Never thought i would say this!!!!

[Snowbound]

I agree, Fleet is going down hill fast.

Used to be one of my favorite stores to shop, now not so much.

Now we walk my tampons to get to a mediocre tool, automotive and sporting goods selection.

It's nothing more than a glorified Walmart

 

My last experience, 1 cashier open and 11 people waiting in line

Edited January 9, 2018 by Snowbound

[BRULEDRIFTER]

47 minutes ago, Snowbound said:

Now we walk my tampons to get to a mediocre tool, automotive and sporting goods selection.

 

 

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Alright, I'll bite again.

 

My whole point with arguing BD2s percentages is that let's say in the 60's and 70's, there was a population in MN of 1,000,000 people ages 16+. 40% of that is 400,000. So let's say now there are 2,500,000 folks ages 16+. 27% of that is 675,000. That means there is 275,000 more people buying fishing licenses! That means there are more people fishing! Sure, there no longer is 40% of that population demographic fishing, but overall numbers of people are up.... WAY UP!

Edited January 9, 2018 by BRULEDRIFTER

[Big Dave2]

Siiiiigh........

 

All you guys have to do is look up the data. You obviously have the internet at your fingertips.

 

Fishing License holders in MN

 

1980 - 1,550,000

1990 - 1,552,000

2000 - 1,565,000

2016 - 1,423,000

 

Population of MN

 

1980 - 4,076,000

1990 - 4,390,000

2000 - 4,934,000

2016 - 5,520,000

[Big Dave2]

1 hour ago, BRULEDRIFTER said:

Alright, I'll bite again.

 

My whole point with arguing BD2s percentages is that let's say in the 60's and 70's, there was a population in MN of 1,000,000 people ages 16+. 40% of that is 400,000. So let's say now there are 2,500,000 folks ages 16+. 27% of that is 675,000. That means there is 275,000 more people buying fishing licenses! That means there are more people fishing! Sure, there no longer is 40% of that population demographic fishing, but overall numbers of people are up.... WAY UP!

 

Look at the data above. You say you you started fishing in 2000 and that there are way more fishermen now than there were then. The data does not support that assumption. According to fishing license sales, there were 142,000 less license holders in 2016 than in 2000. The only way your assumption of "way more" fishermen is true is if over 150,000 more people are fishing without a license than did in 2000.

 

The same people may be fishing more but that's not what we were discussing.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Big Dave2

[BRULEDRIFTER]

edit

Edited January 9, 2018 by BRULEDRIFTER

[smurfy]

you guys can duke it out......i still be a fleet farm guy........regardless !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Big Dave2]

2 hours ago, PurpleFloyd said:

Any idea on the amonut if money spent per person who does it now vs then? My guess is that is far higher.

 

I have no idea but I'm sure you are right, it is much higher especially if you want to go all the way back to the 60's and 70's but I was more arguing from 2000 until today. I'm sure the amount spent per person has increased even since 2000 but those numbers are going to be skewed by all of those expensive ice castle fish houses that are being purchased and Fleet Farm doesn't sell those as far as I know.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Just for the record, I've been fishing long before 2000, that was just when I caught the ice fishing bug really bad.

 

Alright, I call Uncle. The numbers don't lie.  However, aside from all the back and forth, even if license sales are down, there are way more people involved in ice fishing these days then there ever has been. Save your argument for that if you have one, cause I don't care.

 

 

Edited January 9, 2018 by BRULEDRIFTER

[Big Dave2]

8 minutes ago, smurfy said:

you guys can duke it out......i still be a fleet farm guy........regardless !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Me too. I'm never an advocate for big box stores but there is no better alternative in my area for outdoors gear unless I can find what I want online.

[swamptiger]

Amazon keeps taking a bigger slice of the market from retailers every year, so if that continues, it will definitely show up in brick & mortar stores in various ways.

 

https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/10/amazons-us-online-sales-growth-last-year-was-mor-2.aspx

 

 

[Big Dave2]

7 minutes ago, BRULEDRIFTER said:

Just for the record, I've been fishing long before 2000, that was just when I caught the ice fishing bug really bad.

 

Alright, I call Uncle. The numbers don't lie.  However, aside from all the back and forth, even if license sales are down, there are way more people involved in ice fishing these days then there ever has been. Save your argument for that if you have one, cause I don't care.

 

I don't doubt you on that. Ice fishing is probably one of the reasons why Minnesota fishing license sales are as strong as they are. Again, I don't know if I believe your "way more" argument but I think ice fishing numbers have at least not decreased like the total numbers have.

[delcecchi]

It looks like numbers are staying flat, percent declining. 

http://www.startribune.com/actual-minnesota-hunter-angler-numbers-diverge-from-fed-survey/166323236/

http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-fishing-license-sales-hold-steady-but-anglers-are-aging/427963683/

Although Minnesota's overall population has grown significantly, the total number of licensed anglers in the state has hovered steadily at about 1.1 million each year since 2000, according to the October DNR report, as a smaller proportion of Minnesotans take up rod and reel to roll the dice with Mother Nature.

Angling license sales for the 2017 season are roughly on par with year-to-date figures in the last few years, according to the DNR. However, because license sales can rise and fall with the weather, the full picture won’t be available until the end of the season.

Jenifer Wical, outreach coordinator for the DNR’s fish and wildlife division, said despite the lagging youth interest, Minnesota’s steady fishing license sales are encouraging at a time when other states are seeing sales fall.

Wical said sales are so important because they’re the main source of DNR funding for managing and maintaining fish populations, to the tune of $26.6 million in 2016.

 

Fishing license sales dipped slightly in 2013 when fees last bumped up to combat inflation and increased costs. Wical said some anglers took a year off or chose licenses with fewer privileges, but revenues improved and license sales have slowly recovered.

Those rates didn’t last long. They’ll increase again in 2018 under the new budget signed by Gov. Mark Dayton in May.

The most popular choice, the individual angling license, will cost $25 -- a $3 increase. The next most popular license, for married couples, will increase $5 to $40.

Anglers who choose the conservation license with a reduced daily catch limit, like I do, will see a more modest $2 increase to $17.

Fees will go up 15 percent on average and are expected to boost fishing license revenues by $3 million to $5 million over the next few years, according to Linda Kelly, fish and wildlife administration chief at the DNR.

 

Another helpful factor for the budget numbers? Out-of-state visitors coming to try their piscine luck in Minnesota’s lakes and rivers. Sales to non-residents have made up one-third of fishing license revenues in the last two decades.

The cost of keeping our lakes brimming with fish will probably continue to rise, but that’s future history. Even when the fish aren’t biting, having an excuse to sit still and enjoy nature is worth the price of admission for this licensed angler.

•  

[smurfy]

3 minutes ago, swamptiger said:

Amazon keeps taking a bigger slice of the market from retailers every year, so if that continues, it will definitely show up in brick & mortar stores in various ways.

 

https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/10/amazons-us-online-sales-growth-last-year-was-mor-2.aspx

 

 

yea i may be old schooled but i'm not buying stuff online. i need to see and touch  what i purchase. not sure if its old school or fear to much info being stolen via online information passing required for payments!!!!  

[swamptiger]

1 minute ago, smurfy said:

yea i may be old schooled but i'm not buying stuff online. i need to see and touch  what i purchase. not sure if its old school or fear to much info being stolen via online information passing required for payments!!!!  

 

Talking to my UPS driver, he said even UPS is concerned, because the percentage of their Amazon deliveries is so high they can dictate terms to UPS.  And they are also getting into the shipping/delivery business themselves.

 

 

[smurfy]

what also scares me is these big companies buying out others, in particular there compeitors, to corner the market so to speak. i thought there where rules against that to a degree.................but thats wayyyyyyyyy above my pay grade!!!!!!!!

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, Big Dave2 said:

Siiiiigh........

 

All you guys have to do is look up the data. You obviously have the internet at your fingertips.

 

Fishing License holders in MN

 

1980 - 1,550,000

1990 - 1,552,000

2000 - 1,565,000

2016 - 1,423,000

 

Population of MN

 

1980 - 4,076,000

1990 - 4,390,000

2000 - 4,934,000

2016 - 5,520,000

 

Yup, TIME to dig up facts to support our assumptions is another story....

 

It occurs to me those numbers are strictly sales.  Do they publish date of purchase trends?  I know they have the data, I just won’t get to it on this ‘lil posting break I’m taking. 

 

My thought is, of those license sold, were more bought for open water or hard water purposes?  A license is a license.

 

The seasonal angler hours will tell that story.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Wanderer

[Wanderer]

Geez, it looks like it was rampant posting time an hour or so ago...

 

There are about 7 posts that dropped in while I was making mine, eluding to the same thought.  Maybe I’m slower than I thought! 

[Duffman]

There's been a vast improvement in gear and clothing since 2000 for ice fishing.  People will enjoy an activity more if they are comfortable.

 

I have noticed that FF commercials are way more numerous since the buyout.

Don't know if that adds anything to the conversation, but it used to be more of a word of mouth store. And they did fine back then. Maybe with the downturn in sales due to poor inventory/word of mouth, they felt the need to get the word out on their own?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[leech~~]

4 hours ago, Duffman said:

There's been a vast improvement in gear and clothing since 2000 for ice fishing.  People will enjoy an activity more if they are comfortable.

 

I have noticed that FF commercials are way more numerous since the buyout.

Don't know if that adds anything to the conversation, but it used to be more of a word of mouth store. And they did fine back then. Maybe with the downturn in sales due to poor inventory/word of mouth, they felt the need to get the word out on their own?

 

 

 

Yeah, Thanks Stewart for taking Gmpa and Dad's money and running.  Sell out!

[Big Dave2]

57 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

 

Yeah, Thanks Stewart for taking Gmpa and Dad's money and running.  Sell out!

 

I wonder what he did with the money? 

 

 

 

 

[Wanderer]

Tried to make a better ‘Merica! 

 

Dontchya gotta walk [stumble] a mile in someone else’s shoes to speak for them?

 

I’ll admit it here cuz I know Big Dave will keep me honest if I ever run for office:  I did it.  Yes I did beat a bunch of 20 something’s in a keg stand contest when I was 40 something.

 

Just wish I could remember what year that was .... 

[PurpleFloyd]

9 hours ago, smurfy said:

what also scares me is these big companies buying out others, in particular there compeitors, to corner the market so to speak. i thought there where rules against that to a degree.................but thats wayyyyyyyyy above my pay grade!!!!!!!!

That is capitalism  buddy. Survival of the fittest, weeding out the weak and all that stuff. 

[smurfy]

27 minutes ago, PurpleFloyd said:

That is capitalism  buddy. Survival of the fittest, weeding out the weak and all that stuff. 

Oh I agree get rid of the competition then jack up the price!

[Big Dave2]

On 1/9/2018 at 7:11 PM, smurfy said:

Oh I agree get rid of the competition then jack up the price!

 

Same thing the union does to labor?