Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Looks like Sportsmans Warehouse is closing 23 stores nationwide

The Helena store has been gutted for months, I had wondered what was going on. Now I know.

from "The Outdoor Wire" Thursday March 12th.

UFA Modifies Sportsman's Warehouse Deal, SW Closing 26 Stores

In November, we reported on the planned acquisition of financially-strained Sportsman's Warehouse company by Canada's UFA Cooperative, a multi-billion dollar, agricultural based cooperative with a wealth of varied business holdings and more than 110,000 members.

Yesterday afternoon, word from UFA spokesperson Natalie Dawes that the acquisition has changed - significantly- from the Sporsman's Warehouse acquisition originally announced.

Based on the outcome of UFA's due diligence and "the continuing deterioration of the North American economy", terms of the deal had changed from a total acquisition to UFA's taking possession of fifteen Sportsman's Warehouse locations in the Northwestern United States.

The ownership of those stores would be accepted as payment of a 2008 loan to Sportsman's Warehouse by UFA. As we reported at that time, that cash infusion kept the cash-strapped chain operating.

UFA says the modification will ensure the long-term financial health of the cooperative, with the fifteen stores aligning well with its Western Canadian geography and distribution routes.

Those fifteen stores are located in Oregon, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and North Dakota.

Sportsman's Warehouse Chairman and CEO Stuart Utgaard has announced the liquidation of twenty-three stores to "reduce bank debt". A statement on their compay website says it is hoped the steps will allow the firm to go forward as a viable entity with 2,300 employees.

These Sportsman's Warehouse stores are being liquidated:

Aurora, Colorado, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, DePere, Wisconsin, Henderson, Nevada, Lafayette, Indiana, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, Legacy, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, Nampa, Idaho, New Berlin, Wisconsin, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pocatella, Idaho, Roanoke, Virginia, Rogers, Arkansas, Round Rock, Texas, St. Cloud, Minnesota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Southaven, Mississippi, Visalia, California, Wichita, Kansas, and Woodbury, Minnesota.

Between the sale to UFA and the liquidation of stores, Sportsman's Warehouse is trimming its store count from its previous high of more than sixty stores.

"UFA is advancing a deliberate and controlled diversification strategy," says Dallas Thorsteinson, UFA president and CEO. "The specific Sportsman's Warehouse locations we have acquired fit perfectly with our outdoor-adventure marketing and long-term financial strategies."

"We cannot predict the future for Sportsman's Warehouse," says Thorsteinson, "but we are certain the acquisition of these specific locations is good news for the growth and sustainability of UFA."

The acquisition gives the cooperative twenty-two locations. Earlier in 2008, UFA acquired Canadian outdoor outfitter, Wholesale Sports. The newly acquired Sportsman's Warehouse locations will operate as part of UFA's outdoor adventure division.

Over the past several days, industry insiders had been whispering that the deal - if not dead - was facing significant modifications. Seems they were on target on this one.

I told my wife they were closing SW. She said "what will you do now?" She jags me about going there all the time. I told her "I will drive by with a tear in my eye".


I used to kill time there while my daughter was at choir practice. I will miss the chats I used to have there.


Here in Pittsburgh there really isn't anywhere else for me to go that isn't 30 miles or so away. Guess I will have to go mail order!

Sonofabeotch! the San Antonio 1604 store is closing also. I just happen to pass by today and it had a "STORE CLOSING" banner on it.

I stopped and went in and spoke with a worker. He said they found out 2 days ago. I'm extremely surprised as there was always a good crowd and this is a primo location. Their reloading shelves have not been very well stocked though for about a year.

Rich,
Ain't Big Bucks near you?
Doug

I was in that store a couple of weeks ago and to say that I have more reloading supplies than they did would be an understatement. More ammo as well.

I did enjoy them when they had some stock.

BP...

They just announced our Sioux Falls, SD store was closing as well. Other than a brass/primer shortage everything has remained pretty well stocked there and I prefered to do business there rather than Scheels.

Went down tonight as I've been hunting for a safe and was surprised how quickly everythings been picked over already and the vast majority of things are only marked down 5-10%. Guns and ammo weren't marked down at all and people were still lining up to buy them.

People sure do get stupid when they see a sale or a store closing sign.


Sad to see the store go though, several good guys there.

Anywhere from 65-75% of the "customers" which came into the Rogers, AR store today had never darkened the doorstep of the place for the 3 years it's been opened, yet they acted in some cases like somebody was betraying them by not knocking the last cent off every item in the store.

Part of that is the lack of advertising on the company's part. Another part of it is the fact that we have alot of yuppies and cheapskates in the NWA area.