Bass Pro Shops is a privately held sporting goods and outdoor goods store headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. In addition to the Outdoor World store, Bass Pro Shops has over 15 large retail stores in the U.S. It also owns and operates subsidiaries such as Tracker Boats, Big Cedar Lodge, and Redhead. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.
History
Founded by John Morris in 1972, Bass Pro Shops was born out of a fishing tackle business that sold homemade bait and worms, located in the back of a Brown Derby liquor store. Bass Pro Shops mailed its first catalog in 1974. It soon became the world's largest mail order sporting goods store. In 1984, construction began on the Outdoor World Showroom in Springfield, MO. Big Cedar Lodge opened in 1984 on Table Rock Lake, near Branson, MO. In 2000, the Wonders of Wildlife museum opened next to the Outdoor World in Springfield.
External/Internal Factors
Strengths-
Respected company with a strong brand name
Well known brand name for outdoor fishing, hunting, and boating supplies
Wide variety with many price points on different lines
Comprehensive product lines
Stable and educated sales force
Committed employees
Technical expertise with different product lines
Unique in-store customer experience
Catalog availability and sales
Weaknesses-
Higher costs than competitors
Rapid growth loses the strategic direction
Vulnerable to technological changes
Management style is out of date
Not a lot of innovation in store set ups/displays
Deals only with large accounts and misses the more specialized producers of hunting fishing, and boating equipment for the avid outdoorsman
Male dominated target market not interested in the "bigness" of Bass Pro; they are looking to get in and get out
Opportunities-
Opening in foreign markets
Competing firms are complacent and not attacking
Demographic
Cited: www.bassproshops.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Pro_Shops