RIP Cabelas

[steve13]

Is anyone else getting fed up with the slow but steady disappearance of the Cabela's brand?

I was beyond loyal for many years, bought their items when I could find it cheaper online, used the Cabelas black visa when a cash back card would have been much better for me.

Then came the Bass Pro purchase.

1st, I tried to exchange a gun case for the next larger size, but was offered a 50%+/- return then a 100% retail purchase of the next larger size. Cabelas would have never been this nasty.

Now the Cabelas logo gets smaller and smaller on marketing materials, the Bass Pro logo gets larger and larger, the store is filled with casual, often cheaply made clothing, camo was pushed into the back room, lots of out of stock items in the store to go along with the store only discount coupon, and a growing mass of Bass Pro products on the website and in the store.

I realize they paid for Cabelas and do what they want with it, but seeing it move towards being a product line rather than a proud retail outlet makes me very sad indeed.

So much for my rant, all I can do is to shred my once cherished Cabelas black visa and start using a cash back card, buy at a better price from another online vendor and say adios to my trips to the Buda store to buy something else that I really do not need.

Very, Very Sad Indeed

We need to start a Texas Wide Boycott of Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops!

 

[Brian Shaffer]

It is just an overpriced store. You should not have been intentionally overpaying there so loyally. Time to move on and cut your losses.

 

[Chopperdrvr]

I find it sad also. However, if there had been enough people who loved Cabelas over Bass Pro we would be talking about how Bass Pro was just a product line of Cabelas. Good luck getting any traction with a boycott since they have enough of a following to buy up their next biggest competition. Now if they buy Dicks and close every store I would buy everything from them. Like Brian said, over priced and available almost anywhere else for less. (I do still have my black card and will continue to use it for the rewards.

 

[der Teufel]

I buy reloading components at the Buda Cabela's. A catalog recently arrived in the mail, so I looked at the price of 110 grain Hornady SP bullets. The catalog says they're $23.99 for a box of 100. When I look online for the same thing they're listed at $26.99! Does the right hand not know what the left hand is doing? I could see the catalog price being higher so they could increase the price if necessary, and show a discount on their web site, but I don't understand the opposite. I just got this catalog less than ten days ago.

 

[Ratdog68]

I likes me some Cabela's. We have a new Bass Pro in the area, but, traffic (to head that direction) would be a real headache. I find some good deals there from time to time. I like the notion of keeping them alive and healthy. As one spending my money, I like to think I can be one of many to eventually alter corporate pathways. Money does talk.

 

[steve13]

Thanks for all the comments.

I have seen numerous examples when a company buys another successful company and tries to change the business model to squeeze out more profit, when it fails, the previous owner buys it back at 10 cents on the dollar, I am rooting for the Cabela family on this one

My visit to the Buda store on Saturday made clear that the old Cabelas is quickly slipping away into the past.

 

[FrankT]

both are over priced, I have seldom shopped there except for mega sales

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Thanks for all the comments.

I have seen numerous examples when a company buys another successful company and tries to change the business model to squeeze out more profit, when it fails, the previous owner buys it back at 10 cents on the dollar, I am rooting for the Cabela family on this one

My visit to the Buda store on Saturday made clear that the old Cabelas is quickly slipping away into the past.

Maybe you didn't notice that Cabela's business model was a failure. They didn't sell out to Bass Pro to pocket a lot of cash profit. They sold out to Bass Pro because they were over $4.5 BILLION in debt. Cabela's was in the toilet and spinning downward to the sewer when Bass Pro reached a latex covered glove into the bowl and snatched Cabela's out.

 

[Homebrewer]

I used to look forward to going to Cabelas Fort Worth to buy items I wanted.
Decided I needed to pickup a single lb. of CFE Black powder to test with my TAC 30(30 Herrett), checked their website and found
they had the powder I wanted. Called the store and one of the employees confirmed they did indeed have CFE Black in stock. Great.

Made the trip for my powder (100 mile round trip by the way..), walked in expecting to get to check out their new camo hunting clothing near the front of the store...no hunting camo up front now. Crap - first strike.

Some genius decided to eliminate the bargain cave, and 'display' their hunting camo in a much smaller area - back of the store. Crap - second strike.

Okay, now to the reloading aisle to locate my CFE Black...not displayed on the shelf. No employee in the area, so back to the gun counter, wait my turn and request my powder. Same process cabelas used in the past when 'stocked' powder was not displayed.
Only now the gun counter guy does not understand, and has to help find one of their reloading guys. Starting to smell bad here...
Finally locate the reloading area guy, make the CFE Black request - explain the
powder is not on the aisle display. (again- Confirmed on their website, and phone call to the store that morning).
Wanting to be helpful, he goes immediately to the display first, yep no CFE Black,, as I expected. Okay - will you check your back stock please.
About 5 minutes later returns with CFE223, not CFE Black, says this is all we have - Can't You Use This Instead?? Uh-no wrong burn rate will not work.
Crap - third strike.

Reaalllly makes me want to drive 100 miles to spend too many $$$'s at cabelas, instead of buying online and having UPS deliver to my front door.
Oh yeah, my powder... Talked to the gun guy at Gibsons in Weatherford, they ordered a case of CFE Black and had it for sale in 3-4 days...
And Gibson Weatherford TX (9 miles from home), stocks approximately twice the volume of powder as cabelas.
Let me see now, how many trips should I make to cabelas now??
Cabelas / Bass Pro - You're Out !

 

[madppcs]

I cant comment on the in stock items (Or out of stock), and I havent experienced what you guys are describing with the camo. So Im just gonna make a general comment.
Placement and location of items in a store is actually a tactic. Maybe they are moving the camo to the back of the store to force customers to walk through 90% of the inventory before they even get to the section they are interested in.

Ever been to any other store to buy 1 thing for 10$ and end up leaving with 10 things and 400$?