Bass Pro Shops considering offer to buy Cabela's, according to report

[trapper9260]

http://www.omaha.com/money/bass-pro-...9b8af48b3.html

[rancher1913]

cabela's has been going down hill ever since the cabela's brothers sold out.

[runfiverun]

or maybe since they increased their prices 20% above the guy across the street.

[Whiterabbit]

I don;t like it. Cabelas has an anti-california policy. Totally their right, but if Bass Pro buys Cabelas, will they consider closing their CA stores? They just opened one in my home town of San Jose. It's way, way nicer than I expected. (I usually kinda consider bass-pro the Walmart to Cabelas Target)

But really why I don't like the idea is the quality of *some* merchandise. I want to get a new set of hunting boots. Can you guess how many pairs of boots at Bass Pro have Vibram soles? You won't need many fingers to count them. Cabelas on the other hand has exactly the pair I want (if I can just get my employer to send me on another business trip to Portland!) It would be really really sad if Bass Pro bought out Cabelas and swapped out high end brands to put in RedHead stuff in cabelas.

[dragon813gt]

Cabela's is already bad enough. But I do find deals from time to time. And because I'm impatient I've bought quite a few firearms from them instead of Gunbroker. Bass Pro is completely worthless and even more over priced than Cabela's. I really hate activist investors because they only care about the bottom line. They don't care one bit about the company or products. Unfortunately this is what happens when you go public.

[Tackleberry41]

So the idea is to completely eliminate any competition. So then theres no reason to improve service, selection, or prices. On wall streets its a great idea, but not for the rest of us.

[Whiterabbit]

I really hate activist investors because they only care about the bottom line. They don't care one bit about the company or products.

Opposite problem. Activist investors DONT care about the bottom line, only in their perception of the product or industry. Thus, students tell universities to divest in oil or guns (conveniently when such industries are at record stock prices)

Thus, you can sink a company in the court of public opinion by forcing institutional investors to make choices based on public perception rather than business factors (including profit)

----------------------

In other words, invest in Tesla and solar even though the ROI sucks because China is subsidizing local panel manufacturing centers to kill the global market for panels in a race to the bottom, and Tesla never made a profit except for one quarter by making tricky financial maneuvers. And DON'T invest in Chevron or Ruger under any circumstances because they are evil companies and are faceless, you aren;t harming people, only corporations.

Much less phillip morris.

[bedbugbilly]

Whether you like Cabelas or not . . . whether you like Bass Pro or not . . . this is just another very poor and dangerous trend that is taking place in this country . . . bigger isn't better.

Think about it folks . . . competition is good and it is what keeps prices leveled out . . . no competition? Then the "only one" sets the prices . . .

Every where you look it is happening . . . communications companies, drug companies, even health care . . . and what results? Higher prices to the consumer. We used to have Anti-Trust and Monopoly Laws in this country . . . but then we have a Constitution as well and look at how much that is followed . . .

And then . . . as companies get so large that they can dictate to their suppliers what terms they will follow . . . 90 or more billing, quantity purchases, etc. . . . it all puts pressure on the small business trying to stay alive and make ends meet to pay their employees and their overhead . . . and the small companies do not get the billing and pricing rates of the big box stores . . . and then what happens? The small business can't make it and closes . . . think not? Then travel across this country and see all the empty storefronts in the towns you go through . . . .

[Whiterabbit]

And then when it's big box clash of the titans (circuit city) someone dies then it's tens of thousands of layoffs at once. They all have to go work in an amazon warehouse for minimum wage.

Bigger is only better when there is no product overlap. Say, bass pro buys a climbing equipment outfitter or the like.

[jonp]

Cabela's is already bad enough. But I do find deals from time to time. And because I'm impatient I've bought quite a few firearms from them instead of Gunbroker. Bass Pro is completely worthless and even more over priced than Cabela's. I really hate activist investors because they only care about the bottom line. They don't care one bit about the company or products. Unfortunately this is what happens when you go public.

I just bought some primers from Cabela's and found them reasonable. They are proud not only of their guns but their clothing although I did find a couple of clearance chamois shirts online for $10 and they are very good quality. Bass Pro is not a place I shop much at as they are very expensive in everything. The store in Cary, NC looks like a high end clothing store masquerading as a sports store or in other words a place yuppies shop when they want to look outdoorsy without going outdoors. The only things I've bought at Bass Pro was some clearance and sale stuff at Redhead. Pair of insulated GorTex leather boots are great even after 15yrs of wear.

Don't get me started on Gander Mountain

[freebullet]

Don't buy much from either myself and we have 1 of each in town. I guess for me it makes no difference.

What is sad is watching mom & pop shops close. The big corporate joints can come & go for all I care.

[Uncle R.]

Remember Cable TV?
Local government granted monopolies to single companies for a certain geographic area. I'm sure those governments offered monopolies for the good of the consumers, and it was pure coincidence those local governments got a piece of the action from the cable companies.
Remember the high rates, frequent rate increases, and poor program quality that came along with too many cable packages?
Gee - whatever happened to that?

Remember dial-up internet service?
Remember 56K modems?
Remember taking several minutes to download one picture?
Remember AOL?
Remember waiting to connect and getting disconnected and the frustration of trying to communicate at smoke signal speeds?
Gee - whatever happened to that?.

Competition is what happened.

Think about what internet access cost then, translate into today's dollars, and compare that to the speed and service you get for the rates you pay now. That continuous improvement in the speed and quality of internet access happened because cable companies couldn't hold on to their monopolies. They found themselves competing with new technologies like satellite transmission, microwave broadcasting, digital cell tower transmission. The cable companies had a choice: improve product and service, or die.

Cabela's?
Bass Pro?
Bah!

Do you really think that one corporation can corner the market on outdoor gear and then raise prices dramatically?
There's always someone looking to steal their lunch.
There are always companies and entrepreneurs looking for opportunities to provide a service or product that's better or cheaper.

The only monopolies that can gouge the public for any significant length of time are coercive monopolies - companies protected from competition by the power of government. Take the government and their guns out of the marketplace and products and sevices will continue to get better, faster, cheaper every year.

I'm not too concerned if Bass Pro wants to buy Cabela's. Whether they do or not, whether they combine operations or not, they'll find they still have to improve continuously like all companies must. If they don't, if they try to charge too much or offer too little, they'll soon be floating belly up.

Uncle R.

[trapper9260]

The only places near me is Cabelas and Scheels .I find that Scheels is cost less then Cabelas and the workers at Scheels have more knowledge then Cabelas for what they are selling also.We do not have a Bass shop near me here.For me Cabelas is over the Miss.River in WI in PDC and Scheels is in Cedar Falls ,Iowa.

[TXGunNut]

I enjoy doing business with my nearby Cabelas. I have a good relationship with the good people in the Gun Library. I also buy most of my supplies, tools and clothing there. I like their credit cards; if you call their help desk a nice, helpful person from Nebraska answers the phone. Their rewards system rocks, BTW. Yes, many of their employees are only a little more knowledgeable than the average retail employee. Good help is very hard to find and Cabelas is no exception. I've gotten to know several of them, they're good folks.
It's been painful watching them build these smaller stores in dozens of cities across the country. It has been a serious drain on their cash flow and it was also getting away from their successful business model.

[OnHoPr]

SE MI has a Bass Pro Shops and a Cabelas. Both are huge stores fine for the half day of eye candy shopping or something like the Black Friday Sale. But, both are 60 or so miles from me, so i don't get there often. Gander Mountain is only about 5 miles away, so they get visited more often. The GM stores have gone down a bit in style as of late probably because of the two fore mentioned. We have a chain called Dunham's and a Dick's for general merchandise and a few good sales from time to time, but the other sports and outdoor yuppie clothing is more predominant. A Sportsmens Warehouse showed up a number of years ago and I went there often as it was quite a bit closer, then they shut down, but they had ooooodles of stuff, dam. I am glad there are still a few mom & pop shops around, but a number of things they just don't have the inventory. The online shopping can save time and money in some regards. The Cabelas vintage gun shop always has plenty of eye candy to gawk at when I do visit. Hate to see that disappear.

[pretzelxx]

Can I just get a fleet farm in Washington? I hate bass pro, since I thought cabelas was overpriced.

I like local shops if I can get a good price. Theres Quantico tactical for all my shooting needs... But, if they manage a buyout, good for them I suppose? Probably will hurt the consumer in the long run.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I buy components and some other odds and ends from Cabelas. They are nice to have around if I need a rescue part. They are expensive but I could do much worse. I liked Sportsmans Warehouse which we lost during the recession our location closed. I don't care for Pro Bass at all so I hope it doesn't happen. Now Gander Mtn. I wouldn't pi$$ on them if they were on fire.

[OptimusPanda]

Here in MA we have one of each. If you need some 7.5 Swiss on a whim, there's no where else to go. Most online shops won't send ammo or components here. The prices on primers and powder are OK. Depending on the ammo you're looking at they can be good enough. Never seen a gun on the wall at either of them here that I would spend my own money on though.

[Just Duke]

I was the model on their brochures for several years. They took good care of me.

[jumbeaux]

Is there anything that you have not done ?