Aurora Sportsmens Warehouse to close

[scratchy]

Sorry if a repost, I didn't see it anywhere I looked:

Sportsman’s Warehouse Closing 23 Stores

Aurora, Pocatello and Nampa stores on chopping block; other Idaho and all Montana stores to remain open; UFA to own 15 stores.

By Bill Schneider, 3-10-09



The pending purchase of Sportsman’s Warehouse by UFA Co-operative United (UFA) of Calgary, Alberta has partially unraveled. (Click here for NewWest.Net’s breaking story on the acquisition.)
In a teleconference with all Sportsman’s Warehouse employees yesterday afternoon CEO Stu Upgaard announced that 23 of the company’s 67 stores would be closing in the next few months, including two stores in Idaho (Pocatello and Nampa) and one in Colorado (Aurora). Other Idaho stores and all Montana stores would remain open.
In a phone interview with NewWest.Net, Upgaard explained that the company ran in to major cash crunch. “UFA did not close the transaction,” he explained. “They missed four closing dates. Now, we have no liquidity.”
And the banks are putting extreme pressure on the company to reduce debt, he said. “They have all the money. They (the banks) are trying to force us into bankruptcy, and we’re trying to avoid it.”
“We’re closing 23 stores to reduce our bank debt,” he explained, “and we’re selling 15 stores to UFA for the same reason. We are now a 29- store chain.”
In the teleconference, Upgaard said UFA will have the rights to use the Sportsman’s Warehouse brand on the 15 stores for up to two years, but will likely start the process of re-branding the stores as Warehouse Sports, a similar Canadian sports store chain UFA already owns.
These 23 stores are being liquidated: Aurora, CO, Coon Rapids, MN, DePere, WI, Henderson, NV, Lafayette, IN, Las Cruces, NM, Las Vegas, NV, Legacy, TX, Memphis, TN, Nampa, ID, New Berlin, WI, Oklahoma City, OK, Pittsburgh, PA, Pocatello, ID, Roanoke, VA, Rogers, AR, Round Rock, TX, St. Cloud, MN, Sioux Falls, SD, Southaven, MS, Visalia, CA, Wichita, KS and Woodbury, MN
These 15 stores are being sold to UFA: Bend, OR, Bozeman, MT, Burlington, WA, Coeur d’Alene, ID, Fargo, ND, Federal Way, WA, Helena, MT, Kennewick, WA, Lacey, WA, Missoula, MT, Portland, OR, Salem, OR, Silverdale, WA, Spokane, WA, and Vancouver, WA
NewWest.Net has calls into the corporate offices of UFA for comment and will update this story if more details come in.


http://www.newwest.net/city/article/...res/C426/L426/

[kwando]

wonder when they will raise prices and advertise it as a "liquidation" sale... LOL

[xjtwo]

Hmmm, didn't see the one down here in Co Spgs on the block...........yet.

[Xrunner]

Interesting... doesn't look good for the chain if the sale with UAW doesn't go through.

[roman gnome]

Just what UFA might have had in mind to begin with!

[Ridge]

Honestly I cant remember the last time I bought something there...before the election, when they had ammo, it always was marked up a bit...I think the last thing I bought there was the soft case for my old Hi Point in November 07......

[sagebrush]

here in Colorado Springs..ALL THE SHELVES ARE BARE... NOTHING LEFT TO BUY IN THE GUN DEPT...FOR 3 WEEKS NOW...

[7idl]

was here again today.. lots of people

ammo: except for some oddball stuff, everything is gone (centerfire and rimfire wise) still plenty of shotgun shells from what I gather (wasn't interested and didn't take a close look)

bullets for reloading: all the common weights and diameters are gone, almost baren here too.



guns and ammo (whats left) are the only things not on sale at the moment.

most stuff is 10% off.
dog stuff is 30%, IIRC

[car-15]

I'm going to cos today, does anyone know if the cos sportsmans whouse still bare?

[CareyH]

I'm going to cos today, does anyone know if the cos sportsmans whouse still bare?

I wouldn't waste your time. I live a few blocks away from there and they have not had anything for months.