Thanks Gander...

[20lbSloughShark]

Looks like you said "in a Gander 10 years ago" to me.

You would be correct, I was in a gander 10 years ago. I just don't remember it well enough to compare it to now.

[Fish Head]

I live very close to the Lakeville GM store. There are 2 things that really bother me to the point that I don’t go there nearly as much as I used to.

1. The layout of the store is terrible. They have small kiosks everywhere instead of isles of merchandise. Merchandise is spread out in different areas. When I am looking for something (crankbaits, jigs, whatever…) it’s not all in one easy area to look at and compare. I have to walk all over the darn store to find them in different areas. Some items are here, some are over there, and I have to walk around the stupid kiosks. Fleet Farm doesn’t do that. It makes for a frustrating shopping experience.

2. They have very little high end fishing gear. I would be surprised if they even have one, St Croix Legend Extreme in the entire store right now. G Lummis rods, Shimano Tranx & Calcutta D… They just don’t carry the high end stuff. I realize they don’t sell many of the high end items, but serious anglers want to look at them. If you’re going to be taken seriously as a quality outdoors store, you have to stock some high quality merchandise.

Having said that, I still shop at GM from time to time, however I shop more and more at Fleet Farm, Cabala's, Thorne Bros and online.

[raymondk]

I like ganders medium priced rods and reels I feel that they are the best ones out there for the price but the trick is to buy them early so there is a selection.I don't buy the higher priced loomis or st crois stuff. For Hunting stuff they have better quality stuff then FF also they matched my last gun that I bought scheelds or big c store would not which saved me $150.00 .FF does,t handle any guality guns ,Also I was looking for a lake chip for my new dept finder a salesman spent a lot of time with me explaining which ones are better when I decided which one to get he tells me if I want the most updated chip and I wasn;t in a hurry to use it I should go to Lowance and purchase it there from there.this a non metro gander store they get my hard marks from me.............

[candiru]

I was in the Fargo store just after x-mas last this past winter. They had all kinds of displays of new ice bobbers, but were out of bobber stops. A cheap, disposable, and necessary item and they are out of stock early in the ice season. Unfreakinbelievable.

[delcecchi]

The GM in Rochester, right next to the trout fishing area of the state, now has basically nothing oriented towards trout fishing. A few flies in bubble packs on pegboard. A few pairs of waders.

I think the truth is that there is more money in clothes than in tackle or equipment. And there is the bricks vs internet dynamic. I can go online and find anything for a cheaper price, no tax, and I can have a beer while shopping.

[fishersofmen]

I can go online and find anything for a cheaper price, no tax, and I can have a beer while shopping.

This. Only time I go in a Gander is to look at something I want to buy online for a much cheaper price. So yeah thanks for the display.

[delcecchi]

I used to buy flies and stuff, but they don't carry that stuff anymore.

[Naturboy]

Wow, does someone need a hug?

[CaptainMusky]

Wow, does someone need a hug?

depends if she's cute or not.

[RumRiverRat]

Gander Mountain is worthless to shop at unless you are looking for clearance items.

The Blaine store used to have 2 or 3 isles of clearance tackle in the spring. I remeber buying hundreds of bags of pladtics for a buck, good stuff like Yum, Zoom, Netbaitx Big Bite Baits Berkley to name a few.

Now even the clearance stuff is almost non existent.

Since they quit carrying Berkley Hollow Belly Swimbaits I do not shop there anymore.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Wow, I guess we need some decent fishing weather to let off some steam... tough crowd.

I don't rely on Gander for all things, but I don't exclude them either. FF is great, but they get picked over pretty hard and are slow to restock at times. Nice to have two sources close by.

[tolle141]

The 3.5" Gander brand tubes are my favorites. Super hard to find them nowadays.

TMF - any word on when they'll be bringing back the MG store? I heard they shut it down because the lease ran out and they were debating building something.

[Getanet]

Wow, I guess we need some decent fishing weather to let off some steam... tough crowd.

I don't rely on Gander for all things, but I don't exclude them either. FF is great, but they get picked over pretty hard and are slow to restock at times. Nice to have two sources close by.

Me too. FF first, GM second - and in absolute pinch Dick's Sporting Goods at the mall. That store is pretty worthless but if I'm in the area and I just need some line or bobbers I'll stop in.

[BTL]

Gander Mountain is worthless to shop at unless you are looking for clearance items.

The Blaine store used to have 2 or 3 isles of clearance tackle in the spring. I remeber buying hundreds of bags of pladtics for a buck, good stuff like Yum, Zoom, Netbaitx Big Bite Baits Berkley to name a few.

Now even the clearance stuff is almost non existent.

Since they quit carrying Berkley Hollow Belly Swimbaits I do not shop there anymore.

There's a store out here called Ollie's that sells "leftovers", unsold merchandise, and clearance items from other stores. I've been buying hollow bellies for $1.99-2.99 per pack. I wonder if they got them from Gander.

[TMF89]

Tolle-

As far as I know, the Maple Grove store is donezo. I believe you're correct about the lease, but from my understanding it just wasn't a profitable location, so corporate decided to drop it. Basically my store is the replacement for the old MG and Tonka stores.

I forget who said what, but I'll comment on a few things I've read in the last few pages.

-As far as stuff being out of stock in the middle of the season (vex batteries/chargers, bobber stops, etc), that has a few different culprits. Some are totally our fault (if you were to look at the inventory system for bobber stops during winter, it's actually a "seasonal" item. Apparently whoever does our ordering doesn't realize that you can use bobber stops in winter, too!), and sometimes it's not. For example, most ice fishing companies actually PREFER to run out of inventory before the season is over. That way they don't have to store their product until the next season. That's why the same things tend to run out year after year, or the new items are hard to find after the first few shipments.

-We tend to be just as frustrated as you guys are when we don't have certain items. I've been waiting to get more high-end St. Croix rods in for years, and the word is we're finally getting a rack of G Loomis, sometime before opener. Haven't seen the new Curados yet, and there are plenty of other issues.

-Another thing, most of our stores' inventories are set up on as wide a scale as possible. For example, as far as I know, our entire company musky lure selection is handled by one guy, and it's extremely similar no matter what store you're in. Even though certain baits are hot in certain areas, we all carry the same stuff, because it's cheaper and easier from a business standpoint (not saying it's right).

[CAMAN]

I think everyone understands that running out of items so you don't have to store it over the off season is a good thing, but when you aren't even a week into the ice season and you are already out of items with no chance of restocking, there is a problem.

10 years ago I would go into Gander at least once a week and walk out at least $50 lighter each time. Now I go in there TRYING to spend money (gift card) and I can't even find ONE thing I want or need. They have gotten rid of everything that is of quality and whittled down their selection to one or two cheap items in each category. The only decent selection they have of anything is Rapalas, but I can find those at any gas station or Walmart that sells fishing lures. I can find a few dozen pink camo items my girlfriend may like though...

I've actually told people to stop giving me Gander Gift cards because it is so hard to find anything worth buying there.

And yes, I have sent complaints and recommendations to corporate, you think I have ever heard a reply back?

[H2O Milfoil]

I liked the OLD Gander, the one the Burger brothers sold to them. But it isn't even close to that anymore. I go into a store and so many items don't have prices on the shelf tags. Not just once, but on a regular basis, at different stores. And I don't chase a sales clerk to do a price check. That is sloppy. That is weak management. Then I was looking for some rainwear. I spoke with a female sales associate about the Tech2O line compared to Cabela's. She said she had the Tech gear for turkey hunting and was very disappointed. She said it leaked at the seams. That was very gutsy for an employee to say. She was a true sportswoman first, an employee second. I bought from the other place. And I hope she has a good job somewhere else.

[Down Deep]

Gander isn't my favorite store, but for "needed now" items it is convenient and one of the only choices I have living in the Duluth area. I know there are some local shops around, but the number of product categories are lacking in the local shops.

I noticed that Gander gets lots of criticism for selling items other than fishing and related products. You could level the same complaint about Cabelas or Bass Pro Shops. The Rodgers store has a product layout of roughly 30% guns/hunting/ archery; 30% clothing; 25% fishing; 10% boats; 10% camping. If all a customer is interested in is a single category, then they might be disappointed. The big box stores know that most of their customers are interested in more than a single product line so they stock their stores accordingly. On a recent trip to Cabelas I bough a knife, box of shotgun shells, a sleeping bag, a roller for my trailer, jigs, reel and a sweatshirt and was glad I had a selection of products. I also sampled the new offerings from Hummingbirds and Lowrance.

As far as employees go ----retail is retail --- most of the people there are hoping these jobs will be temporary and they can get on to jobs with better pay, benefits and work schedules. There are good people and some not so good. The same group is employed at just about every big box and small box store where I shop.

[Hawg]

I go to the Brainerd store all the time. Fleet, my favorite and the best corporation a community can have, is my favorite but Gander has always treated me right, the people are friendly, its clean and well lit, and the prices are bargain basement compared to BPS or Cabela's.

[Rexx]

I can tell you never worked for fleet. Yes, they do spend a lot of money in the community, but they treat their employees like criminals. They do have some people that have been there for a long time, but the turnover in employees is high due to the low pay and the way management treats the employees. I was in there last weekend and was surprised how empty a lot of the pegs were. I wish Reeds were back in Brainerd!!!!

[20lbSloughShark]

I can tell you never worked for fleet. Yes, they do spend a lot of money in the community, but they treat their employees like criminals. They do have some people that have been there for a long time, but the turnover in employees is high due to the low pay and the way management treats the employees. I was in there last weekend and was surprised how empty a lot of the pegs were. I wish Reeds were back in Brainerd!!!!

That sounds like pretty much any retail position. The fleetfarm in brainerd is pretty good, but just like anywhere lack on certain products.

[Bear 55]

I agree with Rexx miss the Reeds store.

[Rexx]

FF is the worst. Go in to the store ask them about electronics-you might get lucky if 1 of the 8 employees in the fishing department actually know how to turn a unit on.

[20lbSloughShark]

Last guy I talked to there seemed to know his stuff. I try not to look though, as It will be years until I can afford a brand new graph.

[Hawg]

Rexx, you sound bitter, did you get fired. Most stores take care of GOOD employees.