Bass pro coming to Bloomington?

Anyone hear about this. Friend sez his company is looking at the old thunderbird motel to be the spot?

It will take tax money from Bloomington to get the deal done. Last time it was turned down.

I recall reading that Bass Pro had signed an option to purchase a site by IKEA at the Mall of America back in about 2007, but then abandoned the option when the recession hit. The initial plan was for a mega-mega store connected to the mall by skyway, but for some reason that never happened.

The last I read was that Bass Pro had re-approached the MOA as part of the Phase 2 expansion currently underway. I have not heard that there was any solid committment in place.

Grouse

Previous attempts failed because BPS was insisting on tax relief. That’s how the big boys roll. If they come in they will be going head to head with Cabela’s and that’s where the MOA would be an advantage luring the tourist in. From my experience not to many serious fisherman would trek to Bloomington and put up with that circus to save a couple of pennies, but who knows.

Let’s see what the Gov. has planned for the surplus in the MN state budget.

FDR

God forbid he save it.

or give it back….. like Jesse did.

I won’t get my hopes up, they just bailed in Duluth a few years ago.

I’ve always wondered why MOA was willing to let BPS into their expansion plans at all. Something about the availability of guns and ammo at the mall that I figured would scare the bejeebees out of a place where shootings have already occurred. I could just see some punk walking into BPS and buying up a couple boxes of 9mm for his buddy waiting down the corridor. Has security really gotten any better down there? I wouldn’t really know as I rarely ever get drug into that place.

Having 3 Cabela’s surrounding the Twin Cities now, I don’t know if I see any advantage to having a Bass Pro Shop around. When I still drove truck over the road, I felt their prices were only equal to higher than that of the Cabela’s I would stop at. Same selections basically but a higher cost on average. I dunno…… I guess I’ve never been impressed any time I’ve been in one. Nice store. Nice people. But not impressed from a fiscal point of view.

Personally, I thought Cabelas made a major mistake by not opening a store MegaWonderLand Store at the MOA. Think about it. Millions of guys every year are bored sh!tless for days while their WAGS and kids shop. Hmmmm. Would they go to Cabelas?

I am CONSTANTLY amazed at the people I meet who go to the MOA regularly just to shop for a couple of days. I was sitting in a pub in Hampshire, England after a day of trout fishing waiting for my wife to pick me up. The guy behind the bar says, where you from, Minnesota etc. 3 guys standing right beside me say, “Oh, our wives go over there once a year to shop, do the spa thing. Been doing it for years.”

Same deal, sitting on lawn chairs outside a motel in Nebraska after a day of varmint shooting. Bunch of people joined us and same conversation. Oh, we go up to the MOA every year with 4 couples and all the kids so they can do their school shopping. The go from Oklahoma to the MOA just to shop. Go figure.

The last time I saw a “plan” for BPS at MOA, they were in a separate new building and only connected to the mall by skyway.

You’re right, Kid, I can’t see the MOA allowing guns and ammo just walking around. I suspect if guns/ammo are available, it will be on some kind of order/pickup basis where you’ll have to drive up to a pickup area to actually get them.

Grouse

“Personally, I thought Cabelas made a major mistake by not opening a store MegaWonderLand Store at the MOA. Think about it. Millions of guys every year are bored sh!tless for days while their WAGS and kids shop. Hmmmm. Would they go to Cabelas”

Exactly… There’s a good opportunity here for all the traffic that comes into MOA. Plus there is no Cabelas within several miles.

I think BPS is waiting for an IDEAL situation to come to Minnesota. Waiting for the tax break is probably part of it. And revenue-wise they are approximately twice the size of Cabelas. Why not wait for the right timing, right turn in the economy, the right tax basis and then upstage Cabelas with the largest and most trafficked store in the land of 11,000 lakes?

Timing and leverage…is how the big boys roll–

From the limited information I’m allowed to say they BPS has looked at a site in St. Cloud right off HWY 10 but is not really interested in that location. I may or may not be pricing the demolition of the old thunderbird hotel along with asbestos abatement and BPS may or may not have an interest in that site. The owner may or may not be also considering another Hotel at that site. Dumb idea.

Long story the Thunderbird is coming down.

Not buying the HWY 10 deal. Not enough traffic there. If you are going to build a big Bass Pro anywhere in Minnesota OTHER then Bloomington just go to Maple Grove and compete head to head with Cabelas.

You really need a Sports Academy…I think. I haven’t been in one yet, but they are building one near me and from the forums down here, it sounds like a good place. I still haven’t been to the Orlando BPS. I really don’t know what the advantage would be, except maybe a slightly bigger selection than the Gander by my house.

Dutchboy wrote:

…just go to Maple Grove…

That would be bad (for my wallet).

mplspug wrote:

You really need a Sports Academy…I think. I haven’t been in one yet, but they are building one near me and from the forums down here, it sounds like a good place. I still haven’t been to the Orlando BPS. I really don’t know what the advantage would be, except maybe a slightly bigger selection than the Gander by my house.

If you haven’t been to BPS yet where did you get that mount you are holding in your Avatar?

Dicks…

Oh, I mean Dick’s.

FryDog62 wrote:

And revenue-wise they are approximately twice the size of Cabelas.

Source?

Im guessing the fellas in La Crosse that are reading this are shaking their heads. Dicks, Blunder Mountain, and a neutered Farm and Fleet.

I know one of the reasons they want a presence here is to sell their boats. Yes, they have other dealers selling Trackers, but there is nothing like the selling them from the mothership.

But I wonder if there is room for them here. I guess they can fill the holes in between the Cabela’s locations so guys will just go to BPS because it’s close. And the bass guys with the bass rigs will start going to them just because it’s kind of a store for them. But beyond that, I really don’t see them taking any big market share. There is no differentiation. Cabela’s just fits MN’s style of fishing and hunting better than BPS. And each have the same high prices.

I wonder if BPS sells ice fishing gear in their northern locations during the winter?

“frydog62 wrote:
And revenue-wise they are approximately twice the size of Cabelas.

Source?”

Fortune, wiki, etc estimate annual revenues at BPS of approx $4.0-4.2 billion and Cabelas approx $2.5-2.7 billion.

I wonder if BPS sells ice fishing gear in their northern locations during the winter?

I know that the Council Bluffs, IA store carries some ice fishing gear during the winter. Their selection was minimal compared to the Cabelas in Omaha, but they did have some. I would assume that a Minnesota location would carry a much broader selection than that though. If they have any intention on competing with Cabelas, they would have to.

queenswake wrote:

I know one of the reasons they want a presence here is to sell their boats. Yes, they have other dealers selling Trackers, but there is nothing like the selling them from the mothership.

And not just Trackers anymore. Since they now own the Ranger boat brand I’m assuming they will eventually stop selling through Cabela’s and start selling through BPS…..

Can’t wait for the new lineup of Ranger Pontoons!

Grouse