They closed the one closest to me and opened a big store a half hour a way. I went there once after going to the range to get some hunting stuff and some jerk baits. I get there at 9 am and store wasn’t even open yet. That cost them about 50 bucks and I’ll never go there again. The big store seems to have higher prices and less stuff.
The Lakeville store hasn’t change. It is still just as horrible as it always has been since it opened.
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All the guys who have been going to the big box stores for years rather than than supporting the local shops with more than bait purchases are now reaping what they have sown.
If you have a local bait shop that stocks much in the way of other item that you need / want your far luckier than me. I’ve never seen or known a local shop that stocks any of the baits I’m looking for. If I could find one I’d be more than willing to do my buying there. Even if it cost me a little more money.
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I miss working there, it was great talking fishing all the time, but don’t miss the BS part of retail.
I second that. Having worked there I can’t believe that they are still in business. There’s no communication between any of the managers and if there was something it doesn’t get relayed to the sales associate. I NEVER step foot in one anymore unless I need bait for ice fishing and that’s only because it’s on the way to the lake. It takes a lot for me to speak badly about a sporting good store but I can’t think of anything good to say about them.
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If you have a local bait shop that stocks much in the way of other item that you need / want your far luckier than me. I’ve never seen or known a local shop that stocks any of the baits I’m looking for. If I could find one I’d be more than willing to do my buying there. Even if it cost me a little more money.
I know of one local shop that always has everything I need, or is willing to go out of their way to find it, special order it, and even ship it to me to save me the trip.
3 guesses who that might be!
I love Gander Mountain! I love all outdoor sports related stores.
Nothing better than being able to conveniently Hit Gander, Fleet, Dlcks, and Sports Authority in the Lakeville/Burnsville area.!
I don’t need anybody to hold my hand when shopping..I get that on the internet for FREE!
I’m sure if they go out of business you all find something else to complain about…
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3 guesses who that might be!
and the first two don’t count!
Beat me to it Prof!
Never been treated poorly, Gus is and exceptional door greeter. The President of the Everts Resort Welcoming Committee is always around for clean up in aisle 3.
I do have one complaint though, I just never know when the ramps are open for sure or exactly when the fish are bitting. Seems like I always have to call first.
I have never liked Gander Mountain. Staff has been inept, disinterested, and clueless. They have appeared to care less if I was in the store. I don’t need anyone to hold my hand while I shop, but I do have trouble locating things from time to time and a little friendly direction would seem in order. They have also appeared to be over priced as well. Ditto on pricing for Cabela’s.
Part of the problem with all these places is they simply do not pay a living wage. Hard to keep decent help when they are trying to figure out how to eat.
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Part of the problem with all these places is they simply do not pay a living wage. Hard to keep decent help when they are trying to figure out how to eat.
I think you hit the nail on the head.We want cheap prices goods but it costs in service.
I think we tend to paint with a wide brush…when we say Gander Mtn, it includes everybody trying to make a living there, whether they are in a problem store or not….unfair. While the corporate staff may be somewhat inept, let’s leave each store stand on it’s own 2 feet 
I have found the staff in St Cloud, to be knowledgeable, friendly and some of them have been there for years The gun dept has alot of people who have been there since they opened, very knowledgeable. I haven’t been in another GM, but am happy with the one I frequent. They do alot for the area clubs also. I know if you go to a Pheasants or Turkey banquet around here, you always get a $10 gift card, for Gander, not a spend $50, get $10 off, you can go in and buy $10 worth for free 
Everybody gets one in their welcome package. I didn’t think that was a good business move, but hey, I used my $10 
I have been to lots of banquets and have never received anything like that from any other retailer. GM also does all the papering for guns won at our local NWTF banquet…. even if they didn’t buy them all there… as a free service. I think it is important to point ot the good as well as the bad. My .02.
big G 
I agree Big G… The St. Cloud store is hands down the best GM I’ve been to! I now live by Rochester and was excited to see a Gander in town when I moved down. Well, there is only like two employees I will even deal with in that store 
otherwise, the selection is minimal always on ice fishing stuff… But, it is a Minnesota company so I still go there anyway, just don’t spend as much as I could. 
Evert’s is the spot for customer service
Thanks, Dean
About the only reason I step into the LaX Gander Mtn. is for Paul the store Mgr. and Butch the fishing Dept. Mgr. Both guys are top notch and do whatever they can to help. If there’s a question I have, I know Paul or Butch will get me an answer.
I believe an IDO member works at the LaX Gander as well. He’s a pretty good guy too.
Agreed A place like GM or any other, can never take the place of a guy like Dean 
Never been to Everts, but met Dean a few times and chat with him here. Hard to beat
big G
I’m not sure about that ‘Dean’ guy. I hear he keeps eating all of Brian’s cookies. What kind of guy eats another man’s cookies…?? 
That’s what I’ve been talking about Blue!
There’s few that really understand.
On another note, I feel like I’m fairly resourceful, but when I can’t find something I’m looking for Dean has yet to fail me.
When everyone was looking for the Mojo St Croix Rods, only a few knew that Everts had them in stock for well over a month already.
Raps in the Canadian colors I heard, couldn’t be found anywhere…Dean was sitting on a pile of them.
I’m not knocking big box stores, but you’ll never have the personalized service or Gus sniffing your 
like at Everts.
I heard your’s is the only Gus sniffs BK.
Cookie farts???
I have many comments that come to mind, but sometime I have to do what doesn’t come easy for me…and just not respond. 
I’m all for replacing Starbuck’s and putting some kind of a hunting/fishing store on every corner but, I have to concur with a lot of you here. Our Quad City area Gander, well, sucks. 90% of the time, I know what I want or think I need and just want to get it. 90% of the time, I end up buying online–otherwise I settle for “something close” or go without, and pay higher prices for it at a local place. Stock me a store that carries the tackle people want, not what the hottest new color or style is–and by the way, have it carry great bait(whoever heard of a 1″ ‘walleye’sized minnow?) and I’ll be your new best friend and most loyal customer.
Sorry Dean, Evert’s is just too long a round trip for me to make after work! 
Though I’ll be bringing my father in law up to see you in March! 
Just name the cookie…
Dean is too far for me to shop on a regular basis and that is just a shame. Dean is a great guy (and so is Gus). The tackle is just the bonus. 
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Dean is a great guy
Yeah, you tell me that after he steal your cookies. 
If you have a local bait shop that stocks much in the way of other item that you need / want your far luckier than me. I’ve never seen or known a local shop that stocks any of the baits I’m looking for. If I could find one I’d be more than willing to do my buying there. Even if it cost me a little more money.
We all have or had locally owned shops near us that are more than willing to order anything that we can dream up. I think part of the problem is that we have become so used to immediate gratification that the thought of waiting a few days for an item is comepletly foreign to us
I guess I can’t say that I shop Gander all that much, but I have some good friends who work at the Rochester store who are great anglers. I know others in the archery and hunting departments who are in the know too. The Gander’s are not without problems though and the problems are not caused at the local level.
Corporate buyers spell trouble in that they take away from an individual store’s ability to do a good job of stocking tackle that is locally in demand and in sizes/colors that the local anglers want. Gander’s “generalized” merchandising stinks. And the better employess know it, but they have tied hands.
What gripes me the most about our Gander is the layout of the store. I absolutely hate all the clothes right at the front door. Put that crap back in a corner and get the tackle up front with the hunting related stock right next to the fishing stuff. The floor layouts are, again, a product of corporate mumbo-jumbo and are just another thorn in the chain’s side.
Rochester’s Gander is clean and friendly and, as mentioned, staffed by people who are trying to make a living. They try hard to satisfy the public with what they have on hand to work with. I can’t blame anyone at the individual store level for the shortcomings that we see throughout the chain….that’s corporate’s fault. I’ve always found that if I want something specific I need to shop Gander when the transition from one season’s tackle to another is taking place. It seems they will only be able to get so much of any product and after its gone, well…..there’s always Fleet Farm.
Gander’s store hours has been brought up here too. These need to change. One of my biggest beefs with the company is having to wait until 9-9:30 to get in the door to buy something. If the store opened at 8 like normal stores, people needing something to round out a fishing trip would have an extra hour or more to enjoy themselves.
The Owatonna Cabela’s is worse than our Gander when it comes to having what I might want. Sure, they’ll order and ship it directly to me, but if I want it for tomorrow it does little good to me. There too, the clothing is taking center stage when I think it should be at the back of the store.
Fleet Farms have always done me well and I guess I use that place more than Gander and cabelas combined. Fleet is several miles away for me, but nine times out of ten they will have what I am looking for. Prices are generally a bit cheaper than the other two big package shops too.
Like I said, I can’t fault those who work at Gander locally for the short-comings the store has. Its the corporate dorks that make the mess.
Never been to the Roch store, but….. do you not walk in, hang a left for fishing, or a right for hunting ??? In St Cloud, clothing is in the middle, camping/boots behind that.
big G
After about a dozen trips to the Lakeville store I have mixed feelings, 2 maybe 3 times I had sales staff actually come up and ask what they could help me with, the rest I basicily had to fend for myself or go track someone down.
Can’t remember that ever happening at the Owatonna Cabala’s store, always seemed to be someone asking to help.
I tend to drive by GM on my way to Cabala’s now.
Al
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I absolutely hate all the clothes right at the front door.
That’s marketing 101.
The idea is that you might see something you like and buy it although you came to the store for a rap that’s hanging on the back wall.
Dean does the same thing. All the fuchsia metallic Everts hats are under the front counter. Can’t miss them.
Time to shut this post down BK,much to much Gander hating going on and some members work there and are offended.
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What gripes me the most about our Gander is the layout of the store. I absolutely hate all the clothes right at the front door
I agree with BK, I think this is marketing. I also think clothing must have a big mark up and represents big profit because all the stores do the same thing. Clothing must make up half the floor space at Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.
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Time to shut this post down BK,
One bad egg.
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Never been to the Roch store, but….. do you not walk in, hang a left for fishing, or a right for hunting ??? In St Cloud, clothing is in the middle, camping/boots behind that.
big G
Hard left, then a right and a long walk to the fishing gear. Fly fishing at the end of the right turn in the far corner of the store. Hard right and then the left for a long hike to archery in far corner opposite across the store’s back of fly fishing. Guns straight back from the doors. Long walk there too. Boots are just a hard right.
Stuart….I don’t think there are so many Gander haters as there are Gander shoppers that have come away frustrated with the shopping experience.
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