Bass Pro to Kingston

Hutchy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:06 pm **Posts:** 399

I would like to see a Cabelas built near by, I like them better than BPS. There are a couple out west, they need to come East

fireball · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2012 8:29 pm

bass pro isn't like other store's, they announce there coming years before they come, the Atlantic city, nj store was announced in 2009, still not built or open.

American rod and gun, which is bps whose sale division, is constanly opening store, that carry bps products, How ever they are not bps, they are Independence retailers, *enter your own store name here*

Here get the ball going open us one in bellville or kingston http://www.ar-g.com/

Personally, i will still go to auburn ny, if they open one in kingston, i will be threw once a week digging threw bargin bins. but canada prices vs usa prices suck. I don't buy much bass pro stuff, but i like some of the bps plastics.

Walleye 9 · **Joined:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:05 pm **Posts:** 1985

I can't believe a local guy has never opened up a decent sized tackle shop in Kingston. By the sounds of it, he would probably do pretty good. Don't know if there any smaller tackle shops in Kingston, but if Canadian Tire is the only competition, it may be a great success. MAYBE TOO LATE NOW!! Something comparible to Gagnon's in Oshawa. They started off small many years ago, and are now big. There is a new Sail in Oshawa, but honestly, I don't think they have anything more to offer than Gagnon's does, and their prices are pretty much identical. Sail can't even order stuff for ya. The warehouse decides what the store needs. You guys may be happy with BPS, but the novelty will wear off quick. I'm only 45 minutes away from the one in Toronto. Been there once, will never go back!!!!

furious · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2012 5:24 pm

There have been local tackle stores in Kingston before, they never last.

Hutchy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:06 pm **Posts:** 399

It is too much to start out small with the huge overhead costs and stay afloat on small sales. It's the big name places that start huge and sell huge that make it now days, plus they got investors to back them up. I go to Vaughn once a year, the girls go to the mall and me and the young lad hang at BP. After you've been there a couple times it really isn't much, in fact I have come home and bought at CTC because it was cheaper, Belleville CTC that is, Trenton CTC SUCKS!

Walleye 9 · **Joined:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:05 pm **Posts:** 1985

Hutchy wrote:

It is too much to start out small with the huge overhead costs and stay afloat on small sales. It's the big name places that start huge and sell huge that make it now days, plus they got investors to back them up. I go to Vaughn once a year, the girls go to the mall and me and the young lad hang at BP. After you've been there a couple times it really isn't much, in fact I have come home and bought at CTC because it was cheaper, Belleville CTC that is, Trenton CTC SUCKS!

What overhead?? You don't need 15-20 people on staff like Sail or BPS. If you people are going to give huge sales to a huge store, why not give huge sales to a small store?? That's how they get bigger. No different than opening up any other small business. Especially when there's very little competition. I know fishing is very popular in Kingston, so I can't understand why a small guy wouldn't last.

BigMac · **Joined:** Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:18 pm **Posts:** 1383

I don't remember any local shops in kingston other than the old rod and gun location. What else was there? When I was a kid I bought worms at pro hardware because nobody else had em that I knew of in the west end.

Ktownintruder · **Joined:** Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:18 pm **Posts:** 29

That was the one on Golden Mile rd I think..
There was the Howe Brothers Fishing and Hunting on Arlington Park place about 10? years ago.....
I seem to remember one at Collins bay rd and Bath rd back in the late 70's - early 80's... Not much else though.
I think the recently evacuated Marks work warehouse would make a great spot for a B&T shop. No shortage of parking for the rigs anyways.....
LeBaron in Ottawa is worth the drive, but I wouldn't make the trek to TO for BPS again.....Would rather stop at Belleville at MPT...

Tylercurt · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:48 pm

I can make it to ProTackle in 45 min and Gander Mountain is an hour. But still be nice to have a shop here in town. (and I could serv you all...lol)
Tim

Kevin Dorey · **Joined:** Mon May 19, 2003 2:38 pm **Posts:** 346

I'm going to buy a Ci4 reel and hop on the Shimano bandwagon. I'm going to ProAdvantage Sports and Hobbies in Belleville because his prices are as good as it gets and because the shop is right beside Tim Hortons!

Walleye 9 · **Joined:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:05 pm **Posts:** 1985

Cool if you live in Belleville. Sucks if you live in Kingston. :roll:

If you didn't have to spend $50 on gas, you could get a way better rod or reel!!!

Jim Lyon · **Joined:** Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:12 pm **Posts:** 423

Well...i can tell you i worked in the industry and the only people cheaper then fishermen are sailors. There is HUGE inventory needed and it better be cheap or you will see guys drive down to the US all the time...just look at some of the posts on Randy Lindens site "Fish Kingston" where we had the same rant there. You see it all the time guys drive down to Gander to same $10 on a planer board and then ask Canadian Tire to sponsor a hockey team...give me a break. Now i will admit the odd time i drive down to Gander or Bass Pro to see if there is something different but most times i walk out with nothing. I buy from Gagnons because i was born and raised in Oshawa and worked the sportsman shows for them but i do find that their service is not the best if they don't know you. Because of tax structures and packaging laws it is pretty tough to compete with the US stores on price. Buy from the US stores and you have to pay their tax and then our tax if you declare it at the border. I have purchased some stuff over the phone with Ed from Paddle Tales and had excellent service and will buy from him again (and hope to drive down there to see him sometime too) We lose everytime we put price before value......

fireball · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:49 am

fishing gear generally has at least 100 % mark up on it. so to reduce the selling price you have to reduce over head, and bottom line is no wholesaler is going to let you open a tackle store in your garage.. due to fear of you starting a ecommerce website.

personally i think you would have to due a bit of both to make a go at it, so when your staff isn't helping customers they are taking care of online orders.

Ecommerce has really changed the way we buy things, personally i buy fishing tackle from all over the world, wouldn't of thought of doing it 10 years ago.

Jim Lyon · **Joined:** Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:12 pm **Posts:** 423

Well....unless you get a real good deal on close outs the average markup percent is between 20-40 . There is a huge markup in clothing but not on fishing tackle. We sold the Lowrance LMS 350a at the sportsman show for $1500 and our invoice price was just over $1400. The margins just are not there for the average "little guy" with no buying power. Mike Howes has done a good job at his store but even he runs into issues with "non Canadian Tire stock"items having to pay more. We spend 20-70k on boats and motors and then drive an hour to save $10. We are a strange bunch us fishers

Dog Lake · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:40 am

Any more it's a business based on selling big volume at lower markups. Huge catalogue warehouse wholesalers are able to negotiate much better prices and get first priority from manufacturers and distributers on getting replacement stock. Smaller outlets and independants (especially in Canada) who order in smaller qualtities are charged much higher wholesale prices by distrubuters and must often order stock months in advance as the US market is given priority by manufacturers.

A larger retailer recently showed me his wholesale cost on Muskie baits (low volume for them)and it's 10-15% higher than major chain catalogue prices. How does anyone, especially an independent shop, compete with that. If you want to know why there are so few independents left and why it's so hard for them to make a go of it you need look no further than all the guys who are willing to drive a couple of hours to shop at a warehouse operation or order stuff from halfway around the world to save $20.

Hey, I'm guilty of it as well sometimes, nobody wants to pay more, but if you don't support local retailers they disappear, you lose choice and are forced to pay what the big chains tell you to. Then there is the customer service aspect and the benefits of knowing the owner/manager personally to consider. Often worth much more in the long run than saving a few bucks on a purchase. I'm certainly not against competition, it forces merchandisers to better meet their customers needs to stay in business, it's just tough for the small business operators to compete in what is increasingly a big box and online business.

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Bass Pro to Kingston

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