Fishing Forum

Headed out to Sportsman's on Friday to put new line on a few reels and stock up on some staples.

Line shop was out of Power Pro below 15 lb, and many others. No treble hooks in a size 6, 8, or 10. No WF- 5 floating fly line in almost ANY brand.

So then I really started looking around...

They were out of most of the popular sizes of fly hooks, spinning rods (4 total Ugly Sticks !), reels, etc. Most of the popular colors of needlefish, krocks, triple teasers, etc., hundreds of empty peg pins throughout the fishing dept.

A lot of the Carhartt & Columbia stuff is out dated and very heavy in small and XXL sizes. I asked to try a size 11 in two diffrent styles of Merrill shoes and Crocks, all of which they were out of.

A quick walk through the rest of the store saw empty shelf space where popular items used to sit in each of the hunting, camping, cooking, optics, and gift departments too.

I work in asset management, often with distressed retail businesses, and I've heard over the last few months that more and more vendors were no longer extending them credit, and instead putting them on a C.O.D. program.

As I walked around yesterday, the place had the familiar scent of chapter 11. I could be, and HOPE that I'm wrong, but I would bet that the not so distant future will see restructuring, stores closing, liquidation, etc... [frown]

It reminds me of what happened to Anglers Inn about the time that Sportsman's started coming on strong...
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Cabellaitis?
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I wouldn't worry about it too much. The pattern I've seen with Sportsmans is that they get a huge restock in early Spring, and then another one right before the Fall fishing and hunting seasons fire up. I've noticed it over the last few years, and have talked to some employees about it, and thats what they've told me. It seems like kind of a dumb way to do things because by about this time of year I'm mail ordering the stuff I need that they don't have in stock. Fred K.
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I have been complaining about Sportsmans empty shelves for months. I had to order my downriggers from a store in NM, because that was the closest store that had them in stock. The employees tell me that they are no longer making the orders, but the corporate offices are. All they can say is, we can't order it, we can't ship it in from another store, and we don't know when its coming in! I love Sportsmans, and spend lots of money there, but I have been very dissapointed in their poor customer service, and I'm not talking about the guys in the store! (I have lots of friends that work there.) I'm talking about their corporate offices and the poor decisions they are making.
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Which store were you at?
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I got assume the higher gas prices have effected the number of shipments there making. Im sure there delivery charges went up 10 fold. As far as bankruptcy goes The store in Midvale is usually packed on the weekend I know Ive spent small fortune there and really hope there not closing there doors Im not a big fan of Cabelas prices and if Sportmans closes oooh No Maybe we need a Bass Pro shop store here []
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That line of stores are taking the money to open other stores and not paying there bills or restocking so now it is C.O.D. if they want it...
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It seams like a lot of places are short on fishing gear. Any more it seams if you do not buy all your summer and outdoor needs by June 1 forget about it. It is now time to start buying snowblowers and Icemelt, but than that is only until the first part of December that is.
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They did that last year too. I went on line for some things from Cabellas and a lot of popular sized lures are out of stock. Doesn't mean anything.
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Sportsman's warehouse has already started closing down it's stores. I had one five miles from my house in Goodyear Az and it shut it's doors down 9 Aug 08 so yes they are in trouble.
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