After recently ordering and picking up a new rifle at a local Bass Pro Shop, I have to give them the nod over Academy. BP was almost $100 cheaper and the Customer Service was first rate. I also took advantage of the 12-month no interest (Father's Day Club member offer) so I can spread the cost into next year for tax purposes. Granted, Academy has a price match offer but I'm one who likes to award the store that gives you their best price up front. And this is not the first time I've seen Cabela's/BP pricing beat that of Academy in the last few months.

Dan, I’ve noticed the same thing. But, Cabelas and BP involve distance, metroplex traffic and Academy is close. I generally check $ before I leave the house.

When you combine the cost of gas these days with the relatively cheap (and often free) shipping rates many stores are now offering, you often find yourself never leaving the house to get what you need.

Was Academy supposed to always have the best price on everything?

I use them all depending on what I am looking for. I get really frustrated with the know-it-all salesmen I have encountered at the Round Rock BP that think they know it all but are pretty clueless when you ask specific questions.

I suspect at least some of those who work behind the counter would make the same claim about know-it-all customers.

Which is why the title of my post was written as a question rather than a statement.

Then to answer your question, you may have unrealistic expectations for Academy.

I've always viewed Academy as the Walmart of sporting goods. Usually cheap prices, usually lower to middle of the road quality, and usually not much knowledge from the employees. Don't get me started on BP/Cabela's since the merger. I used to be very loyal to Cabela's, but once I know exactly what I want, I now buy it from the place that has the cheapest price.

Same

Ditto

likely very true as well ...

I'm much the same way, and for that reason would seldom check Cabela's for anything with thoughts Academy would have it for a better price. However, right now Cabela's has Hornady Precision Hunter ammo (6.5 CM) "on sale" for $2 less per box than Academy. While $2 isn't a lot, it's the point that matters.

I just got to scheels unless Academy is having close out sales.

It very interesting which price points the different retailers but from certain Mfg’s

I have about quit Academy, they used to have good fishing gear, now not so much. I went into Sportsmans Warehouse in Washington, Pa last week, great store. Most of the items were the good name brands, a full line of Sitka clothes and gear, and not hardly any team sports crap. They had an extensive showcase of optics and rifles, im guessing close to 200 rifles were in stock. I asked the guy if we.l could take a few optics outside and test them out, ans he asked how many. I pointed to three, and he said take all you want. He got a cart and I spent an hour checking out 13 different scopes and binos.

Yup.

The basspro in grapevine is a joke. Can’t see prices and can’t talk to anyone without waiting an hour after checking in on some dumb phone app. Nothing but good experiences at academy but the selection obv is not the same. Scheels for the good stuff for me

Right Stuff, Low price, everyday.

Sure got that right.

How do you get a tax break?

I can't think of a firearm Academy sells that I would want. Maybe a 10/22 just for the action, but typically GB has better prices on them.

I was wondering the same thing.

I took early retirement and needed to leverage a health insurance loophole by limiting my taxable income. This will be my last year before becoming eligible for Medicare next year.

How do you leverage this loophole? My wife may be in same boat.

I do this by depositing around thirty grand in pre tax investments every year. If you have a way to do this by buying guns at academy, I would love to hear about it.

PM sent

Why not post it on here for everyone if it’s legal?

Once again ... never mind.

I wonder if somewhere between legal and ethical lies your answer. Which reminds me, trashcancopy&pastedan, does Academy still carry the cheap made in China American flags? Are those the ones you use?

Do you mean the one purposely placed between the other two at the White House? Can't say I've ever seen any historical photos of that one being carried on any battlefields where Americans lost their lives.

I have to wonder if whoever they gave the flag in the middle even cared enough to ask for at least one of the other two.

Are those the one's you threw in the trash, Dan? Funny how you can copy and paste multiple times but you always dance around this issue?

One day you and a few others will catch up and realize my intentions were not to offend but to draw strong attention to increasing numbers of those who don't love this country as much as you and I. In fact, a good many of them hate it and its great history with tremendous bitterness. And very sadly, they have leaders in Washington who feel the same way.

Who knows, perhaps this new photo will become a part of an effort to replace Old Glory with a new flag they feel better represents our nation's people. Yes, perhaps making you and I salute their new flag will help ease some of that bitterness. After all, they've gotten the President to fly their own new flag on the White House.

I've been to Sportsmans Warehouse in Tucson. I like it. Never been to Scheels that I can remember unless it was in Wyoming or Colorado. I heard there was one in Dallas somewhere. I may want to trek up there and see it. Is it more like an academy or a cabelas/bass pro?

I'll run into Academy for tennis shoes or some basic hunting/fishing stuff like ammo. but not much else. Maybe camping stuff.

I agree.. Academy is not what it used to be but its still my go to place for ammo and very basic hunting and fishing equipment. ,

Been downhill ever since the family sold out. Every year the outdoors section shrinks and the selection quality drops. IMO.

Don't overlook Bob Ward's as a good alternative for online shopping. And never pass on up while visiting Montana.

Academy

The next Dick's

I read your OP about throwing the American flag away. That wasn’t your intention in any way.

I suspect many of us thought it would happen eventually once we learned of the stores being sold to an investment company. I know I did.

Just more reason to do as I did and find what you want online for the best price and have it shipped either to your home or to a nearby store.

Yep. And If can you spread retirement income out over time to cover the intrest free payments...win win.

Can't speak for the other places
The Academy nearest here has been
steadily on the decline for some time
now. Guns and accessories has a
tiny corner as does the camping goods
and the fishing has a bit more than
the other 2, but not nearly as much as
the original store they opened nearby.

It's a shame the economy is in such a
frazzle. An outdoors oriented investor
could open a store with a good selection
of hunting, fishing, and camping without
all the casual clothing and soccer crap
and probably do ok as long as the key
personnel were outdoors oriented and
not just people with a business degree.
I know I'd patronize a place like that.
Just people looking for the stuff I'd be
looking for, and not bawling kids and
hoodrats trying on the hood clothes
and shoes

Academy has several grades of stores. Example Portland TX is a tier 1 store and has more hunting and fishing then Basspro.

They are smart and focus hunting/fishing efforts on store that traditionally do well.

Academy is one of the few retail spaces doing well. Academy still has hunting and fishing and shooting sports, so I can see why you hate them

I’ve been to at least 10 different stores and the shoe department was as large as the hunting and fishing departments combined. I’m pretty sure that’s the typical store.

If y’all could go back to shopping at Academy I’d really appreciate it. I hold a small position of stock and the value has decreased 30% in the past month or so.



For everyone that wants a better firearm selection, there just isn’t much money to be made. When I worked at Academy they used to tell us the gun bar operated at a 10-15% profit margin.


The house brand bcg clothing was producing 90-95%. So naturally that is why the retail space gets the coverage.

I don't think anyone here has come to hate shopping at Academy. The point of my OP was simply to throw out the possibility they are no longer the place you go for the best price. At the same time, it appears Cabela's/BP is no longer the place where you can expect to see higher prices. I'm now seeing Cabela's/BP beat them on both guns and ammo.

obviously not a tier one store. With that said everyone buys footwear. Not everyone hunting and fishing

there are 269 locations, why would you have 269 basspro’s/ cabelas etc packed into close proximity to each other. There are 20+ Academy stores in DFW. If they all where the exact you would cannibalize and have dead inventory. Same reason why Basspro/Cabelas doesnt have 20 locations of same store model in DFW

Academy is smart and gives all locations hunting and fishing to a “plus walmart level”, meaning above walmart. With that said they blow out the tier one stores. If you notice Academy is very price point conscious on their none Tier one stores. You wouldnt see Loomis, Simms, Tikka, etc in lower tier stores but would in higher tier stores. You will find hunting and fishing stuff thats not even on their website at Tier one stores.

I think there are three maybe 4 levels of Academy stores.

I go academy if I know all about what I want, if I need to ask ?'s, I might just as well ask a 1st grader

At Academy I've found, even if you know exactly what you want and know where it is, if someone in front of you in line at checkout accidentally picked up something without a barcode, the kid behind the register freezes and you're screwed from ever getting out of there unless you set your item down and walk away.

I still shop there often and will continue until they go Full On "Dick's:

Agree the stores are different and are targeting the areas market.

Frisco Soccer and Grilling

Galveston, great fishing dept.

Yes, they are going to sell what makes a profit. It was said earlier, "An outdoors oriented investor could open a store with a good selection of hunting, fishing, and camping without all the casual clothing and soccer crap and probably do ok as long as the key personnel were outdoors oriented and not just people with a business degree. I know I'd patronize a place like that. Just people looking for the stuff I'd be looking for, and not bawling kids and hoodrats trying on the hood clothes and shoes". That's a nice dream but would go belly up in no time flat. People like me have kids that need all that soccer crap, and Academy makes a profit selling it. My son outgrows and wears out shoes faster than any kid I've encountered, I get him replacements at Academy sometimes. That's why they have so many shoes, people buy them. A store with a bunch of old farts fondling guns, tackle, and camping crap would be a nice quiet experience, but has no longevity.

I have to disagree. You get 3 old farts anywhere and one of 'em is gonna try to tell someone else what they "ought to do." I'm getting up there, but I promise, I try very hard to keep my mouth shut in public.

I consider them a shoe store that also sells entry level firearms for folks who want to buy that type of firearm.

It's still a decent place to find ammo

Heck, there is some for sale in the classifieds that came from the days of stand in line before open

After more than 2 years, that guy is certainly persistent.

Yep.

I shake my head every time one pops up

BPS can't offer prices low enough to make it worth driving to and around Grapevine. You don't even have to wait at one red light to hit up the Academy in Weatherford if coming from the West.

Cant wait for the Bass Pro to open in Grand Prairie.

The Bass Pro by me is getting pretty tattered and worn, although it is fairly convenient to the house. Nothing I really need except the occasional box of ammo. They've never figured out what to put back in the restaurant area. 'Neat venue, with what was a very nice bar, just sitting locked up.

Jess could put a helluva 2nd location in there. Attention panKo.

The wife and I used to like to take the dog to bass pro and walk around as something fun to do. Lots of friendly good moral employees with similar interests. There was the indoor pond and bridge with the trout, the hot dog/nacho vending area, the rattlesnake tank, stocked shelves. The atmosphere was nice and we always found a good impulse buy. But the last time, it was like you said. Tattered and worn. All that stuff was gone, less merchandise, and it was like a ghost town lacking both employees and customers. It was the first time I ever walked through Bass Pro and did not buy anything. I was hoping it was a single store thing and not a sign of recession.

Academy, I too have always thought of them as a shoe, sports, and clothing store. Not so much for hunting, gun stuff other than entry level. Like a big Oshmans.

One of our daughters worked at an Oshmans in high school. She now admits she thought I was a bit of a racist...until she worked Holy Week, with the (upper class - not a judgement, just a fact; it's a caste system, whether they admit it or not) Mexico Mexicans just throwing clothes on the floor, demanding instantaneous service, spoiled little brats running around screaming, etc.

Same. Never considered Academy as a "hunting" store even though they sell hunting stuff.

Agree that Academy has lost ground (and likely will continue to lose)

Scheel’s gets 95% of my sporting goods dollars.

They understand the value of customer service, plus they price match anyone.

Academy offers employees with bad attitude, no product knowledge, and long lines at the checkout.

Same could be said for Bass Pro and Cabela’s to a lesser degree

If in DFW area, Scheels is much better than all the other options.

Agreed.

Academy is closest to my house so I wind up there mostly. Bass Pro and Cabelas now mean traffic problems. I knew a Cabelas sales guy and went there looking for a fly rod. After looking, he told me than, until BP bought them, the quality was higher.

Hell, all three are now clothing stores that sell guns and fishing stuff.

I hit Academy for most of my stuff. like mentioned above locations are close and good prices. I shop around as well and most of the times Academy wins. If looking for more higher end I hit Scheels. Been years since I've been to Cabela's or BP due to their prices and 30 minute drive.

Academy here in Odessa has lost my business. Went in to look at some guns and they acted like they didn't care. 3 guys standing around. One talking to a customer who was waiting on his background check to come back. The other two acting like they were busy but kept looking my way. Finally after 10 minutes the guy asks if I need help. The really didn't want to help me. Told a manager and he acted like it wasn't any big deal.

While we're on the subject of gun stores...

Ha! You reminded me. I need to pester the city to put up stoplights at both of those four ways....

'Had to dig this up. I had to buy a couple of flats of shotgun shells for a charity clay shoot coming up. Holy crap, every time I'm checking out at Bass Pro, it's the longest wait of any retail store anywhere, of any type. It's not just the employees. It's the customers too. I think I'd rather go to the dentist. I think Academy, with the children at the registers, is actually faster.

Academy will at least price match on most things.

So will Scheels.

I had a similar experience in katy. Never that bad before. Never going back to look at guns and never walk to one of their counters again. Wont miss the traffic driving in.
I will go to the one in Victoria though for tennis shoes

She was going to academy for a shirt for GK, asked to pick up some one-shot case lube. Called me and said the 'sales' person wanted to know what caliber and what brand of gun oil I prefer.