The death of Sidney, Ne.

[goldencohusker]

I respectfully disagree: Bass Pro had no obligations to stay in Sidney, Financially that would make no sense , the synergies created by merging the 2 companies is what drove the purchase in the first place. Jim Cabela is solely to blame for entering into the mess to begin with, you don't go public in the manner he did and not expect what happened

Exactly, when you go public you sell your soul to the devil. You can't go that route and think your going be able to retain what you had when it was a family business. It was a family decision to be based in Sidney. No publically traded entity with an existing headquarters was going to keep another one in Sidney.

 

[huskerfan66]

Agree with many tidbits in a bunch of replies in this thread.

Bottom line, Cabela's decided to enter and compete in the Bass pro shop world and expanded rapidly. When you expand that fast you need capital. You raise capital by borrowing money or going public with stock. In either case you have now become a slave to the master.

Elliot capital owned 11% which they purchased AFTER (I believe) Cabela's explored selling and decided not to. Yes they obviously were able to convince atleast 40% more of the shares to sell and the Cabela's family evidently didn't own or control 51%.

I'm surprised Bass pro shop has kept them separate for this long. I honestly haven't been to Cabela's since sale. Not boycott just haven't needed anything. Sorry to hear from an above poster that things have gone down hill.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

Agree with many tidbits in a bunch of replies in this thread.

Bottom line, Cabela's decided to enter and compete in the Bass pro shop world and expanded rapidly. When you expand that fast you need capital. You raise capital by borrowing money or going public with stock. In either case you have now become a slave to the master.

Elliot capital owned 11% which they purchased AFTER (I believe) Cabela's explored selling and decided not to. Yes they obviously were able to convince atleast 40% more of the shares to sell and the Cabela's family evidently didn't own or control 51%.

I'm surprised Bass pro shop has kept them separate for this long. I honestly haven't been to Cabela's since sale. Not boycott just haven't needed anything. Sorry to hear from an above poster that things have gone down hill.

I live right by a Cabela's, I have not noticed anything different, at all.

 

[dinglefritz]

Father in law lives in Sidney and knows the Cabela's. Says it's really unfortunate and was unintended result from going public. But the city's far from wiped out. Housing market went to crap, but has rebounded a bit I believe. There's jobs around there, they just lost a huge chunk and one of which provided a large sense of pride. Too bad really. Hate vulture capitalism.

I have a friend who worked for Cabela's in an executive position for decades. He's near retirement and is free lancing and doing okay I think. This was about an economy of scale and duplication of retail infrastructure. Unfortunately all of the Cabela's brand clothing articles that I've bought religiously for the past decade or more are no longer available through Bass Pro. All they've got is that crappy Redhead store label.

 

[huskerfan66]

I live right by a Cabela's, I have not noticed anything different, at all.

Good to hear. I was just going off what someone had posted. Thanks

 

[HuskerTilDeath]

Agree with many tidbits in a bunch of replies in this thread.

Bottom line, Cabela's decided to enter and compete in the Bass pro shop world and expanded rapidly. When you expand that fast you need capital. You raise capital by borrowing money or going public with stock. In either case you have now become a slave to the master.

Elliot capital owned 11% which they purchased AFTER (I believe) Cabela's explored selling and decided not to. Yes they obviously were able to convince atleast 40% more of the shares to sell and the Cabela's family evidently didn't own or control 51%.

I'm surprised Bass pro shop has kept them separate for this long. I honestly haven't been to Cabela's since sale. Not boycott just haven't needed anything. Sorry to hear from an above poster that things have gone down hill.

Couple reasons for the brands being kept separate.

1. Sheer cost of re-branding 75 stores.
2. Even now that the merger is a couple years old. Product life-cycles and foreign purchases take time to push out of the retail system.
3. Cabelas.com dwarfs BassPro.com in traffic and sales
4. BPS is finding out that the loyal Cabela's customers dont see their brands as comparable to the legacy Cabelas brands

 

[goldencohusker]

Good to hear. I was just going off what someone had posted. Thanks

I would disagree. I had a Cabelas credit card for many years, so got alot of stuff with my points over the years on-line as I didn't live near a store. While Cabelas in-store pricing usually wasn't great, their on-line bargain cave would have some great deals. That has all but ended with the sale. Also, on the clothing side, Pro Bass' Red Head brand that's now saturated Cabelas seems pretty inferior to the Cabelas branded stuff you used to be able to get, although Cabelas stuff seemed to be getting more hit/miss quality-wise in recent years.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

I would disagree. I had a Cabelas credit card for many years, so got alot of stuff with my points over the years on-line as I didn't live near a store. While Cabelas in-store pricing usually wasn't great, their on-line bargain cave would have some great deals. That has all but ended with the sale. Also, on the clothing side, Pro Bass' Red Head brand that's now saturated Cabelas seems pretty inferior to the Cabelas branded stuff you used to be able to get, although Cabelas stuff seemed to be getting more hit/miss quality-wise in recent years.

If you're basing some of your opinion on the fact you aren't getting bargain basement pricing on online stuff anymore, OK...but that sure isn't what I took the comment about how downhill they've gone, to mean. As far as their quality being hit or miss on clothing, I will refer to you on that, IDK.

 

[huskerfan66]

That is one thing about Cabela's in the past, you could return anything for dang near any reason. I know someone who exploited and abused their policy. He would literally buy a new pair of waterproof boots for hunting and trapping every fall. Then return them after the season and say he just didn't like them. I couldn't believe it and they kept letting him do it. Maybe he purchased a lot from them so they looked the other way. My conscience wouldn't allow it

 

[goldencohusker]

Going downhill as a company covers broad ground. I was speaking strictly from the customer side of the equation which is all I have experience with. I was a loyal customer because they provided a good value play for me - price and quality, and good customer service when I needed it. The customer friendly return policy mentioned above added to the experience and made you feel like they stood behind their products. Now, they seem like every other big-box retailer.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

That is one thing about Cabela's in the past, you could return anything for dang near any reason. I know someone who exploited and abused their policy. He would literally buy a new pair of waterproof boots for hunting and trapping every fall. Then return them after the season and say he just didn't like them. I couldn't believe it and they kept letting him do it. Maybe he purchased a lot from them so they looked the other way. My conscience wouldn't allow it

That is so common anymore, drives me cra cra...like corporations just eat that kind of thing? Nope, they pass it right along to you and me. I owned a small biz for a very long time, and there is a perception out there by people who've never owned one, that business's are fair game on that stuff.

There was a professor at UNO a few years ago, taught business, remember that word, business, it ill be important later.....He'd buy cycling clothing from a local store here in Omaha, use it up, and return it many months later. This guy taught business, and he thought that was perfectly fine to keep doing it. How can a professor at UNO who teaches business not get, that not only is that morally wrong, but the bike shop was forced to eat that, because they couldn't return it, and the shop was just going to pass that along to everyone else?

 

[huskerfan66]

That is so common anymore, drives me cra cra...like corporations just eat that kind of thing? Nope, they pass it right along to you and me. I owned a small biz for a very long time, and there is a perception out there by people who've never owned one, that business's are fair game on that stuff.

There was a professor at UNO a few years ago, taught business, remember that word, business, it ill be important later.....He'd buy cycling clothing from a local store here in Omaha, use it up, and return it many months later. This guy taught business, and he thought that was perfectly fine to keep doing it. How can a professor at UNO who teaches business not get, that not only is that morally wrong, but the bike shop was forced to eat that, because they couldn't return it, and the shop was just going to pass that along to everyone else?

How would the professor feel about taking a class and then demanding a refund of tuition at the end of the semester. Granted he'd probably say "fine, no problem".... Until the university docked his pay to recoup the tuition. Then it wouldn't be so "fine".

 

[huskerfan66]

That is so common anymore, drives me cra cra...like corporations just eat that kind of thing? Nope, they pass it right along to you and me. I owned a small biz for a very long time, and there is a perception out there by people who've never owned one, that business's are fair game on that stuff.

There was a professor at UNO a few years ago, taught business, remember that word, business, it ill be important later.....He'd buy cycling clothing from a local store here in Omaha, use it up, and return it many months later. This guy taught business, and he thought that was perfectly fine to keep doing it. How can a professor at UNO who teaches business not get, that not only is that morally wrong, but the bike shop was forced to eat that, because they couldn't return it, and the shop was just going to pass that along to everyone else?

Reminds me of a sign/cartoon at our local farm supply/hardware/electric shop.

"We screw the other guy and pass the savings on to you"

 

[Solana Beach Husker]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/paul-singer-sidney-nebraska-cabelas-bass-pro-shops-merger

I use to travel to Sidney as a NAPA rep. Breaks my heart to read this article. An entire town wiped out. Terrible news.

I remember going with friends on a Nebraska tour of a set of our home towns. One of our friends was from Sydney and it was just a shining jewel...then we went to Ogallala(stagnant), Grand Island(struggling), Dunning(dead)...this is just the reality of rural America. The megapolis is the future...somewhat sad because since I lived in a city I've realized the stress that concrete, noise, traffic, and bustle can put on a person. Hopefully we can restore some natural parts and return to these places on occasion.

 

[Huskers_Rule]

Well of course that's why Bass Pro Shops did it, BUT they still are the ones who moved the jobs out of Sidney so they could make more profit, it wasn't somebody else.

"so they could make a profit", the devils. You know public companies have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders right?

 

[huskerfan66]

I remember going with friends on a Nebraska tour of a set of our home towns. One of our friends was from Sydney and it was just a shining jewel...then we went to Ogallala(stagnant), Grand Island(struggling), Dunning(dead)...this is just the reality of rural America. The megapolis is the future...somewhat sad because since I lived in a city I've realized the stress that concrete, noise, traffic, and bustle can put on a person. Hopefully we can restore some natural parts and return to these places on occasion.

The Platte River/I 80 corridor is doing well. NE Nebraska is doing well. Rest of the state hanging on by their fingernails.

 

[TheNewNU]

That is one thing about Cabela's in the past, you could return anything for dang near any reason. I know someone who exploited and abused their policy. He would literally buy a new pair of waterproof boots for hunting and trapping every fall. Then return them after the season and say he just didn't like them. I couldn't believe it and they kept letting him do it. Maybe he purchased a lot from them so they looked the other way. My conscience wouldn't allow it

Costco does that too. The idea is its better to keep the customer happy and keep them coming back to the store than to pinch pennies tell them no and lose their business altogether. Im sure your friend bought more than boots at Cabelas over the years.

 

[huskerfan66]

Costco does that too. The idea is its better to keep the customer happy and keep them coming back to the store than to pinch pennies tell them no and lose their business altogether. Im sure your friend bought more than boots at Cabelas over the years.

Knowing him, he's ahead of Cabela's. He's the type of guy that takes his trash to a dumpster of a business so he doesn't have to pay for trash pick up

 

[Solana Beach Husker]

That is so common anymore, drives me cra cra...like corporations just eat that kind of thing? Nope, they pass it right along to you and me. I owned a small biz for a very long time, and there is a perception out there by people who've never owned one, that business's are fair game on that stuff.

There was a professor at UNO a few years ago, taught business, remember that word, business, it ill be important later.....He'd buy cycling clothing from a local store here in Omaha, use it up, and return it many months later. This guy taught business, and he thought that was perfectly fine to keep doing it. How can a professor at UNO who teaches business not get, that not only is that morally wrong, but the bike shop was forced to eat that, because they couldn't return it, and the shop was just going to pass that along to everyone else?

Sounds like the business needed a new return policy...sounds like a dumb business. Or maybe the business used this tactic to out-compete other businesses and calculated that their loose return policy actually made them customers, and therefore more money than they lost. I know another company, starts with an A and ends with an N, and they have a very loose return policy. In fact sometimes you don't return something at all and get refunded, and sometimes they let you return things long after you bought it. And for some reason they have a lot of business. I imagine the business professor understood that said business was undercutting other businesses with a loose policy and took advantage of this policy.

 

[tarheelhusker]

The simple reality is, the professor is a common thief.

 

[SLOHusker]

Cabela's Sidney headquarters was a huge win for small town Nebraska. But it an was an anomaly in the 21st century that could only last as long as the company was privately owned. Cabela's should never have gone public if they didn't want to end up being run like a corporation, which would inevitably end with a board putting profit over people. I recently worked for a company that was an absolute joy to work for whole it was privately owned, to being a disappointing crapfest after it was sold to a larger corporation. The new ownership immediately went about cutting and restructuring, and that meant 1/2 if our company. That's just how it goes. Fortunately I don't live in s small town and the company isn't the signature employer of my city.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

Sounds like the business needed a new return policy...sounds like a dumb business. Or maybe the business used this tactic to out-compete other businesses and calculated that their loose return policy actually made them customers, and therefore more money than they lost. I know another company, starts with an A and ends with an N, and they have a very loose return policy. In fact sometimes you don't return something at all and get refunded, and sometimes they let you return things long after you bought it. And for some reason they have a lot of business. I imagine the business professor understood that said business was undercutting other businesses with a loose policy and took advantage of this policy.

Oh my....what a strange way to look at this. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that.

 

[goldencohusker]

Sounds like the business needed a new return policy...sounds like a dumb business. Or maybe the business used this tactic to out-compete other businesses and calculated that their loose return policy actually made them customers, and therefore more money than they lost. I know another company, starts with an A and ends with an N, and they have a very loose return policy. In fact sometimes you don't return something at all and get refunded, and sometimes they let you return things long after you bought it. And for some reason they have a lot of business. I imagine the business professor understood that said business was undercutting other businesses with a loose policy and took advantage of this policy.

Or maybe they were a business that believed in standing behind their products and trying to do right by their customers. The return policy did not give them competitive advantage because several of their long-time competitors (i.e. LL Bean) had similar policies. Most been forced to become more strict, not because the original policy was dumb, but like most rules in civilized society, they have to manage to the lowest common denominator. I.e. people that lack ethics, morals, or common sense. Unfortunately, this demographic seems to be growing.

 

[schuele]

Or maybe they were a business that believed in standing behind their products and trying to do right by their customers. The return policy did not give them competitive advantage because several of their long-time competitors (i.e. LL Bean) had similar policies. Most been forced to become more strict, not because the original policy was dumb, but like most rules in civilized society, they have to manage to the lowest common denominator. I.e. people that lack ethics, morals, or common sense. Unfortunately, this demographic seems to be growing.

The thing that bugs me about serial returners is their penchant for bragging about it - as if returning a product for a refund requires some sort of special skill or intelligence. Similar to the people who brag about not tipping or complaining their way to a comped meal.