Sail filing for Chapter 11 restructuring

[Headhunter]

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-based-sail-outdoors-inc-files-for-bankruptcy-protection-to-restructure-operations-1.4965411

HH

Edited June 4, 2020 by Headhunter

[Hack_Fisherman]

 it’s a shame see a Canadian company like this  suffering against Bass Pro shops and Cabela’s. 

 I hope they can survive. Their pricing is always been more expensive and a lot of their products are too elitist. (Clothes)

 I’d like to see them work on their strategies so they can become more competitive 

[big guy]

Was just there last week. They need to lower their prices and employ people who care about the sports they are selling. Everything we bought across the highway at Gagnons, from rods to lures was cheaper than at Sail. Gagnons is one family owned store and if they can out compete a chain there is something wrong. The service at Gagnons is also great, guys at the Sail don't even know what a Shad Dancer is. 

[John Bacon]

I don't really shop there for clothes, but I find their fishing gear to be reasonably priced.  I also find their staff to be quite knowable, especially for a large chain store.

I hope that they manage to pull through.  

[GregF2]

That is too bad, as I really like Sail.  Really like their clothes selection too, as they have some great brands that can be hard to find in stores.

[Yellow Fever]

Disappointing news, I'm not a price buyer,if they have what i need i buy. Always found the Sail fishing staff in a group hanging around the counter and rarley on the floor. Gagnons has the same issue sometimes,  i have been a Gagnons customer for a whole lot of years and in fact was a competitor of theirs back in the 70s in Oshawa. It is a tough business. 

[Hack_Fisherman]

I'd like to see them take on a BPS approach by adding marine accessories, motors, boats etc. 

At least I'd rather see them be able to compete with BPS and expand where BPS isnt, but I guess thats not on the table.

One thing that really pi**ed me off about this covid thing is that Marks, CT, Home hardware and many other stores had to close and do /online and curbside, where walmart could operate business as usual because they were "grocery". They should have had to close off everything non-grocery. The Canadian comapnies take a another hit while a huge US corp racks up the profit. 

We need more protection of our valued Canadian chains and corporations. 

 

rant off

good luck Sail, I'd quite like to see you survive

[gordy28]

I am a Sail fan and hope they can pull through

When I was shopping for kayaks for my daughter and I we had awesome help at both the Etobicoke and Burlington stores 

I also find their combo of camping gear and fishing gear is second to no one near me

Andrew

 

[AKRISONER]

IMO sail should ditch the "outdoor apparel" part of the business. It always seems huge with no one actually shopping in that section. Focus on the fishing and hunting stuff. 

I much prefer sail over bass pro or cabellas. Always has knowledgeable staff too.

[mitch seguin]

12 hours ago, big guy said:

Was just there last week. They need to lower their prices and employ people who care about the sports they are selling. Everything we bought across the highway at Gagnons, from rods to lures was cheaper than at Sail. Gagnons is one family owned store and if they can out compete a chain there is something wrong. The service at Gagnons is also great, guys at the Sail don't even know what a Shad Dancer is. 

I could not disagree more with your findings.  Totally opposite of my experiences and I buy at both locations but most of my $$$ go to Sail.

[David Chong]

Sad to see but hopefully whatever their restructuring plans are work! Competition is good for the consumer! Fingers crossed that they make it!

[LeXXington]

Said it here a few times when discussing the local stores..  Sail expanded the business very fast.

In the GTA way too many stores, competing against the same customers.  Having a store close to Basspro destined to fail?

The idea was great but the writing was on the wall years ago.

Service was top notch because a large open store (2 floors) but foot traffic was limited.  More employee's sometimes than customers.

Not sure of the future but expect a bunch of GTA stores to close and consolidate.  Covid was just another nail in an old coffin.

 

 

[Hack_Fisherman]

32 minutes ago, LeXXington said:

Said it here a few times when discussing the local stores..  Sail expanded the business very fast.

In the GTA way too many stores, competing against the same customers.  Having a store close to Basspro destined to fail?

The idea was great but the writing was on the wall years ago.

Service was top notch because a large open store (2 floors) but foot traffic was limited.  More employee's sometimes than customers.

Not sure of the future but expect a bunch of GTA stores to close and consolidate.  Covid was just another nail in an old coffin.

 

 

  I think the era of shopping malls, big box stores and what not maybe coming to an end. This might be the shift into online ordering and robotic deliveries.

[Fisherman]

You may be right about the online ordering but for some stuff, I still want to handle things before I buy.  Junk would just have to be sent back ending up costing more for shipping.   I really believe they didn't think their process through all the way, a couple Km from another well established big box store, you might get 1/2 the customers if things really went well.   Their on line version is pretty dismal to say the least,  heck LeB albeit old style was still better.  Local would have been better around Newmarket.

[Yellow Fever]

2 hours ago, AKRISONER said:

IMO sail should ditch the "outdoor apparel" part of the business. It always seems huge with no one actually shopping in that section. Focus on the fishing and hunting stuff. 

I much prefer sail over bass pro or cabellas. Always has knowledgeable staff too.

I worked in the industry...in a lot of cases the outdoor apparel is where the biv margins are,def not on fishing tackle

[misfish]

On another note

 

Walmart is ditching the oil and lube and tire installation part of their business. Many jobs gone now. I can not say I would take my Ram there for an oil change or tires, but it is another closing and lost of jobs.

 

As for Sail

I would hit that place way before BPS. I never found their prices over priced. Well not for what I was looking for and they had what I wanted, when I would go there. Like said by many,their staff are top notch . I can openly say the opposite for BPS. Many are there for just a job. Why have a person working in a section that they have no idea .

 

Sail does have to many stores,thats a given. Which ones they will close will be up to them. I like the idea of the one down the road from BPS. Got to keep them honest.  Cabelas here is well,way over priced and I can buy cheaper at Sail.

Once this 19 is over,I hope Sail is open when I can finally get back down to my meat factory and do some good food shopping.

Edited June 3, 2020 by misfish

[canoecarrier]

They have screwed a lot of customers over out of very expensive products with refunds and warranties and so on. They got me a couple of times for high dollar items, sometimes you have to learn the hard way.

It may be a Canadian company but I believe its based out of Quebec, which we generally have a hard time with anyways.  Support the mom and pop and small businesses out there, they actually know about their products! Why are these companies allowed to use government handouts just to postpone the inevitable?  

The last company that did this, is now in Mexico! Sounds to me like they are ripping us off.

[AKRISONER]

It sure seems like the sail locations in quebec are far less frequented than the stores here in the GTA. 
 

you can really tell when you look at the stock availability of items, it seems like a few of the Quebec stores have everything in stock all of the time because they never sell anything lol. 
 

like mid fish said, the one thing I appreciate about sail the most is that if I go and ask for a very specific thing, the workers in the fishing section always know either A) exactly what I am talking about or  B: have a general idea and will either ask someone who does know or take me to the right section and help me look for that very specific thing. 
 

last time I went to bass pro reluctantly I was looking for some ice fishing buckshot jigs and the girl working in the fishing section didn’t know what I was talking about when I dumbed it down and simply asked if she knew where I could find ice fishing jigs.

[Hack_Fisherman]

4 hours ago, misfish said:

 

Walmart is ditching the oil and lube and tire installation part of their business. Many jobs gone now. I can not say I would take my Ram there for an oil change or tires, but it is another closing and lost of jobs.

Many jobs from Walmart gone, but gone elsewhere. I don't think people trust Walmart for automotive service or auto products. They’re a step down from C.T. 

The demand for these services didn’t change. People just go elsewhere for it. And I’m all for it if Wallymart loses business to local shops, dealers or Canadian Tire. 

The way I see it anyway. YMMV

[spooner_jr]

Sail's pricing is very competitive for guns and ammo, better than Cabela's and CT in my experience.

[big guy]

10 hours ago, mitch seguin said:

I could not disagree more with your findings.  Totally opposite of my experiences and I buy at both locations but most of my $$$ go to Sail.

Good for you, to each his own. Ive looked at rods at sail many times and not once had staff come to ask me if i needed help, like a poster already said, always hanging around the desk.

I am a fan of sail, always liked the stores, but they need to restructure their business if they want to compete.

[captpierre]

I like Sail but have often thought they won’t make it.   The cost of running a big store is ridiculous and they’d need to be busy  to be profitable. I’ve rarely seen a line up to check out.   I’m not surprised that they are in trouble. 

[Hack_Fisherman]

8 hours ago, captpierre said:

I like Sail but have often thought they won’t make it.   The cost of running a big store is ridiculous and they’d need to be busy  to be profitable. I’ve rarely seen a line up to check out.   I’m not surprised that they are in trouble. 

I've notced that too. But I've never seen a line at BPS either. Might be just the times I've been, but it also makes me wonder if BPS and Cabela's are suffering too. Surely BPS' overhead has to be as high if not more? 

[woodenboater]

now more than ever, I really miss LeBarons. Was never a fun time shopping at BPS, and preferred Cabelas instead tbh. I liked Sail, but agree that the stores are HUUUGE and perhaps they could have trimmed down a few GTA locations, and probably will. Hope the can recover.

[crappieperchhunter]

Have always liked the sail in Oshawa but only with regards to the fishing section as I have purchased almost nothing there except fishing related stuff. The fishing staff there have always been helpful to me. Two years ago I got a rapala electric knife from them and it died before the 1 year warranty was up.  The warranty stated that the knife be returned to Rapala not Sail. But they said they would take care of it for me and took my knife and replaced it with a new one free of charge. I hope they get through this. You can never have too many options for supplying us with our outdoors stuff.