Camping World In Trouble?

[Captn John]

No one is too big to fail in this industry, not even the manufacturers. However, there would be many others that fall long before CW.

[Bogie57]

Not sure what's going on with Camping World, but it seems Gander Outdoors is taking over CW! Even the former Camping World NASCAR Truck series is now Gander Truck series! I believe this has happened, but admittedly I'm not a NASCAR fan!!! Anyone else noticed this?

[Ljwt330]

Originally Posted by Bogie57

Not sure what's going on with Camping World, but it seems Gander Outdoors is taking over CW! Even the former Camping World NASCAR Truck series is now Gander Truck series! I believe this has happened, but admittedly I'm not a NASCAR fan!!! Anyone else noticed this?

CW acquired the assets of Gander Mountain in a bankruptcy auction on 2017. As part of the sale, CW agreed to keep at least 17 Gander stores open and apparently want to keep more open as well. The acquisition was renamed Gander Outdoor under the CW ownership.



What you are seeing is CW, not Gander.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by Bogie57

Not sure what's going on with Camping World, but it seems Gander Outdoors is taking over CW! Even the former Camping World NASCAR Truck series is now Gander Truck series! I believe this has happened, but admittedly I'm not a NASCAR fan!!! Anyone else noticed this?

Camping World Holdings (parent company of CW) purchased certain assets of Gander Mountain when GM went into Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Some of those assets were the name, owned real estate, lease holds, and intellectual property (customer lists, etc).


There is speculation that CW adopted the Gander name to confuse/obfuscate the actual ownership and CW's less than stellar public image.

[adriangordon]

Originally Posted by Bogie57

Not sure what's going on with Camping World, but it seems Gander Outdoors is taking over CW! Even the former Camping World NASCAR Truck series is now Gander Truck series! I believe this has happened, but admittedly I'm not a NASCAR fan!!! Anyone else noticed this?

Actually that is not correct. Quite the opposite, actually. Outdoor retailer Gander Mountain went into bankruptcy a couple of years ago. CW purchased some of the assets of Gander Mountain from the bankruptcy estate, including some of the stores and apparently the right to use the "Gander" corporate name. It has consolidated those stores with it's own operations and, where the stores were colocated or close to the Gander stores, they have renamed them Gander Outdoors and are selling both the sort of outdoor equipment and clothing that Gander Mountain sold as well as RV's. I'm not certain what the motivation was for changing the names on these stores (possibly others?) to Gander. Sort of suspect that it was to give the operations a fresh image. In any event, Gander isn't taking over anything.

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by Solo_RV_Guy

Camping World Holdings (parent company of CW) purchased certain assets of Gander Mountain when GM went into Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Some of those assets were the name, owned real estate, lease holds, and intellectual property (customer lists, etc).


There is speculation that CW adopted the Gander name to confuse/obfuscate the actual ownership and CW's less than stellar public image.

Nothing wrong with re-branding when public perception needs a boost. Land Rover's dismal Discovery series was named, "Discovery 3 and Discovery 4", around the world. Here in the USA, it became the "LR3 and LR4", because the vehicles were such junk that sales were plummeting.

It helped sales.

[Hit_the_Rhod]

Originally Posted by roscoesdad

So amazing you can go to a CW and find no place to park because of the customers. You complain about their prices yet they have more customers than they can accomodate. If they close it will be because they have too much business, not from lack of business.

Our experience with what you describe above is a little different.



There is no place to park because the lot is filled with new RV's for sale. That is the situation in Bowling Green, KY, and several other stores we passed by/attempted to stop at on our way back from Florida last time. Finally parked at a store nearby, walked to CW expecting to find the store full of customers, only 2 or 3 customers, but LOTS of for sale RV's, and LOTS of sales people's cars parked right out front . . . We were looking for a vent cap that was damaged, but ended up buying on line for cheaper after we got home.

[CamJam1]

Was shopping for safety cables today and went to CW first because I saw they had a 15% summer sale. First of all, their web site is a hassle compared to Amazon (WalMart's sucks too btw) and even with their "sale" the total price was less than $1.00 cheaper than Amazon for the same Roadmaster cables. CW claimed free freight for Club members on purchases over $49, but I couldn't get it to take the discount, so I gave up and bought from Amazon. Amazon isn't always cheapest, but they are so efficient and convenient that I seldom buy anywhere else now. Also, the few times I've had problems, Amazon has resolved them quickly with no hassle.

Also went to a CW store two months ago to buy a portable waste tank as I needed one in a hurry. CW only carried one brand, which had mediocre customer reviews on Amazon, so once again I bought elsewhere.

I have no axe to grind with CW, but it seems they seldom have what I want at a decent price.

[barmcd]

Originally Posted by CamJam1

Was shopping for safety cables today and went to CW first because I saw they had a 15% summer sale. First of all, their web site is a hassle compared to Amazon (WalMart's sucks too btw) and even with their "sale" the total price was less than $1.00 cheaper than Amazon for the same Roadmaster cables. CW claimed free freight for Club members on purchases over $49, but I couldn't get it to take the discount, so I gave up and bought from Amazon. Amazon isn't always cheapest, but they are so efficient and convenient that I seldom buy anywhere else now. Also, the few times I've had problems, Amazon has resolved them quickly with no hassle.

Also went to a CW store two months ago to buy a portable waste tank as I needed one in a hurry. CW only carried one brand, which had mediocre customer reviews on Amazon, so once again I bought elsewhere.

I have no axe to grind with CW, but it seems they seldom have what I want at a decent price.

Walmart's inventory system has been wrong in 100 percent of the orders I've placed on-line to pick up in the store. I've quit using it because they tell you it's in stock locally when you place your order, then end up telling you it's on back order and you can pick it up next week after your order is processed.

[EVMIII]

My local CW sure doesn't seem to be struggling. Always seems to be several folks in there (admittedly a bunch seem to be waiting on mx/service) and often new deliveries going on during my visits. There prices are what there prices are, some competitive some not so much, and there service is requires considerable patience, but from the outside it appears business is good. Hope it stays that way because it's awful convenient.

[AnotherMike]

Originally Posted by barmcd

Walmart's inventory system has been wrong in 100 percent of the orders I've placed on-line to pick up in the store. I've quit using it because they tell you it's in stock locally when you place your order, then end up telling you it's on back order and you can pick it up next week after your order is processed.

My method is to use the walmart web site to get their product ID number, then call the local store and see if that product ID is in stock. If not, the store can tell me what other local store has it... I have a local store 10 minutes north, a second 20 minutes west and a third 40 minutes southeast. If none of them have it then I'll order it from Amazon... it will arrive at my house faster than walmart can get it to any of the three stores.

Mike

[barmcd]

Originally Posted by AnotherMike

My method is to use the walmart web site to get their product ID number, then call the local store and see if that product ID is in stock. If not, the store can tell me what other local store has it... I have a local store 10 minutes north, a second 20 minutes west and a third 40 minutes southeast. If none of them have it then I'll order it from Amazon... it will arrive at my house faster than walmart can get it to any of the three stores.

Mike

Mike,

That's a lot of effort to work around a wonky web page that's supposed to tell you if the item is available for local pickup!

[AnotherMike]

Originally Posted by barmcd

Mike,
That's a lot of effort to work around a wonky web page that's supposed to tell you if the item is available for local pickup!

I agree, but it works. And I shared my working method with the idea that it might help someone else...


Isn't modern technology wonderful?



Mike

[Hit_the_Rhod]

Originally Posted by AnotherMike

I agree, but it works. And I shared my working method with the idea that it might help someone else...

Isn't modern technology wonderful?

Mike

Yes, it is . . . as long as it works, and is being used by someone with at least half a brain!