Sportsman's Warehouse has been acquired by Bass Pro Shops.
It seems that the year 2020 isn't finished throwing surprises our way. Just days before Christmas, Sportsman's Warehouse has been acquired by Bass Pro Shops and will join the Great American Outdoors Group that also includes Cabela's and White River Marine Group.
The announcement was made in a press release that Sportsman's will be purchased for $18.00 per share as the Utah-based Sportsman's will now become private under the Great American Outdoors Group umbrella. The group is basically the parent company of all these outdoor brands.
This merger is arguably the biggest to hit the outdoor retail world since Bass Pro Shops finally acquired Cabela's approximately three years ago. The transaction will officially close in the second half of 2021 according to a press release from Sportsman's that calls the merger a "win-win" for hunters and fishermen.
It sounds like all Sportsman's Warehouse brick-and-mortar locations will retain that branding, just with an expansion in products available and watercraft for sale. And yes, the press release confirms that this does mean you'll start seeing Bass Pro and Cabela's brands in your local Sportsman's.
"We are excited to be joining the Great American Outdoors Group. This merger brings together the greatest brands in the outdoor industry," Sportsman's Warehouse CEO Jon Barker said in a press release. "As we look to the future, the combined entities provide our passionate associates with greater opportunities to serve the outdoor enthusiast. I couldn't be more proud of the nearly 8,000 Sportsman's Warehouse associates and their success in building our brand over the last 33 years. We look forward to a smooth transition and building our partnership."
Sportsman's stores will also start utilizing Great American Outdoors Group's price matching guarantees in all their stores. According to the release, there are about 112 Sportsman's locations across the United States, many of them in western states.
Bass Pro Shops Founder and CEO Johnny Morris' outdoor empire gets that much larger in this acquisition. Not bad for a company that started as a small corner of space in the back of his father's liquor store!
"Today is a happy day for our companies, outdoor enthusiasts and for the cause of conservation," Morris said in the press release. "As outdoor sports specialists with unwavering dedication to people who fish, hunt and enjoy the outdoors, we greatly admire the passionate team at Sportsman's Warehouse for their commitment to their customers and the sports we all love. By Combining our best practices, our aim is to give our customers a best-of-the-best experience while further uniting them to support conservation."
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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