Bass Pro Shops
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held sporting goods and outdoor goods store headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. In addition to the Outdoor World store located at the corner of Sunshine and Campbell in Springfield, Bass Pro Shops rings up $1.9Billion in sales in over 35 large retail stores in the United States and one in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. 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. Its major competitors operating in the US, include R.E.I., Cabela's, Eastern Mountain Sports, Gander Mountain, L. L. Bean, Sierra Trading Post, Sport Chalet, and Sportmans's Warehouse, as well as national sporting goods retailers such as Sports Authority, Big 5 Sporting Goods, and Dick's Sporting Goods, web retailers such as Moosejaw.com, Altrec.com and Backcountry.com, and a host of other local independent retailers. While Bass Pro operates some stores with "Sportsman's Warehouse" as part of the name, it should be noted that the company is not affiliated with the retailer simply known as Sportsman's Warehouse.
Contents |
[edit] History
The owner, John L. Morris, began his career in sporting goods in the back of the Brown Derby liquor store owned by his dad, located near Table Rock Lake and Branson, Missouri. The small shop sold homemade bait and worms. As the popularity grew for Morris' offerings, the enterprise grew and Bass Pro Shops was incorporated 1972. BPS mailed its first catalog in 1974. Soon, it became the world's largest mail order sporting goods store. In 1984, construction began on the Outdoor World Showroom in Springfield, MOhdfnhdghdghdthdhdhf. Big Cedar Lodge opened in 1984 on Table Rock Lake. In November of 2001, the State of Missouri made use of Outdoor World's popularity as a tourist destination, and opened the Wonders of Wildlife museum next door to the store in Springfield.
[edit] Locations
- Springfield, Missouri (headquarters, Catalog Outlet, and main store)
Alabama
- Leeds, Alabama (under construction near Birmingham, Alabama)
- Spanish Fort, Alabama (under construction near Mobile, Alabama)
- Prattville, Alabama (under construction near Montgomery, Alabama)
Arizona
- Mesa, Arizona (under construction near Phoenix)
California
- Manteca, California (planned, construction pending)
- Rancho Cucamonga, California (under construction adjacent to Victoria Gardens Mall)
Colorado
Florida
- Destin, Florida
- Dania Beach, Florida (near Ft. Lauderdale)
- Fort Myers, Florida
- Islamorada, Florida (World Wide Sportsman, Islamorada)
- Miami, Florida (under construction)
- Orlando, Florida (International Drive)
Georgia
Illinois
- Gurnee, Illinois (in Gurnee Mills near Chicago)
Indiana
- Clarksville, Indiana (across the Ohio River from Louisville)
- Portage, Indiana (in Northwest Indiana)
Iowa
- Council Bluffs, Iowa (across the Missouri River from Omaha)
Louisiana
- Bossier City, Louisiana (near Shreveport)
- Denham Springs, Louisiana (planned, construction pending near Baton Rouge)
Kansas
- Olathe, Kansas (Kansas City)
Maryland
- Hanover, Maryland (in Arundel Mills near Baltimore)
Massachusetts
- Foxborough (currently under construction)
Michigan
- Auburn Hills, Michigan (near Detroit)
Minnesota
- Bloomington, Minnesota (planned construction next to the Mall of America)
Mississippi
- Pearl, Mississippi (near Jackson)
Missouri
- Branson, Missouri (a major tourist area)
- Columbia, Missouri
- Independence, Missouri (under construction near Kansas City)
- St. Charles, Missouri (near St. Louis)
North Carolina
- Concord, North Carolina (in Concord Mills near Charlotte)
Nevada
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Reno, Nevada (under construction)
New York
- Auburn, New York
- Buffalo, New York (planned, demolition set to begin in 2006/2007, will be located downtown on the Inner Harbor at site of old War Memorial Auditorium "The Aud" and will be Bass Pro's first urban store)
Ohio
- Fairfield, Ohio (in Cincinnati Mills near Cincinnati)
- Rossford, Ohio (near Toledo; announced 10-17-06, construction begins Spring 2007, opens 2008)
Oklahoma
- Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (near Tulsa)
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (in Bricktown entertainment district)
Ontario
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (a major tourist area)
Tennessee
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Nashville, Tennessee (in Opry Mills)
- Sevierville, Tennessee (Kodak community; near the Smoky Mountains tourist area)
Texas
- Garland, Texas (near Dallas)
- Grapevine, Texas (near Dallas and Fort Worth)
- Katy, Texas (in Katy Mills near Houston)
- San Antonio, Texas (Opened November 18, 2006. Largest shop in Texas. Fourth largest in USA.)
Virginia
- Hampton, Virginia (the Peninsula portion of the Hampton Roads area)
- Richmond, Virginia (under construction)
[edit] Affiliation with NASCAR
Bass Pro Shops and its owner John L. Morris have had a longtime interest in NASCAR racing. Bass Pro Shops has sponsored such racers as Dale Earnhardt, Kerry Earnhardt, and Martin Truex Jr. Truex won the 2004 and 2005 Busch Series championships in the #8 Bass Pro Shops Chevy, and currently drives the #1 Chevy in the NEXTEL Cup series when the team moved up in 2006. Bass Pro Shop also sponsors the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 during the regular NASCAR season. Bass Pro Shops sponsored Ray Payton Jrs car in Herbie Fully Loaded
