It's official - Bass Pro acquires Cabela's

[steveo27]

fishbaithohaha wrote:
Amending recommendation to include; Woolrich's products.

Ive got a pair of red plaid Woolrich pants and matching jacket at home that were my grandfathers from forever ago.. Super comfortable and warm as all get out.

 

[Chaz]

For anyone that cares, I've never been in the Cabelas in Hamburg when it wasn't swamped with customers.
As for the sale I heard it was because a large investor wasn't happy with his return on invest, this was supposed to be someone who had an 11% interest in the Co. Which on it's face doesn't sound like much, but it may have been the biggest investor.

 

[salmonoid]

CRB wrote:
I used to stop at the Kittery Trading post store in Maine, it was far superior to Cabela's, Field and Stream,or PBS. They used to have "racks" of used guns in the fall. Freeport LL Bean was a good shop to stop at too. But Ktp Has a full 1st floor of fishing gear.
www.kitterytradingpost.com

I've purchased from KTP - but online

Woolrich pretty much collapsed as a company in the 90's. Woolrich has steadily shifted all of their manufacturing out of the States and I think it is Mexico based now.

Bass Pro simply took a page from the corporate playbook - if you can't beat 'em, buy 'em. Whatever Cabela's motivation for selling (disgruntled investor, disinterested family, etc.), reduction in competition generally doesn't favor the consumer. However, I'm happy with my $5 SnowPeak titanium stove and my $5 Pflueger President 3/4 spare spool I scooped from a bargain cave somewhere (maybe Wheeling store?). And the CGR rod I have is decent enough. And I like a couple of long sleeve hollow thread polyester dress shirts I have - nice and warm. But no tears shed here over the merger.

 

[HopBack]

^^^^ I was going to say the same thing about woolrich. The company is just a shell and all the operations haves moved to Mexico. Quality is pretty terrible as well. Stitching on classic shirts falls apart within a year if your lucky. Hold on to those clothes from the 60s and 70s. They are antiques now. I prefer the new modern materials anyway. Lighter, stronger, and perform better in the elements. You do have to spend a little bit more for this type of clothing but well worth it IMHO.

 

[salvelinus]

The last time I was in Woolrich to buy some shirts they were all Chinese. I passed. I was at Bass Pro the other day and bought some flannels. They were from India and Bangladesh. I don't know if they're any better but at least they aren't Chinese crap.

 

[pcray1231]

The large investor bit is correct.

Cabelas was doing poorly. Stock price tanking. A large investor bought a bunch of stock cheap and started demanding change to get a good return. They've been shopping for a buyer for over a year. Bass Pro was always the leader in the rumor mill, but nothing official was happening. Apparently the smoke did mean there was fire, though. The holdup was apparently the credit card side of the business, where Cabelas was still profitable. All other suitors wanted only that part of it. Cabelas didn't want to spin it off. Bass Pro wanted it all but needed a big bank partner to be able to manage it. They got the partner and the sale went through.

 

[Sylvaneous]

pcray1231 wrote:
While I live here and can't complain, I always felt SE PA was kind of over represented by these giant outdoor shops. BPS in Harrisburg, Cabelas in Hamburg and another in Christiana. Got Bean in Allentown and KOP, not to mention another in Philly suburbs in NJ and also northern Delaware!

Yet, western PA, where there are also a lot of people and I think a higher % actually hunt and fish, you got, uhhhh. A Cabelas in WV, I guess. Look at Ohio. BPS and Cabelas combined, they got 8 stores! And that's not counting the WV store and Dundee, MI, both just across their border.

Yes, the place we do this stuff so much, and the closest is in Wheeling, WV. I don't get the cramming of stores in Ohio. I mean, they are really socked-in there. Columbus and Buffalo are the other closer stores, but are further than Wheeling. ****'s off-shoot, Field and Stream isn't bad but has not many deals or sales. And they don't have much of that Chinese private labeled stuff that is Cabela's and Bass Pro line-up. I read the whole Super Store scam in "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" or another similar investigative book. It revealed how much in local and state government tax pardons and outright gifts they get. And the companies sell how much traffic they will get: never. Not even during the peak Christmas season do they ever get this much business. Then they close or consolidate and leave a hollow waste behind. Like, for how many generations will we fall for this S#!t? Give aways to billionaires (Johnny Morris is a billionaire) because municipalities are desperate for jobs and business. But it's all minimum wage crap and, just like the Marcellus Shale royalty checks, in a few years, it's gone.

I like the big stores but all the over-blown, tacky giant bronze elk and antler door handles and fake float planes and stuffed elephants and fish aquariums, THAT, oh, by the way, get their floor space written off taxes as educational (not kidding!). Some is nice, like the waterfall, but it's just so tacky and over-wrought. But can't companies make an honest buck without squeezing our governments for our tax money just to do their business? If you can't then don't! But more is always better. Like free stadiums. Makes me sick.

Grove city would have been a great location and a LOT closer to the Cleveland and Erie markets BUT just as far from Pittsburgh. But I bet they got more give aways in WV. Hell, they built them an interstate exit and let them name it!

They sold because an investor group, and I think Carl Icahn was part of it, forced them to sell out because Cabela's had higher operating expenses, more back-room costs and fewer efficiencies than Bass Pro. So they made money, just not enough.
Inevitibly, we the customer will get screwed.
And there will be interstate exits with rotting Mega Stores and a few , sad tag along restaurants waiting to close.
Waste. But this is how we allow things to happen here.

 

[bigjohn58]

The Woolrich store in Woolrich is still there but it is half the size it used to be. The bargain area in the back where I used to get great deals on clothing is no longer there. I used to stop in from time to time when they had their huge sales. Now I stop in once a year at best.

 

[FarmerDave]

HopBack wrote:
^^^^ I was going to say the same thing about woolrich. The company is just a shell and all the operations haves moved to Mexico.

Not entirely true.

Most of the manufacturing was moved to other countries, but a small amount is still here. And they still have corporate her and employ a few thousand I think.

I'll agree that their quality isn't what it used to be.

I have a relatively new coat that seems to be fine, and I think I have dad's old Woolrich coat as well. Can't remember. It wouldn't surprise me if it was from the 50s, and it was used a lot. Might even fit me now.

Both are very heavy.

 

[duckfoot]

FarmerDave wrote:

HopBack wrote:
^^^^ I was going to say the same thing about woolrich. The company is just a shell and all the operations haves moved to Mexico.

Not entirely true.

Most of the manufacturing was moved to other countries, but a small amount is still here. And they still have corporate her and employ a few thousand I think.

I'll agree that their quality isn't what it used to be.

I have a relatively new coat that seems to be fine, and I think I have dad's old Woolrich coat as well. Can't remember. It wouldn't surprise me if it was from the 50s, and it was used a lot. Might even fit me now.

Both are very heavy.

Yep, the Woolrich store is still there, even if it is a bit of a store "front" than a factory.

Okay, so their clothes only last 20 years now instead of 50.

The clothes that I buy for myself need to only last that long, not as family heirlooms or moth food.

 

[pete41]

when I lived in Montana my brother and 3 buddies came out to go hunting with me-they all laughed at my out of date wool clothing-they had up to date lightweight down filled outfits-some much more comfy-yuck,yuck.
Then it drizzled--I was as comfortable as ever-they froze their butts off-we had to go into town so they could use dryers for the 50 pounds of wet feathers- I just grinned---
Still do when I hear wool is out of date.....don't let anyone kid you-nothing beats wool when you need it-

 

[troutbert]

Woolrich still makes woolen fabrics in their factory in Woolrich, PA.

 

[pcray1231]

I'm not a fan of wool, personally. I know it's advantages, that it stays warm when wet.

Not really a fan of down, either.

But give me something with a waterproof, breathable shell. I'll layer with under armour and fleece. I'll stay dry as a bone.

I prefer that to having wet wool, even if wet wool is warm.

Just remember, NO COTTON. Ever. Not even a pair of socks or underwear. Cotton should not touch your body when doing outdoor stuff. You can have all the technical gear in the world. A system with goretex, polyesters, and nylons is great and all, but a single cotton t-shirt in the mix will just ruin the entire system.

 

[salmonoid]

pcray1231 wrote:
I'm not a fan of wool, personally. I know it's advantages, that it stays warm when wet.

Not really a fan of down, either.

But give me something with a waterproof, breathable shell. I'll layer with under armour and fleece. I'll stay dry as a bone.

I prefer that to having wet wool, even if wet wool is warm.

Just remember, NO COTTON. Ever. Not even a pair of socks or underwear. Cotton should not touch your body when doing outdoor stuff. You can have all the technical gear in the world. A system with goretex, polyesters, and nylons is great and all, but a single cotton t-shirt in the mix will just ruin the entire system.

When your waterproof breathable shell fails (punctured on a stick, or raked through a briar patch), you'll be glad you have one layer that stays warm when wet. And for warmth to weight ratio, you can't beat down. Just don't rely on it to be your warm when wet layer

+1000 on the cotton. My mantra is "Cotton kills". Try this for a simple experiment. If you wear any sort of undershirt in the winter time, wear a cotton T for one day and then wear a polyester T the next day. Note about a perceived 10 degrees increase in temperature.

 

[pcray1231]

When your waterproof breathable shell fails (punctured on a stick, or raked through a briar patch.

Important that it's good stuff. Ripstop nylon. Goretex. Yeah, you can get pinholes in the briars, which, for wading gear might do you in. But for hunting purposes a pinhole here and there lets water in so slowly that it evaporates back out anyway (so long as nothing underneath, like cotton, is there to hold it). But as long as you don't get any massive breaches, any degradation in waterproofness is slow and you just maintain it as long as you can and then replace it when needed. Just like waders.

Heck, I've had underarmour/fleece/gore tex combo on steelhead fishing, made the dumb mistake of dipping my whole arm, where you're definitely soaked. Dry to the touch within a half hour.

Don't get me wrong, I recognize the advantages of wool, and if I wanted to spend months in the wilderness in winter time it'd probably be my choice. But I don't do that. For my day trips and tent camping, well, I just don't like the feel of wet wool, however warm it may be.

If you wear any sort of undershirt in the winter time, wear a cotton T for one day and then wear a polyester T the next day. Note about a perceived 10 degrees increase in temperature.

And in the summer, it's cooler too because any moisture is evaporating rather than soaking into the fabric.

Cotton is comfortable because it breathes well when perfectly dry. So around the house. By all means. But if there's any chance of sweating or getting wet, it's the wrong choice, summer or winter.

 

[FarmerDave]

duckfoot wrote:

FarmerDave wrote:

HopBack wrote:
^^^^ I was going to say the same thing about woolrich. The company is just a shell and all the operations haves moved to Mexico.

Not entirely true.

Most of the manufacturing was moved to other countries, but a small amount is still here. And they still have corporate her and employ a few thousand I think.

I'll agree that their quality isn't what it used to be.

I have a relatively new coat that seems to be fine, and I think I have dad's old Woolrich coat as well. Can't remember. It wouldn't surprise me if it was from the 50s, and it was used a lot. Might even fit me now.

Both are very heavy.

Yep, the Woolrich store is still there, even if it is a bit of a store "front" than a factory.

Okay, so their clothes only last 20 years now instead of 50.

The clothes that I buy for myself need to only last that long, not as family heirlooms or moth food.

LOL, that is kind of what I was thinking.

They do still make a few things here. but I'm guessing not all that much.

They claim to "operate one of the oldest, continuous running woolen mills in the country."

 

[salmonoid]

FarmerDave wrote:

duckfoot wrote:

FarmerDave wrote:

HopBack wrote:
^^^^ I was going to say the same thing about woolrich. The company is just a shell and all the operations haves moved to Mexico.

Not entirely true.

Most of the manufacturing was moved to other countries, but a small amount is still here. And they still have corporate her and employ a few thousand I think.

I'll agree that their quality isn't what it used to be.

I have a relatively new coat that seems to be fine, and I think I have dad's old Woolrich coat as well. Can't remember. It wouldn't surprise me if it was from the 50s, and it was used a lot. Might even fit me now.

Both are very heavy.

Yep, the Woolrich store is still there, even if it is a bit of a store "front" than a factory.

Okay, so their clothes only last 20 years now instead of 50.

The clothes that I buy for myself need to only last that long, not as family heirlooms or moth food.

LOL, that is kind of what I was thinking.

They do still make a few things here. but I'm guessing not all that much.

They claim to "operate one of the oldest, continuous running woolen mills in the country."

"Woolrich now has a little more than 200 fulltime employees worldwide, down from more than 400 just several years ago."

There is mention of moving some of the manufacturing back state-side, but that of course is what everyone wants to hear from an executive. Whether it actually happened or not, I do not know.

From a 2013 article in the Williamsport Sun Gazette.

http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/592548/Woolrich-Inc--passes-the-torch.html?nav=5011

I think the "oldest running woolen mill" piece is just so they can say they can. Not because they need or are using the bulk of the fabric in their products..

When I was a teen, the one item I scoured the local Goodwill store for on a regular basis was a wool shirt. I always wanted a Woolrich one, because they were heavy (in the classic red and black checkboard pattern). I never found a Woolrich one, but did find a few from other manufacturers, but in a much lighter fabric. My first fishing hat was a heavy red and black checkerboard pattern Woolrich hat.

Globalization has done a number of things to the clothing industry:
reduced the cost of manufacturing,
reduced the quality of the clothing,
made mass-produced clothing accessible to the masses, via big-box stores

You can compete in a niche market if the clothing you sell performs significantly better than the mass-produced stuff. And if it does, you can command a premium. But, if I can buy 5 Walmart brand wool shirts (don't even know if they have 90%+ wool, so maybe a bad example) at a combined price that is half of that of a Woolrich wool shirt, and when the cheapos wear out, put another one on, I'm still ahead.

Icebreaker is a company that I would say is trying to command that premium. I picked up a few of their Helix and Legend shirts in the past year. List price is $250-275, maybe $180ish street price. Had I paid that price for them, I would have been underwhelmed (majorly). They are warm enough shirts, with the MerinoLoft insulation and I made it through the regional opening day, with a steady rain in the morning wearing just the Helix shirt. But I felt they performed at the price I actually paid for them ($50-$70). Trendy tracking the source of the merino wool fad aside, Icebreaker will go the way of Woolrich if they don't deliver $250 of performance for their wool garments. Or reduce their price to $150 list. Because there will be some company somewhere that makes something similar enough at half the cost, and that will be good enough for the masses.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I believe I bought one of the last classic red buffalo plaid Woolrich wool shirts made in the USA. I bought it about 15-20 years ago at the Original Store in Woolrich. Soon there after they started making them in China along with alot of other items previously made here. I think I paid about $50 for it which at the time was pretty expensive. I still have the shirt and it wears like iron. Very good quality. Not sure if the new products are as good. I kind of doubt it.

 

[franklin]

I haven't been to the Woolrich store in over 30 years. Is it still worth a trip?

I'll relate an interesting story about the last time I went to Woolrich. After the visit my brother and I refer to it as the "land of no return". here is why: back in the late 1970s my brother, who had just been married to an out of state girl, decided they should visit the Grand Canyon of PA for a photo trip. I tagged along. On the way we decided to stop at the Woolrich store. When we left the store my sister in law was driving and my brother and I we involved in conversation catching up on things since we last talked. We headed north out of town. After about 20 minutes we noticed the roadside seemed to look familiar and shortly we arrived in Woolrich.

So we got out the map and found we drove in a large circle and came back into town. We gave my sister in law new directions this time heading out of town to the west. After about another 20 minutes again the scenery started looking familiar and we again entered Wooolrich. This time from the north.

My brother and I both decided we were having a Twilight Zone moment. This time he took the drivers seat and we went south back onto 220 and headed west to Lock Haven and then up to the canyon.

 

[Char_Master]

Well this is unfortunate news, I was hoping the rumors weren't true a couple months ago, but I guess so. All I can say is that after I spend the remainder of the gift card I have for cabela's, I'll be doing all my shopping at Field and Stream or small shops from now on.