Gander Mountain
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| Gander Mountain, Inc. | |
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| Type | Discount department store/Public (NYSE: GMTN) |
| Founded |  Wilmot, Wisconsin, USA (1960) |
| Headquarters | Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America |
| Key people | Robert Sturgis, Founder |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Discount Stores Supercenters |
| Website | www.gandermountain.com |
Gander Mountain, headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is the retail network of stores for hunting, fishing, camping, marine and other outdoor recreation products and services. Gander Mountain stores sell hunting and fishing licenses. There are currently 115 Gander Mountain stores in twenty-two states. It has recently bought out Reeds in Brainerd, Minnesota in order to limit competition in a town with a Walmart that sells guns and a wider array of outdoor goods than most walmarts. Fleet Farm is also present in Brainerd which also provides a wide array of outdoor products. Gander Mountain has experienced financial turmoil over the years which led to the sale of their mail order business to Cabela's in 1999 with a no compete clause. Gander Mountain was sold by the Ericksons[1] which own Holiday gas stations in 2001 to an investment conglomerate. Currently Gander Mountain has built many mega box stores. Their stock has tumbled recently to $4.79 from a 52 week high of $16 following another loss [2] [3]. Their product prices have risen steadily to a level well above the rest of the market in an already competitive outdoors market. In larger stores, Gander Mountain offers a wide array of sportswear for men, women, and children, as well as camouflage and blaze orange fieldwear. Larger stores also sell kayaks and canoes, ATVs, and even boats. As of late 2006 Gander Mountain has joined with Tracker Marine to sell the entire line of Tracker Products. Bass Pro Shops owns Tracker Marine, which is one of Gander Mountain's largest competitors. Gander Mountain has no affiliation with Bass Pro Shops.
Gander Mountain began as a catalog-based retailer in Wilmot, Wisconsin. Wilmot is located near Gander Mountain, the highest point in Lake County, Illinois a short distance across the state line. It recently won a lawsuit brought by Cabela's to resume on-line sales. On December 6, 2007, the company announced it purchased boating and watersports cataloger Overton's for $70 million from a private-equity firm. Overton's, based in Greenville, North Carolina, will help Gander Mountain's transition back into direct marketing.
The Gander Mountain slogans: "We Live Outdoors" and simply "Hunt. Fish. Camp."
