Dicks and Gander Mountain compared.

[keithdog]

I just returned from a trip to Dicks Sporting Goods for the first time. Our area didn't have much in the way of a store for fishing supplies, untill Gander Mountain opened about 10 years ago. However, just recently we had a new Dicks store open just a stones throw from Gander Mountain. After comparing the two I found some interresting comparisons with both stores fishing departments. While Gander Mountain had by far the larger of the two fishing departments, I did notice that Dicks had a selection of quality tackle, at better prices than Gander Mountain. It was as though Dicks left out the crap, and instead, chose to sell the more sought after items. Walking around Dicks, I quickly became aware of the fact that Dicks was much more reasonably priced. The chatterbaits were a dollar cheeper. A package of off set Gamagatsu worm hooks was roughly 30% cheeper at Dicks. On down the line, everything appeared to be cheeper. I had just left Gander before going to Dicks and was very suprised to see the differences in pricing. Plus, while I had been looking for items all year at Gander that were never available, Dicks had them. I'm sure that with Dicks having just opened, one would expect them to be up on their stock compared to Gander who has been selling all year. However, what I saw in Gander today was basically the same things I saw all year. And one gripe I have about Gander is they don't seem to keep up on there stock. I'm always going there to purchase items only to leave empty handed. Repeated trips durring the year result in the same pegs being empty over and over again. While there are definately items I would go to Gander for, I am glad to see Dicks open. I think I'll be spending more at Dicks than at Gander, and saving $ at the same time. Oh, and by the way. In the next year, we are also going to have a Bass Pro Shops and Cabella's open in our area too. Lets see what that kind of competition does for Ganders prices, LOL. One last thing, I FIANLLY was able to buy a chatterbait today at Dicks. No one in our area has had them untill now, including Gander or WallMart.