[D MAN]

I am so happy that so many sportsman like me boycotted Kmart ever since Roise Odummie slammed Tom Seleck over the NRA on national TV now they are hit with the after math of what they deserve I'm glad. I haven't been in Kmart since!!!! And will never go into one not even the going out of business sale!!!!!! Please lets continue to boycott Kmart till the end!!!! BigBill

At least Walmart gives back to sportsman but their sportingoods department could be better "more guns" and "more fishing stuff".

 

[jhm]

WAL-MART

I believe wal-mart has done a wonderful job giving the sportsmen a fair product line at a fair price considering all of the other stores bowing to the anti-gun speeches and rallies. How many of you can remember being able to walk into heres the list of places you add to or take away from as your local area dictates: SEARS, MONTGOMERY WARDS, J.C.PENNY, OTASCO, SMALL HARDWARE STORES, MOST LUMBER STORES, BAIT STORES, LOCAL GAS STATIONS, ETC.ETC. that used to sell guns and ammo. I just wish I could buy wal-mart stock on the sporting goods dept. than I would really have a good investment. JIM

 

[D MAN]

Right now Walmart is the king but so was Kmart if they don't listen and make it better someone will come along and get my business for sure too. I just do more internet shopping I have Emailed walmart about stocking more and why they remove stock when it runs out instead of refilling the items(lures) they gave me a BS answer so maybe someone will come along and do a sporting goods department better. There is another great store near me "DICKS SPORTING GOODS" they do get most of my over the counter purchases because i have bought most of everything that walmart has already. BigBill

DICK'S is as close to a BASSPROSHOPS as we can get here in CT.

 

[Wijbrandus]

Wal-Mart isn't so great. I'll never spend a dollar in there again after this little experience a few months ago.

I went in to my local Wal-Mart looking for .45-70, trying to gather prices. They don't stock it. When I asked why, the lady called the manager because she didn't have a clue.

The manager told me the reason they don't stock .45-70 was because it was a "military round", and they won't sell military ammunition. I pointed out all the .223, .45 ACP, and 9mm, and I asked him what those were. He said those were ammunition for hunting and self-defense. I about fell over. When I told him that the .45-70 hadn't been a "military round" since way back when, he just shrugged.

What's this world coming to? Are the clueless and the liberals running (ruining) everything?

~Robert

 

[Lawdog]

It doesn't matter who the retailer is, Wal-Mart, Kmart or who ever. They contract out the displays and what product that goes in them. My wife is a store manager for a large retail store and she has to put out what they tell her. She can't order guns that aren't approved for her store or fishing equipment either. I mean does it make sense to put out and have a sale on archery equipment two months after the archery season closes? Why carry more trout lures when there is more bass fishing in the area? Kmart used to carry all the right equipment until the lawyers got done with them. And guess what the same lawyers that nailed Kmart are now setting their sights on Wal-Mart. Can't happen? Funny, that's what they said about Kmart years ago. Lawdog

 

[Wijbrandus]

Well, to be honest, I don't blame the little gal behind the counter, or her boss.

It's the people running the company that irks me the most.

And the trial lawyers, of course. I'd like to run into a few of them in a dark alley someday. Give them a piece of my mind.

A company shouldn't be held responsible for the misuse of a legal product.

~Robert

 

[D MAN]

Wal-Mart isn't so great. I'll never spend a dollar in there again after this little experience a few months ago.

I went in to my local Wal-Mart looking for .45-70, trying to gather prices. They don't stock it. When I asked why, the lady called the manager because she didn't have a clue.

The manager told me the reason they don't stock .45-70 was because it was a "military round", and they won't sell military ammunition. I pointed out all the .223, .45 ACP, and 9mm, and I asked him what those were. He said those were ammunition for hunting and self-defense. I about fell over. When I told him that the .45-70 hadn't been a "military round" since way back when, he just shrugged.

What's this world coming to? Are the clueless and the liberals running (ruining) everything?

~Robert

I had the same problem here with walmart too in Ct. i went in there to buy some 8MM mauser ammo and they told me it was a military round and they don't stock it I looked and they had boxes of 7.62X39 sitting there?? I was on vacation in Maine and bought two boxes of remington 8MM ammo no problem at walmart up there?? They had a nice very knowledgeable little blonde there to help me and she knew about 8MM mausers and what they are too!! I constantly email them about their quirks in stocking fishing lures and ammo and I get "BS" but thats ok I just shop somewhere else that meets my needs. You know what happens after a while when you don't listen to your customers needs you snooze you lose!!!!!!!!!! BigBill

 

[Steve L]

Wal Mart in my area has reloading supplies and can order about any rifle you chose. The only thing is you had better know what you need because the ones behind the sporting goods counter do not have a clue. Not there fault, they just needed a job and got one but Wal Mart should give some type of general knowledge course before letting someone work sporting goods.

Once I stopped a man from buying a can of IMR 3031 for his black powder muzzle loader who told me that the clerk told him it should work fine, they sell alot of that stuff. Then there was the time I asked the clerk if he would get a particular rifle out of the case for me to look at. As he was handing it to me he told me that it was a 300 Weatherby and it would be hard to beat for deer. Aside from the fact that a 300 Weatherby would be a bit overkill for deer in my area the rifle was actualy a Weatherby Vanguard chambered in 300 Win. Mag.

 

[Crayfish]

It's not just the Walmart clerks that make these mistakes!! I had a guy at work a few years ago tell me that he had just bought a new 300 Winchester Magnum. This guy hunts a lot and I "assumed" he knew his stuff. I said, "Great! Nice cartridge. What kind of gun did you get it in?" He looked at me like I had 2 heads or something and then with a DUUH! type of response says, "Well, Winchester, of course!". Ok, so nobody else can chamber a Winchester round?

Sorry, a little off topic, but the 300WinMag in a Weatherby = 300 Weatherby reminded me of this one!!

I don't shop for any major things at Walmart. My local gunshop (which is less than a mile from Walmart) treats me right and I give him all of my major business. Things like targets or handwarmers I'll get at WalMart now and then, but otherwise I avoid the place since it is so busy every day! We also have a new Dick's in the same vicinity that I don't bother going into either. Not only are their guns more expensive than the gunshop, this particular Dick's is 95% golf, jogging clothes, shoes and weight lifting equipment. One little corner is the hunting / fishing stuff and it is overpriced. No thanks.

Support the little guys or you won't have a choice but to shop where the clerks don't know IMR3031 isn't a "blackpowder substitute" or that the 45-70 hasn't been a military round for 100yrs!!

... Crayfish

 

[Zachary]

We have a Bass Pro Outdoor world here in South Florida. The staff knows quite a bit more than most hunting outlets, but believe me, they are no experts either.

The biggest problem is that the salespersons just don't listen to their customers. Rather, they just tell them what they may want to hear. I, on the other hand, while at the counter, literally ask Bass Pro's customers all sorts of questions, and then give them my advice. I do this ALL the time, and the customers end up VERY happy with their purchases. In fact, I sometimes see them months later, whether at the ammo counter, or other parts of the store, and they tell me how happy they were with my advice. After seeing a few of these events, I once had the manager (or assistant manager) of the gun and optics department offer me a job. Granted, he likely did so jokingly, but there is always some truth in jokes and sarcasm.

There are many things that separate good lawyers from bad lawyers, and good businessmen from bad businessmen, and one of these things is LISTENING. As an attorney, I can assure you that no one will be able to fully and correctly solve your problem unless he fully and correctly UNDERSTANDS it.[/color]

Yes, knowledge and experience go a very long way, and the salespersons at Kmart, Walmart, etc. often show that they don't have it. But even if they did, it would be of little or no use if they don't actually LISTEN to their customer and their customer's issues and needs.

Zachary

 

[X-Ring]

A fellow came into my shop wondering why his brand new Ultramag wouldn't work, " Can you check it out for me?" So I ask where he got it to make conversation while looking things over. "The new Gander Mountian got a great deal on everything, just under $1100.00 for everything." After looking his pride and joy over I asked to see the ammo, wanting to see the primer dent. There was none, I guess 300 Win. Mags won't get primer dents in Ultra Mag. chambers. Then to make matters worse I figured his total on the gun, scope, rings, mounts and ammo, under $900.00. Just a tale from a small gun shop owner.

 

[southern utah]

K Mart Shoppers

Over 300 stores closing,
http://www.kmartcorp.com/corp/story/pressrelease/news/pr030114a.stm

 

[Lawdog]

Yeah, 326 to be precise. The wife says that with the Kmart near her store closing that things may pick up a little in her store. Although a year ago when Kmart closed a bunch of stores the sales increase in her store was less than 1%. Have to wait and see on this. This is what bad management will do for you. Take was once the number 1 rated retail store in the nation and drive it bankrupt. A good example of what happens when you hire a CEO that has more book learning than common sense, pay them more money than the President of the United States, put private jets at their disposal, give them perks up the ass, just so they can ruin a company. Remind you of another company that jus went bankrupt???? Can anyone say E N R O N. Lawdog

 

[OOBuckshot]

I gave up on large retail stores long ago.

I was just reading these post and was thinking that these were the reasons I gave up on large retail stores for my hunting needs a long time ago. I use Midway for 90% of my reloading supplies and the local gun shows for powder. We do have a pawn shop near me that will order your guns for cost plus 20$ That is not bad. I would suggest we all support the small independent stores as much as possible, even if we have to go out of our way a little. OOBuckshot

 

[Gene]

Wally world

Guys I have worked for almost 2 years at WAl Mart and in the Sporting Goods Dept. I teach Hunter Education, and Concealedcarry classes. I've got a lot of years messing with things that go bang and the outdoors in general.

What I have found is that the buyers out of Arkansas don't have a clue. In my all of my classes I tell my students that I amd the execption to the rule. Generally if you have a question about a firearm go to a regular sporting goods store not a generalized department store.

About getting ammo of different types there is a lot entalied in getting it. First you have to have someone in the Department that has an idea of what people want and then how to get it ordered in. A lot of times the buyers have no idea of what is the area that the store is located in and they set the store up for things that will not sell. Example we have a HUGE area for waterfoul hunting in this area and we opened a new store in May of 2002. We couldn't get in any decoys, calls, wetlands camo and had to fight for what steel shot we got in. Thats Arkansas. I can't get in a 308 for anything and yet about 80 miles to the south of here is a store that has on clearance several that it has not been able to sell in several years. I can't keep in the Winchester mod 70's being made for Wal Mart in 270, 300 and 7WSM yet this same store has to 7WSM that it can't sell. Corporate dosen't appear to look where these stores are located only what is and what is not selling. And not just in Sporting Goods it that way through the whole store.

Yes Wal mart has good prices on a lot of guns but when it comes to specliazed guns or ones that are not in our approved order catalog. Support your local stores they were there before Wal Mart was and will be there after Wal Mart is gone if we support them.

Keep your powder dry and lets hope that Rosie continues to fall with K mart.

Gene

 

[MONGO]

I flyfish & reload and reload enough to say I plink with .44mags. But If I need something in a hurry, yes I will buy from Wal-mart. (the blond who is happy when I show up has nothing to do with it). My point is, I support my local flyshop for the experience I gain from the owner, and I support my 3 local gun shops and even pay a little more to help keep them open. Just my 2 cents

 

[Zachary]

Good Man! :grin:

Zachary