Camping World buys Gander Mountain

down home wrote:
I tired to post with facts and figures and such. It wasn't allowed.
Basically Gander Mountain had a lousy marketing plan. Prices higher than MSRP on repackaged, under their label goods etc and firearms sometimes plus you could not.
get asistance many times and prices not posted on some whole isles.
All other Retailers were eating their lunch.
It seemed they were playing a game of establishing book value to sell the company.
They would not listen. I would love to see them succeed. The old Gander Mountain of 25 years ago was great ith selection and prices.

Since Good Sam Enterprises bought it at a bankruptcy auction, meaning the ownership of Gander Mountain will get nothing, I would say if their plan was to establish a high book value to facilitate a sale, they failed miserably. To me, it is likely they just couldn't compete in an increasingly competitive market. The internet has made life for all brick and mortar retailers more difficult. While I have no knowledge of Gander Mountain, never even been in one, it appears from the limited amount of information in these threads, that one of their biggest markets was hunting and shooting. If so, they hitched their wagon to a recreational segment that is experiencing contraction, at least when it comes to hunting.
If I was a betting man, my money would be on Good Sam seeing two opportunities. First, the real estate assets (stores and store leases, perhaps at less than current market rates) might be a fit for additional Camping World locations. Second, the Overton brand will offer Good Sam an entry point into the Marine accessory market, which might dovetail well with Camping World. I would be surprised if the Gander Mountain name survived beyond being used as a potential house brand to be sold inside Camping World stores.