wholesales sports calgary

[the local angler]

just got back from there today and was very curious what was going on. there is a sign at the entrance saying big things are coming and such and going through the main fishing area alot of the shelves are empty. a good portion of the tackle is on sale as is the ice fishing gear. last time i saw a sale like this was when they changed suppliers for the fly fishing flies in the fly fishing area. anybody hear of anything?

[Scott N]

Interesting.... I wonder what's up?

[EZM]

Textbook acquisition language and/or marketing prep - they have been sold to a new player.

That's my 2 cents.

Anything else and they would be saying anything to their customers.

[SCHOOCH]

I asked 1 of the guys there what was going on and he said they were restructuring and getting rid of what doesn't sell great for them........which usually does mean as mentioned by others that someone else with hopefully better customer relation skills has taken over!!!!!!

[Andrew]

Stores just getting renovated... some of the kiosks getting torn down and the floor plan being shifted around.

[wildcat111]

talking to the head guy there and he told me that there dropping a few lines and getting in new suppliers, just about everything in fishing was 5% above cost, thay had 470 dollar ice tents on for 200 bucks last time i was there, loaded up on tying materials, what would of cost over a thousand bucks cost just over 400.00.

[calgarygringo]

I was there yesterday too and yes lots of great deals on tents and other larger ice fishing items that I didn't need. If you do a good place to save some dough for next year. I saw lots of other good deals as well.

[the local angler]

hmm i cant see them giving up on the calgary market especially when BPS and fishing hole is way up on the north end of calgary, or maybe its been sold to ...ahem... cabelas. hahaha but any who i took advantage of the 50% off some of the stuff and bought a bunch of books. lol

[rem338win]

Well they sold out in the states due to near insolvency. Up here its less dire, but I understood from a person in charge of half of UFA that they had some goals to meet or they are intending to unload here as well.

I just thing they need new executive direction, and upper middle management needs to get more pro-active. Like get some freaking powder, ball and brass out to the masses you jokers.

[Wes_G]

I didn't see to much on sale in Lethbridge other then some winter clothing.

Maybe get some product out on there shelves.... hard to spend money when what you want isn't in stock.

[BeeGuy]

WSS Calgary is by far one of the most poorly managed retail outlets I have ever witnessed.

[old dog]

I talked to one of their managers and they have sold their US stores as they could not compete. They r changing the store to handle more product and be more of a wharehouse store as they run out of product too often. I hope this is the truth as I like supporting local business. I don't mind bass pro but I watch how much business I give them vs wholesale and fishing hole

[Mutter87]

I talked to one of their managers and they have sold their US stores as they could not compete. They r changing the store to handle more product and be more of a wharehouse store as they run out of product too often. I hope this is the truth as I like supporting local business. I don't mind bass pro but I watch how much business I give them vs wholesale and fishing hole

Hard to shop elsewheres, BPS has some very beautiful staff lol the girl that makes the Milkshakes and food, very pretty girl, friendly as can be aswell lol

[tight line]

I talked to one of their managers and they have sold their US stores as they could not compete. They r changing the store to handle more product and be more of a wharehouse store as they run out of product too often. I hope this is the truth as I like supporting local business. I don't mind bass pro but I watch how much business I give them vs wholesale and fishing hole

X2!!!

[the local angler]

Hard to shop elsewheres, BPS has some very beautiful staff lol the girl that makes the Milkshakes and food, very pretty girl, friendly as can be aswell lol

i agree i was there a few days ago and found myself sticking around the boat area talking to the hot blond selling the boat vouchers,

[waterninja]

it does seem a little strange. iv'e been to the north store almost every friday for 3 months straight and they are not restocking the fishing dept. at all. they are not even interstore transfering a lot of popular items from the south store which i know has plenty of stock. wouldun't surprise me if a closure/move of the north store is in the future though i hope i'm wrong.

[Kokanee9]

http://us.wholesalesports.com/usa.html

This is the us web address. Perhaps closing some stores?

[the local angler]

wow interesting kokanee9, i thought this was a canadian company guess i was wrong. i took a quick boo through their site and seems like a typical outdoor type retail store. didnt really see anything unique.

[Wes_G]

Wholesale is a canadian owned company. They were bought by UFA a few years ago. Not sure what has happened since then, but I know that UFA sold all the american stores to Sportsmans Warehouse.

[wwbirds]

Was reading this today!
1.Growing too fast: While growth is desirable, overexpansion is a serious error. Wanting to be the first to market with a new product, taking on added overhead, or trying to prove to anxious investors that you’re growing can all spur you to overextend your business financially. Set realistic goals and expand only as needs dictate.
2.Failing to track your finances: Look at businesses that fail and you’ll find that many of them took on too much debt. Learn to pay strict attention to your finances, and keep careful records of all money coming in and going out.
3.Overspending: Many new entrepreneurs burn through their startup capital before their cash flow is positive. This often happens because of misconceptions about how business operates. If you’re just starting out, seek out seasoned veterans you can turn to for advice before making big expenditures.
4.Lack of reserve capital: Be prepared for unexpected increases in the costs of things like utilities, materials, and labor. Make sure you keep enough reserve cash to carry you through tough times and seasonal slowdowns.
5.Poor choice of location: Don’t let a cheap lease tempt you into choosing the wrong location. Consider competition (how many similar businesses are located nearby?) and accessibility (is the area well served by freeways, public transportation, and foot traffic?).
6.Poor execution: Poor customer service and overall employee incompetence will quickly sink your business. Make sure your employees place a premium on customer service. Develop systems and processes for how tasks should be accomplished, and create internal controls to monitor them.
7.An inadequate business plan: A well thought-out business plan forces you to think about the future and the challenges you’ll face. It also forces you to consider your financial needs, your marketing and management plans, your competition, and your overall strategy.
8.Failing to change with the times: The ability to recognize opportunities and be flexible enough to adapt is crucial to surviving and thriving. Learn how to wear multiple hats, respond nimbly, and develop new areas of expertise.
9.Ineffective marketing: Customers can’t do business with you if they don’t know you’re there. It doesn’t cost a lot to advertise and promote your business through online marketing, social media, email, local search, and more.
10.Underestimating the competition: Customer loyalty doesn’t just happen — you have to earn it. Watch your competition and stay one step ahead of them. If you don’t take care of your customers, your competition will.

[bobalong]

Was reading this today!
1.Growing too fast: While growth is desirable, overexpansion is a serious error. Wanting to be the first to market with a new product, taking on added overhead, or trying to prove to anxious investors that you’re growing can all spur you to overextend your business financially. Set realistic goals and expand only as needs dictate.
2.Failing to track your finances: Look at businesses that fail and you’ll find that many of them took on too much debt. Learn to pay strict attention to your finances, and keep careful records of all money coming in and going out.
3.Overspending: Many new entrepreneurs burn through their startup capital before their cash flow is positive. This often happens because of misconceptions about how business operates. If you’re just starting out, seek out seasoned veterans you can turn to for advice before making big expenditures.
4.Lack of reserve capital: Be prepared for unexpected increases in the costs of things like utilities, materials, and labor. Make sure you keep enough reserve cash to carry you through tough times and seasonal slowdowns.
5.Poor choice of location: Don’t let a cheap lease tempt you into choosing the wrong location. Consider competition (how many similar businesses are located nearby?) and accessibility (is the area well served by freeways, public transportation, and foot traffic?).
6.Poor execution: Poor customer service and overall employee incompetence will quickly sink your business. Make sure your employees place a premium on customer service. Develop systems and processes for how tasks should be accomplished, and create internal controls to monitor them.
7.An inadequate business plan: A well thought-out business plan forces you to think about the future and the challenges you’ll face. It also forces you to consider your financial needs, your marketing and management plans, your competition, and your overall strategy.
8.Failing to change with the times: The ability to recognize opportunities and be flexible enough to adapt is crucial to surviving and thriving. Learn how to wear multiple hats, respond nimbly, and develop new areas of expertise.
9.Ineffective marketing: Customers can’t do business with you if they don’t know you’re there. It doesn’t cost a lot to advertise and promote your business through online marketing, social media, email, local search, and more.
10.Underestimating the competition: Customer loyalty doesn’t just happen — you have to earn it. Watch your competition and stay one step ahead of them. If you don’t take care of your customers, your competition will.

LOL, this looks exactly like the Senior Managers at UFA's business plan, when they took over WSS.

[EZM]

Was reading this today!
1.Growing too fast: While growth is desirable, overexpansion is a serious error. Wanting to be the first to market with a new product, taking on added overhead, or trying to prove to anxious investors that you’re growing can all spur you to overextend your business financially. Set realistic goals and expand only as needs dictate.
2.Failing to track your finances: Look at businesses that fail and you’ll find that many of them took on too much debt. Learn to pay strict attention to your finances, and keep careful records of all money coming in and going out.
3.Overspending: Many new entrepreneurs burn through their startup capital before their cash flow is positive. This often happens because of misconceptions about how business operates. If you’re just starting out, seek out seasoned veterans you can turn to for advice before making big expenditures.
4.Lack of reserve capital: Be prepared for unexpected increases in the costs of things like utilities, materials, and labor. Make sure you keep enough reserve cash to carry you through tough times and seasonal slowdowns.
5.Poor choice of location: Don’t let a cheap lease tempt you into choosing the wrong location. Consider competition (how many similar businesses are located nearby?) and accessibility (is the area well served by freeways, public transportation, and foot traffic?).
6.Poor execution: Poor customer service and overall employee incompetence will quickly sink your business. Make sure your employees place a premium on customer service. Develop systems and processes for how tasks should be accomplished, and create internal controls to monitor them.
7.An inadequate business plan: A well thought-out business plan forces you to think about the future and the challenges you’ll face. It also forces you to consider your financial needs, your marketing and management plans, your competition, and your overall strategy.
8.Failing to change with the times: The ability to recognize opportunities and be flexible enough to adapt is crucial to surviving and thriving. Learn how to wear multiple hats, respond nimbly, and develop new areas of expertise.
9.Ineffective marketing: Customers can’t do business with you if they don’t know you’re there. It doesn’t cost a lot to advertise and promote your business through online marketing, social media, email, local search, and more.
10.Underestimating the competition: Customer loyalty doesn’t just happen — you have to earn it. Watch your competition and stay one step ahead of them. If you don’t take care of your customers, your competition will.

Makes sense, except, if you read UFA's statement, they indicate the Canadian business portion of Wholesale was profitable. Chances are the US portion of the wholesale spin off was sold at a loss.

This could mean they might spin off the rest of the division (wholesale in Canada) to generate cash - if they needed it and decided it was not a "core asset".

It's very hard to tell with a non-public company or, as in this case, a cooperative trust.

My guess is they will spin the rest off to the right buyer.

Losing that much (top line) revenue, profit or loss aside, means they have reduced their locations and therefore reduced their purchasing power (which will erode margins), decrease their revolving lines of credit (putting more pressure on cash flow), reduced their ability to aggregate their inventory (pressuring working capital as more stock per revenue dollar is required) etc....

Shrinking a division will erode profits. period.

Then again, UFA being a cooperative - who knows what those monkeys will do ....????

[slivers86]

IMO if wholesale falls, it opens up opportunity for smaller shops to thrive, such as fish tails, country pleasures, and the former southbow (closed). Big box normally doesn't deliver the good quality service and products that small shops will anyways.

That being said, I believe it is a reno. The guys there have been honest with me since day 1.

[Wes_G]

I was going to say somethign about over expansion. They were only 3 store for the longest time and then expanded to Lethbridge and stayed with only 4 stores for another 3 years... Then over the course of the next 3 or 4 years opened how many new stores? 7? Not to mentioned all the american ones.

[the local angler]

wow that interesting to hear cause i though only calgary edmonton and lethbridge were the only locations didnt know there was some in the US.

[huntsfurfish]

There are also stores in Grande Prairie, Regina, Nanaimo, Langley, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Kamloops as well.

[Wes_G]

I am pretty sure that all the american stores were called something else, but then UFA bought them all up and rebranded them as wholesale sports.

[wwbirds]

UFA made a large deposit (15 or 20 million) on Sportsmans Warehouse a few years ago when Sportsman was struggling to make payroll, acquire inventory etc. just before Christmas. This helped SW stay open until the purchase could be finalized. Something came up during the due diligence process (audit) which scared them out of the whole operation (65 stores thoughout the US) so they settled on the 15 NW locations as compensation for the money already advanced. No idea what it cost to rebrand those stores to Wholesale logo, signage etc but it must have been substantial start up costs. (Another key management strategy is dont build a monument to yourself).
Some US stores apparently were closed but it appears SW just bought the remaining US stores back from UFA.
6 or possibly 7 stores existed in Canada when I worked for them (5 years) but some new ones were opened in BC and Saskabush. (Nanaimo, Regina, Grand Prairie and either Kamloops or Langley) since or during the acquisition of the US operation.
Buy a new unfamiliar business operation and go from 6 or 7 to 25 locations in a year or two??
That is rapid expansion!