"George Cleveland" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 09:02:05 -0500, "Lo Dolce Pesca"
wrote:

Anybody seen the new Gander Mountain opening off of I-84 and NY Route 17
on
Exit 121 in Middletown, New York?

It's on steriods.

120,000 square feet. Mammoth.

It should do wonders for all of the independent tackle shops in the
Catskill
/ Mid-Hudson region.

It's so big they're having TWO days of grand openings.

Grand opening(s):
March 25/26 2004



If its anything like the Gander Mountains in Wisconsin the local fly
shops have nothing to worry about. Their selection of fly gear is
perfunctory to say the best. We just had a new one open up, quite
large by the way, but its fly fishing section is identical to the old
store and the prices are not any cheaper than you can get from most
fly shops.

Back in the day when they were more or less exclusively a mail order
business, their sole brick and mortar retail store was in Wiilmot, WI and
served mainly as an outlet for catalogue overstocks and returns. I used to
go in there occasionally when I happened to be in the neighborhood. Their
selection of fly fishing paraphernalia in the store at that time was pretty
much whatever crap someone had found in a dark corner of the warehouse and
shoveled into a bargain bin.

When they sold off the mail order business I was certain it was their death
knell. I don't know any of the details, and didn't pay a great deal of
attention, but for a couple of years it looked like I was right. Imagine my
surprise to find that they are opening stores as far away as New York!

At any rate, at the stores I've visited.....five or six, I'd guess....it's
pretty obvious that guns (along with related accessories) and clothing are
their mainstays these days, with fishing gear probably coming in third and
camping stuff a distant fourth. Fly fishing has generally been a rather
small part of the fishing department for years, though they seem to be
taking it more seriously.....certainly a reflection of the growth of our
dearly beloved segment. I've always gotten the distinct impression that
they consider fishing, camping, books, foodstuffs, knick-knacks and such to
be a necessary nuisance. The guns and clothing are where they make their
REAL money, but in the upscale market they are targeting they gotta have the
rest of the **** to draw the erstwhile Yuppies (now Bobos) into the store.
Bubba don't much give a ****, but Brad and Bitsy most certainly do.......and
Bubba done spent most of his shekels on a nice new bass boat......but he's
still got enough for a couple of guns.....and hell, the kids ate just ate
last week.

The bottom line, for the consumer, is that they are very strong on gun
selection but get progressively weaker in all areas of those outdoor
activities that they cover at all as they get more specialized.

Oh, and for those who lament the effect that such large conglomerates have
on all the local Mom and Pop operations, it is worthwhile to remember that
dreams of like success are what put the sparkle in Mom and Pop's eyes when
they got into the business in the first place and just about exactly what we
tend to wish upon them if they happen to be the sort of good old folks we
know and patronize personally.

Wolfgang
who shops there.....when he does at all.....for lack of a better
alternative.