Predicting Cabela's will be gone by year end

Cabela’s has a sale on most of their ice fishing products so I bought a few things. This is what I noticed:

1. When looking at some of my past Cabela’s orders, some products had pictures and some had “Bass Pro Shops Image Coming Soon”.

2. I had to update my password and noticed it said “email and password will now work on Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops”.

3. The most recent flyer I received had Bass Pro Shops products outnumber Cabela’s products 70% to 30%!

I think we all knew it was coming. I predict Cabela’s will be no more by the end of the year. I remember as a kid getting the Cabela’s catalog and looking through every page and dreaming when I could afford to buy some of their products.

Reed’s and Scheel’s have gotten the majority of my business now, plus the Scheel’s in Eden Prairie is about 1/4 the distance as the Roger’s Cabela’s.

Interesting. Do you think they’re going to remodel their retail stores and completely remove the Cabela’s brand name and logos too and turn them into a BPS? That seems expensive.

I only hope that they keep some of the Cabela’s products and just rename them to the Bass Pro brands. Many of the Cabela’s stuff is just higher quality. I’m thinking like their camp kitchens, outfitter tents, duffels, etc.

Chevrolet & GMC run under the GM corporation. No reason Cabelas & Bass Pro won’t run under Jonny Morris corporation or White Water or whatever the holding company is.

It’s a non-issue. I hardly ever go into either. If Reeds, Scheels or the local guy doesn’t have it I don’t need it.

Good riddance. That store is embarrassing now days

gimruis wrote:

Interesting. Do you think they’re going to remodel their retail stores and completely remove the Cabela’s brand name and logos too and turn them into a BPS? That seems expensive.

Eventually they will but it will take time. Maintaining two brands that have no real distinguishing qualities is very expensive.

The automakers do it because different brands have different equity with buyers but we saw Pontiac, Buick, etc go away. They were too similar to Chevy. GMC has equity as a luxury brand so they choose to keep it.

Dutchboy wrote:

Chevrolet & GMC run under the GM corporation. No reason Cabelas & Bass Pro won’t run under Jonny Morris corporation or White Water or whatever the holding company is.

It’s a non-issue. I hardly ever go into either. If Reeds, Scheels or the local guy doesn’t have it I don’t need it.

well when you get into ice fishing……

Matt Moen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Interesting. Do you think they’re going to remodel their retail stores and completely remove the Cabela’s brand name and logos too and turn them into a BPS? That seems expensive.

Eventually they will but it will take time. Maintaining two brands that have no real distinguishing qualities is very expensive.

The automakers do it because different brands have different equity with buyers but we saw Pontiac, Buick, etc go away. They were too similar to Chevy. GMC has equity as a luxury brand so they choose to keep it.

Matt, Buick still exists… I agree with the OP that they will eventually phase out Cabelas.

Regardless, I use to buy a lot of stuff at Cabelas but think it is a joke now also. I now go to Fleet Farm, Scheels, Reeds, Thorn Brothers, Capra’s and other more local vendors much more often. I wont miss Cableas or BPS one bit as the current Cableas stores in my area are already changed in layout to make room for the Tracker/Nitro junk, should just be simply changing signage and logos.

Cabela’s house brands have been in decline for a long time. Their synthetic top hunting boots used to be made by Rocky, their boots have been awful for many years. Meindl made their leather boots at one point, no longer true. Cabela’s chamois and flannel shirts used to be top notch. Now the chamois and flannel are Kleenex-like. The rate of decline has varied by product line but I no longer will buy any of their house brand products.

Does it really matter what brand name they go by? Most everything they carry been made overseas for several years now.

I predict I won’t go back to Cabellas. Like ever.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Good riddance. That store is embarrassing now days

Seriously. If you’ve been into a Cabela’s lately you know that The Cabela’s we all grew up with is already dead and gone.

James Holst wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
Good riddance. That store is embarrassing now days

Seriously. If you’ve been into a Cabela’s lately you know that The Cabela’s we all grew up with is already dead and gone.

I see you’re working hard for that Cabelas sponsorship.

munchy wrote:

I see you’re working hard for that Cabelas sponsorship.

The last time I was in the store in Rogers I was a combination of dismayed and depressed. I can remember what it used to be.

Few corporate takeovers are ever satisfying to both sides. I have always been a big Cabela’s fan but it is what it is.

If I remember correctly, they recently purchased Sportsmans Warehouse also.

James Holst wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>munchy wrote:</div>
I see you’re working hard for that Cabelas sponsorship.

The last time I was in the store in Rogers I was a combination of dismayed and depressed. I can remember what it used to be.

I’ve been saying that for at least 10 years. They started failing around the same time as Gander.

Matt Moen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Interesting. Do you think they’re going to remodel their retail stores and completely remove the Cabela’s brand name and logos too and turn them into a BPS? That seems expensive.

Eventually they will but it will take time. Maintaining two brands that have no real distinguishing qualities is very expensive.

The automakers do it because different brands have different equity with buyers but we saw Pontiac, Buick, etc go away. They were too similar to Chevy. GMC has equity as a luxury brand so they choose to keep it.

Wait…. Buick went away ? Maybe you mean Oldsmobile ?

Although I try to support the local guys in town as much as I can with Capra’s and Thorne Bros being my favorites in the metro & Reeds and Marine General being the favorites outside of the metro, I have to give credit where it’s due and say that Gander has done a surprisingly good job in keeping up with a variety of fishing inventory as of late. Scheels will always be my #1 when I turn to a big box stores but Gander has been a pleasant surprise.

James Holst wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
Good riddance. That store is embarrassing now days

Seriously. If you’ve been into a Cabela’s lately you know that The Cabela’s we all grew up with is already dead and gone.

Definitely agree, it’s been rough for a while now. Sad to see what they have become.

Good Cabela’s is lame

I’ve been in the Rodgers one and Woodbury a few times in the past 2 years, typically if I’m working near them. Of the 6 times I’ve gone. I have not bought anything but the licorice, and I feel like thats worse then I remember as well. And that says alot. I buy stuff everywhere and anywhere I go.

What is this Cabela’s you all are talking about? Just kidding! They are now just a mere image of what they were! Their product is no longer what it used to be. Their clothing was top notch. Scheel’s, Reed’s, and L&M Fleet are my go to stores now! I am very thankful that L&M opened a great store in TRF!

Cabelas still carries a wider variety of fishing tackle, line, rods, and reels than anyone I know of near me (Rogers). Scheels might be a close second. Fleet Farm and Dicks aren’t even close. FF has better prices but minimal inventory because no one is stocking their shelves. Dicks is generally more expensive but they will price match.

That being said, when I needed something this past fishing season, NO ONE had product. Empty shelves, bare pegs. So I had to buy items online, which I don’t care for because I don’t like paying for shipping or waiting for it to arrive.

I have not been in Cabelas since September so I can’t comment if their inventory has been restocked since summer. I went into a Dicks Sporting Goods and they were restocked with everything now. Just my personal observation.

I stopped by the Rogers location last weekend to look at underwater cameras. They had just one single Aqua Vu sitting out, no price, no info, no other cameras around. Pretty pathetic and I walked out without buying a thing.

i have some gift cards for cabelas…..i want 2 get 2 new scopes……thats where i plan on getting them so i hope like heck they hang on fer a while. kinds waiting for maybe a build up of inventory. i had looked at scheels right after rifle season and during muzzy season, they where picked over pretty well.

This wasn’t really too hard to predict. What next will JM drive into extinction? The quality of Ranger boats Forrest Wood spent a lifetime establishing? Sure miss my 40 minute drives to check out Owatonna’s bargain cave. Oh for the “deals” those Cabela bucks could afford.

I sure miss the good ole cabela brand clothing.

gimruis wrote:

Cabelas still carries a wider variety of fishing tackle, line, rods, and reels than anyone I know of near me (Rogers). Scheels might be a close second. Fleet Farm and Dicks aren’t even close. FF has better prices but minimal inventory because no one is stocking their shelves. Dicks is generally more expensive but they will price match.

That being said, when I needed something this past fishing season, NO ONE had product. Empty shelves, bare pegs. So I had to buy items online, which I don’t care for because I don’t like paying for shipping or waiting for it to arrive.

I have not been in Cabelas since September so I can’t comment if their inventory has been restocked since summer. I went into a Dicks Sporting Goods and they were restocked with everything now. Just my personal observation.

Agreed.

Not sure why everyone rags on Cabela’s all the time. Maybe I don’t remember the “glory” years but it still has alot of stuff worth looking at.

big_g wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Matt Moen wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Interesting. Do you think they’re going to remodel their retail stores and completely remove the Cabela’s brand name and logos too and turn them into a BPS? That seems expensive.

Eventually they will but it will take time. Maintaining two brands that have no real distinguishing qualities is very expensive.

The automakers do it because different brands have different equity with buyers but we saw Pontiac, Buick, etc go away. They were too similar to Chevy. GMC has equity as a luxury brand so they choose to keep it.

Wait…. Buick went away ? Maybe you mean Oldsmobile ?

Yeah, I meant Oldsmobile but you get my drift.