Cabelas, Barrie IMO

[msp]

Was up in Barrie for the day on Saturday.

Had a chance to visit the new Cabellas store for the first time

I have to say that I was not very impressed. I had expected much more selection and better prices

Mind you , I was only in the fishing section

Maybe if I was a member of Duck Dynasty, I would like the store much more

These big box store like BPS , Sail and Cabellas are to generic for me, I much prefer the smaller mom and pop shops for my needs

Just my two cents

[Meegs]

I've always been very happy with selection and prices at sail... bps has alot of nothing I need. Cabelas was a huge disappointment. Worse of the 3 for sure. Canadian tire here in barrie has a better fishing selection

[porkpie]

If you'd been to a big US Cabelas its a whole other ball of wax. You could almost fit the Markham Lebarons in the cafeteria at the Dundee MI store. These are just satellite Cabelas stores. The one in Cheektowaga NY is very much the same as the one in Barrie. I get it, the population probably doesn't dictate the huge superstore. The Canadian experience Cabelas just won't be the same. Its still nice to be able to get some of the Cabelas brand products here though, and some of there pricing is decent, while others not so much. Sorta like BPS lol.

[DRIFTER_016]

To tell you the truth I was not even impressed with the Cabelas I have been to in the US.

And I have been to the monster one in Minnesota among others.

Have also been to one in Edmonton. :shakes head: Not impressed at all.

I find the BPS stores are better.

[adempsey]

As much as I enjoy browsing a tackle shop, most of my shopping is done online. If the Cabelas in Canada are anything like their website, I fear they may be headed the way of Target.

 

Basspro seems to really be pushing their own house branded stuff. Not sure the last time I was even there.

[wormdunker]

I prefer shopping the smaller tackle shops close to home. I received a gift card for Cabela's , so I know I'll be visiting the Barrie location soon. I'm in Niagara & haven't even been in the new BPS - it's only 20 minutes from home!

[BillM]

Another 'not impressed' big box store thread?

[Ronzo]

Add me to the 'I think I'll just go to Canadian Tire in Barrie' club. Stopped by Cabela's once, definitely disappointed.

[bigcreekdad]

When I first retired in 2006, I got a part time job working in the fly fishing department at Cabelas in Dundee, Michigan. At that time, we always had two people in the department during weekdays, and usually 3 (more around Thanksgiving and Christmas) on weekends. In addition, you could not work in many departments (fishing, fly fishing, guns, archery etc) without a pretty extensive background in it. In fly fishing, we had every type of gear imaginable. You could very seldom come in looking for something and not find it. WE had fly fishermen from several states and ONtario that came to our department regularly. THat was only a few years after the Cabelas brothers sold out and went public.

 

Then, things started to change. THey started eliminating positions for several seasoned outfitters, then hired them back at lower pay. THe purchasing was all centralized in Nebraska. IE...they bought merchandise for all stores, not individually based upon what type of outdoor sport was biggest in a certain locale. THey also cut way back on specialty merchandise, which affected the fly fishing department greatly. To my knowledge, there was no regional to store specific purchasing. For example, many of our customers fished MIchigan's famous Au SAble River. A book written by the (now) late Rusty Gates on the Au Sable would have sold like hot cakes o=in out department. Rusty was/is damn near considered a god to Au SAble and Michigan fly fishers. I tried to get the book in the store. It was turned down, because we couldn't guarantee a certain number of books sold. Another example....a lure called the Golden Nugget is one of the most famous lures used in Lake ERie walleye fishing going back to the 60's. Cabelas in Dundee did not stock them, yet they host a walleye tournament on Lake Erie annually.

 

Also, during my 2 year tenure, there seemed to be as much emphasis on outfitters selling Cabelas Visa cards as outdoor merchandise. Now they push warranties....why would anyone buy a warranty on a fly rod that comes with manufacturer warranties from 5 to 25 years. When I go to Cabelas now, there is one person in fly fishing, and their stock is maybe half what it used to be. THe department itself has never been busy when I've been there. Also, there seem to be more part time workers, many younger, who really don't have the experience in some of these areas (IMO).

 

Very sad...it used to be a special place t go to, and to work. I think going public resulted in the way it is today, and, from what I heard, a lot of management hiring from big retail --- K Mart etc.

 

Sorry for the rant.

[buick14]

Also not impressed. Sail I like the most out of the mentioned, but I choose lebaron as the best as they almost always have the best price.

[lew]

I've ordered a few things from Cabelas in the States and have always been more than impressed with their customer service.

 

I've never been in a Cabelas store but had always heard great things about the American branches and most say their far better than BPS. I'm a long ways from the new Barrie store but had planned on taking a drive over there just to see it but since it's opening last year I don't think I've heard a single good thing about it on this board so it looks like I'm gonna take a pass on the visit.

 

Thanks for the heads up boyz.

[SirCranksalot]

I don't think I've heard a single good thing about it on this board so it looks like I'm gonna take a pass on the visit.

 

 

 

Nothing good?? Lots of free parking!!!

[BillM]

Add me to the 'I think I'll just go to Canadian Tire in Barrie' club. Stopped by Cabela's once, definitely disappointed.

 

Do you enjoy the higher prices at Canadian Tire better? lol! The south end store it out to lunch on their lure prices. First time I've seen a $18 Rapala.

[porkpie]

I shop at canadian tire a lot. Closest place to me with a little bit of everything, including tackle. If I want to buy something I just take my iPhone in with the lebarons catalogue loaded up and price match plus I get 10 percent back in ct money. Sometimes they whine a little, but they always do it. They don't have everything a lebarons carries though, but you csn easily get an $18 rapala marked down. Plus they often clear stuff out. I just picked up some $20 sebiles for $5. Yep, I like CT!

[BillM]

I shop at canadian tire a lot. Closest place to me with a little bit of everything, including tackle. If I want to buy something I just take my iPhone in with the lebarons catalogue loaded up and price match plus I get 10 percent back in ct money. Sometimes they whine a little, but they always do it. They don't have everything a lebarons carries though, but you csn easily get an $18 rapala marked down. Plus they often clear stuff out. I just picked up some $20 sebiles for $5. Yep, I like CT!

 

I got some XRaps the other day for $5. I haven't tried price matching, I'll give it a shot.. Appreciate the tip

[buick14]

Ya normally I look at the prices at CT and laugh when it comes to fishing stuff.....I have also seen some pretty stellar blowouts on lures also so I always swing by and look when I go. Didnt know about the price match thing though....I guess Im gunna go in with my catalog from le baron and point out all the over priced husky jerks they've got....Still can't believe how cheap huskies are at le baron for the hj12-14

[Ronzo]

 

Do you enjoy the higher prices at Canadian Tire better? lol! The south end store it out to lunch on their lure prices. First time I've seen a $18 Rapala.

 

Of course it depends on what you're buying. Then again, I'm not the type to sweat spending two or three extra bucks a few times a year. If I was that worried, I could certainly find other areas to make that up.. So what do you want? Lousy selection where you might find something similar to what you want for a 'great price', or just go and spend the two or three dollars and get what you want? Canadian Tire certainly doesn't have an endless selection, but it's better than Cabela's. I could also drive to Bass Pro Shops, but then I'm down those few bucks you're saving in order to pay for gas.

[OhioFisherman]

It's been a long time since I went up north to Ontario, but even back in the 1960's your tackle prices were scary compared to prices here. At some of the smaller tackle shops here you also had the same problem though, sticker shock!

 

I used to make an annual early spring trip with friends to Cabela's in Dundee and BPS in Auburn Hills, no complaints, but I knew what I was looking for and kept my purchases mostly limited to those items.

 

Golden Nugget? Not a bad walleye lure, but the Erie Dearie was a lot more common in stores and tackle shops here along the lakefront, and usually cheaper! Overload? You also had the Storm Hot'n tot Pygmy spins and some others as I recall?

 

Once you got 15 - 20 miles of the lakefront the tackle selections in some stores changed radically, it just wasn't profitable to stock tackle that didn't sell well in the area.

[Acountdeleted]

If you are in Barrie or are making the trip, take the extra time and go to Trombleys in Orillia. They have some lures there I hadn't seen anywhere else in about 15 years.

 

Out of the big box stores I find myself going to Sail more and more. Sometimes BPS is good too.

[jimmer]

So, is Cabelas going to go the way of Target??? Out of touch with their consumers?

[woodenboater]

Visited a Cabelas in South Carolina this morning and while it wasn't a monster store (Michigan and Pennsylvania have those), it was noticeably larger than the Barrie store. Seemed to have same depth but wider. Fishing and hunting depts were WAY bigger. Everything else looked the same. The Cave had some decent stuff, more than the Barrie location at least.

Edited February 23, 2015 by woodenboater

[dave524]

My experience with Cabelas goes back to the mail order from the US back in the late 80's, at that time I felt they catered to the hunting and fly fishing market as opposed to Bass Pro who were more true to their name. Outfitting for a horseback hunt in the Idaho back country, Cabelas was hands down the best store or Montana blue ribbon river fly fishing trip , again Cabelas was the place.

Back in the 70's , early 80's we had the " Outdoor Stores " , oldtimers will remember them.

[lew]

 

Back in the 70's , early 80's we had the " Outdoor Stores " , oldtimers will remember them.

 

I liked the Outdoor Stores and bought a few things from them including golf clubs.

 

$115 for clubs, bag, cart & shoes....that was a LOOONG time ago LOL

 

Used to like Sports Authority too but haven't heard of them for years now.

[Sinker]

I miss tightlines. They were awesome!!

 

I have no time for the big box shops. I went to lebarons in Mississauga for the first time this weekend, just because I was in the area, and I spent about $30. They didn't have what I needed. My local guy down the road (BJ's Bait and Tackle) has it all every time......and I can go in and spend an hour just shooting the bull over a cup of coffee if I want. I can also call him and make arrangements for a late/early pick up of bait, or order pretty much anything I might need, whether its fishing tackle, boat supplies/parts, trailer supplies/parts.....screw the big box stores, they got nothing on the smaller shops.

 

S.

[lew]

I miss tightlines. They were awesome!!

 

When I lived in the city I did most of my shopping at JB's out in Etobicoke mainly because they carry the best selection of musky gear, but when I was travelling up to the trailer north of Peterboro and needed any other gear I always stopped in at Tightlines.

 

Good selection of stuff and John and the crew were great guys to just yak with.