I live in Corsicana, a small Texas town of about 24,000 some 56 miles south of Dallas. I was born here 70 years ago and in my lifetime traveled around the world with long stretches on the Left Coast's La-La/Hollywood Land to come back to live out my remaining years in the Big C.
About 2004 or so they opened a Gander Mountain in Corsicana. I was rather surprised, especially when I visited it for the first time, seeing their large, well appointed store and saw the prices they expected people to buy their wares for--
They had a large gun section but all the new firearms there were priced at retail list. I'd been in the gun business off and on for some 40 years, so I knew you seldom sold one at list price. This top line pricing was the same with their hunting and sports clothing lines. $59.99 for a pair of camouflage overalls when the ones I had on on the time I had paid $17.99 on-line plus $8.50 shipping.
I fished a lot back then, so I walked around and around the fishing section, amazed by the values they placed on rods, reels, assorted fishing tackle. lures and accessories. The cheapest thing I could find they sold was a metal fish stringer like the one shown below that they priced at $2.69.
https://img.etsystatic.com/il/ab3682/1150838186/il_fullxfull.1150838186_h3bg.jpg?version=0
That same fish stringer was priced 4 miles away at the Corsicana Walmart for 89 cents.
Needless to say, there was never any kind of crowd in their parking lot nor in their store. In July of 2015 the store closed and what was so surprising was that they managed to last some 10 or so years!
Have never been in a Dick's Sporting Goods. MC Sports, Sports Authority. Looks like I never will--