Author Topic: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?  (Read 977 times)

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Offline teddy12b

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Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« on: March 06, 2009, 03:00:51 AM »
Last night I went to my local Gander Mountain just to take a walk through it and see if there was anything I "needed".  The store was pretty empty and there weren't a lot of people there by any standard.  What shocked me was when I walked down the ammo isle.

We all know that 223 ammo has gone through the roof in price & sales.  Some of the worst price gouging has been on gunbroker where guys are selling PMC 223 ammo from 40 - 50 cents per round.  Last night I walked through Gander Mountain and saw the same PMC 223 55gr FMJ ammo for $14.99.  All I could think of is what kind of an A-hole is running this place.  I'll still stop in every now and again, but I doubt I ever buy anything from them again.  It really isn't a great shock to me why they look like they're going to go out of business.

Offline DalesCarpentry

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2009, 03:09:34 AM »
I have not bought 243 WIN. ammo in a year but when I did and bought it there it was $30.00 a box of 20 for Hornady 58 GN VMAX. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!! I think it is enen higher there now. Dale
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Offline Questor

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2009, 03:24:41 AM »
Teddy12b:

That's my impression too. I think they stay in business because of clothing. Here in Minnesota they don't sell a lot of the fishing stuff that are absolute standard equipment and have gone in for something they should have had so many times only to find they didn't have it I finally gave up on their fishing equipment altogether. In fact, there's a big hardware store here that has a more intelligent selection of fishing tackle than Gander. For example, I quit looking at Gander for 1/8 ounce white jigs.

I have had much better luck with their guns. We own three guns bought at Gander. Two of them are shotguns that I use most, including my favorite hunting gun, a 20 gauge Beretta O/U. My target shotgun, a Winchester Select was bought there too. My son's Tikka .308 was bought there. But since then they've gutted the gun department so they don't sell many desirable guns anymore, at least nothing I'll ever be interested in. Ammo prices are typically high, with some being outrageously high. I bought my first bag of shotgun wads there and thought they were expensive. I later learned that I had paid about 2.5 times fair market value for those wads.  Likewise with ammo, I've gone there several times for good quality 7 1/2 shot game loads and they didn't have them.

On the other hand, my favorite two sweaters come from Gander, but clothes are the only things I ever buy there anymore. Everybody else does hunting and fishing equipment better than they do. (Except maybe Dick's, but I've never been to a Dick's).

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Offline teddy12b

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2009, 03:44:20 AM »
The Gander Mountain near me used to be at least close to be competitive until they added their little warranty & cleaning fees onto the guns.  I have bought guns from this Gander Mountain, but it's been a long time.  Last night I held a few rifles, and the only one I can remeber the price on was a marlin 1895 cowboy 45/70 for $720.  That rifle shouldered like it was meant for me, but that seems like a high price even by today's standards.

Offline DalesCarpentry

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2009, 04:20:57 AM »
The Gander Mountain near me used to be at least close to be competitive until they added their little warranty & cleaning fees onto the guns.  I have bought guns from this Gander Mountain, but it's been a long time.  Last night I held a few rifles, and the only one I can remeber the price on was a marlin 1895 cowboy 45/70 for $720.  That rifle shouldered like it was meant for me, but that seems like a high price even by today's standards.
You could save yourself a couple hundred bucks by buying here. :o Dale

http://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=G1895G
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Offline teddy12b

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2009, 06:01:48 AM »
The Gander Mountain near me used to be at least close to be competitive until they added their little warranty & cleaning fees onto the guns.  I have bought guns from this Gander Mountain, but it's been a long time.  Last night I held a few rifles, and the only one I can remeber the price on was a marlin 1895 cowboy 45/70 for $720.  That rifle shouldered like it was meant for me, but that seems like a high price even by today's standards.
You could save yourself a couple hundred bucks by buying here. :o Dale

http://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=G1895G


+1  R&R arms is great.  I've bought from them before and I'll probably do it again.

The problem seems to be I could save at least a hundred bucks goign anywhere but Gander Mountain.  The link you listed was to a guide gun for $500 (it's on my list of guns to buy some day too).  The 1895 cowboy on their website is $626, plus shipping plus FFL I could still save over $100 after paying the sales tax on the one at Gander Mountain.  I just don't get why Gander is going the way it is.  I guess I'll just save my pennies for when they have their going out of business sales.

Offline bulletstuffer

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2009, 06:43:45 AM »
I used to shop there all the time.  I stop in maybe once every couple of months and the stops becoming less frequent.  They still have the same over priced bullets on the shelves from over a year ago!  Pricing is something we would expect from PBO:o  I knew alot of people that worked there and they thought the same thing >:( >:( >:(   Even there best deal on a gun is average pricing from other vendors!  Ammo prices are at a... you have to be joking price!  It is a shame that the management has taken this stance.  Getting rid of customers is much easier than getting them back ;)  They have insulted the intelligence of their customers :P

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Offline Sourdough

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2009, 06:48:23 AM »
I was in thye store in Fayetteville NC last week.  First off, a lot of empty shelves.  Most guys were looking but not buying.  Lots of sales clerks on hand, but they seemed too busy to answer questions.  When I finally cornered someone to ask a question, he did not have a clue about what I was asking and did not want to find someone that did.  The only time someone wanted to talk to me was to ask if I wanted to apply for a Gander Mountain Credit Card.  When I said "No" they disappeared.
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Offline teddy12b

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2009, 07:10:39 AM »
A guy I work with told me he got a letter in the mail saying that the Gander Card points won't be honored very much longer.  I have a gander card, but I don't use it enough to know what's going on with the points.

Offline Singleshotsam

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2009, 07:29:08 AM »
We used to go to the Gander in Paducah KY about once a month, now since they've built a Cabela's in STL we've all but quit going to Gander. 
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Offline gypsyman

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2009, 07:39:15 AM »
Bound to have happened. Not enough business in this economy to keep all the big box stores going. Going to happen with the big hardware chains too. Between Lowe's,Home Depot,Menards, and the mom and pop stores, there's going to be some shutdowns. Unless ''the teflon don'' bails them out too.  gypsyman
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Offline woodchukhntr

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2009, 12:51:02 PM »
I'm on and off about Gander.  I've picked up some great used gun deals there, but their new prices are way too high.  Thge same with ammo.  What really bugs me is the lack of restocking of reloading and cleaning supplies.  Haven't they figured out by now that if they don't have it they can't sell it?  And this gives the prospective buyer a chance to go somewhere else and find better prices and the items actually in stock.

I've picked up some good gun and clothes bargains, so I am normally "on".

Offline jimster

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2009, 02:32:10 PM »
I don't go to Gander much at all either, every once in a great while, but every time I go I can't help but say something to the people behind the counter about the huge mark ups.  Stopped in a month ago cause we were close by and they were selling their guns for more than 100 bucks over normal price.  Ruger Vaquero's at 600 bucks, and add state tax to that!   The guy behind the counter asked if I wanted to handle one, I said no, your guns are for looking at, your at retail prices here,  if I bought one I'd drive across town and get one for 115 bucks cheaper.  A customer was standing right next to me and asked me where would a good place to shop for guns be, I told him loud enough for everyone behind the counter to hear,  anywhere but here, you can buy a lot of ammo for the 100 bucks you'll save.  Couldn't help my self.  The ammo prices are out of sight too.  I have no idea what Gander is up to.  I still stop in a couple times a year just because I like to get irritated I guess.

Offline 1marty

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #13 on: March 06, 2009, 03:22:27 PM »
I stopped by the Gander in Middletown NY. Haven't been there in a year. The gun department was down to less than half its size, the ammo was way overpriced and there were a couple of clerks who I guess made a game of ignoring customers. I saw a CZ sxs which I bought at a local gunshop and Gander had it priced $150 over the MSRP in the catalogue!! I don't know if it was a mistake but when I brought it to their attention they didn't seem to care.  I'll stick with the local shops-there are no bargains at this box store.

Offline Questor

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #14 on: March 06, 2009, 04:06:47 PM »
They've got to be in trouble as a company. All these anecdotes remind me of Kmart  before they crashed and burned.
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Offline Oldshooter

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #15 on: March 06, 2009, 04:45:18 PM »
The gander Mountain here is strictly for window shopping and killing time as far as I'm concerned.

Prices are high and I usually find what I want then go to the Academy and buy it!

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Offline 45-70.gov

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Re: Gander Mountain..... Do they even want to stay in business?
« Reply #16 on: March 07, 2009, 05:24:42 AM »
i  sent a customer to gander for an AR  because i couldn't get any

they  were 1300  i wouls  have charged 1100

$200 extra  but  now  he has  one

i  use their credit card  with rewards points

just picked up my  FREE  gilly suit 2 nights ago

they  do  have some deals  just hard to find
and  walking around the store is better  than the catalog in the bathroom
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