Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cabelas/BassPro LOL

If they can stay in business I'll be amazed. I went to the local store yesterday to pick up some smokeless powder I'd ordered online. They didn't have it in stock locally but delivery to the store is free, whereas if I'd had it delivered to the house I'd have had to pay the hazmat fee and shipping. I always thought shipping to the store was free because they'd just put it on a truck with other stuff and not have to pay shipping or hazmat. But when I picked it up it was packaged in its own box, shipped to the store via Fed-ex with hazmat paperwork and its own label. LOL, very efficient and cost-effective.

But the thing that really struck me was the people in the store. The package pickup is in the back of the store, and walking back there I must have pased 15 people, maybe one of them was a customer and the rest were store employees, a few of which stopped me and tried to get me to sign up for all sorts of promotions.


Not looking good.

Back in the day Cabelas was my go to for gear and clothing . Since the Bass Pro takeover/buyout a lot of the stuff has been cheapened up quite a bit. Definitely not the first place I look anymore.

Cabelas was a good store before Bass ass took over. Pretty much over them.

OMG! I love Bass Pro, I wish I had me a set of the Eva Shockey bedding set! (She actually is a cool lady!)

And away we go...

Bass Pro SUCKS.

The main store in Springfield is usually very busy. Plus they now have the Wonders of Wildlife museum and HUGE Aquarium making it a family 'destination' of sorts at $40/head admittance and its usually been pretty busy.

People must be buying something because Johnny is buying up property all over the region for resorts/campgrounds/nature parks/etc. Ranger boats is now owned by BPS. 20 miles south they renovated and opened up a restaurant in an old mill on a river, Ozark Mill at Finley Farms.

Golf courses and big tournaments in Branson.

Top high school basketball teams from all over the country are all playing in Springfield as we speak for the "Bass Pro Tournament of Champions".

Can't fault Johnny Morris for making a success of himself. My wife interacted with him at their campus a few years ago and said he was just as down to earth and nice as could be. He was at a restaurant eating breakfast last year, sitting at table behind my wife and kids, just like the rest of the commoners and was cordial to all she said.

That said, unless they're selling something at a discount, I try to spend my money with other stores.

I hear what you're saying but owning BassPro doesn't really mean he should be comporting himself any other way, does it?

Back in the day, Cabelas was a go to store for me. A lot of their hunting and casual clothing was top notch. Here 15 plus years later I still have virtually all of it, still in great shape. Once BPS took over, the clothing lines went to chit. Just re-labled "Red Head" Bass Pro crap. Haven't bought a thing from Cabelas in years, and see no reason to start up again now.

I try and avoid BP every chance I get.

First $1000 gets the $1300 in Cabelas gift cards I have. Completely legit, brand new cards. A friend got them as gift and needs money.

Sportsman's Warehouse is not much better. At least 3 workers for every customer in the place. How they pay them and keep the doors open is a mystery.

I have a Sportsmans warehouse less than 2 miles from my home. The Bass Pro is about 12 miles. It's been months since I have been to the Bass Pro. It's not just the miles, it's the products and the staff. I can order it online and there is a 50/50 chance they have it in the store so I just go pick it up. The prices seem to be better at Sportsmans as well. I did order a Ruger American compact about 5 years ago that was at another store and it cost me $20 to have it shipped. That is the only time I have been charged shipping from Sportsmans. The only thing missing from Sportsmans right now is primers. I can pick up or order in everything else. The good part is that Sportsmans is about 1/3 the size of the Bass Pro and all on one floor. It's a whole lot less walking and much fewer distractions.

The bottom line is, it's about more than the merchandise. It's about the people inside the building and the building itself. The pickup location in our store is at the front of the building. It's an easy in and out.
kwg

Several years back when Bass Pro opened in Vegas not one worker had any knowledge concerning optics, recently I have been to Cabelas and Bass Pro and waited forever for a someone to at the gun counter. They had one person for at least ten customers while there were a dozen walking around doing nothing...

I used to love going to Cabelas, all my hunting gear WAS Cabela's outfitter camo but as my old gear wears out BP/Cabelas either has none in my size or it's crap...

It always seemed like bass pro was a white trash attempt to be cabelas, and now they’ve ruined it. A couple years ago I met one of the Cabelas fishing I AK. I mentioned my dismay at what his namesake brand had become. He said “Imagine how you’d feel if it was your name on that junk!”

Rogers, Arkansas had what was Cabelas, and now its labeled as Bass Pro.

Stopped in it the other day, the 'fine gun room' had used 870 Express shotguns and some new Tri-Stars. That is the definition of fine I guess.

Don't know if they're still doing it, but last year at 8pm (for a 9pm closing time), they were loading every single gun off the rack (the regular rack, not the fine gun room), putting them in shopping carts with blankets between each gun, and hauling to the back room safes. New $1,000 wood stocked rifles with all kinds of rack rash on them. "New policy" brought on by all the riots that had gone on across the country, they were fearful of all the Wal-Mart Executives of northwest Arkansas storming the place and stealing the guns at midnight I guess....I asked about it, "corporate policy".

Bass Pro and Cabelas is the Walmart of the outdoor world now days. When they were carrying brand merchandise they were great. When they went yo Cabelas brand/China made it turned to junk.

I have a Bass Pro 1/2 the distance from me than Scheels. I go to Scheels

It’s the Bed Bath & Beyond of strip mall outdoor stores. Pure chicom garbage. I’ll pass.

If you enjoy paying more shop there