it is already closed.

Retailers are having a difficult time no matter what they are selling. Macy's, Sears, JCPennys, etc are all closing stores. A relatively new WalMart in my area was recently shut down....

The internet, and Amazon in particular, is changing the way people shop. Their business model is hard to challenge in terms of margin and profitability. Most business analysts believe there is a glut or surplus of store space in America. However, more is built everyday.

I think what you're seeing is a transformation of the retail industry.