These days are over?
Although Walmart returning to its merchandise roots has been conventional wisdom for a bit, this week several news outlets reported that the change is official. Some quotes:
> Walmart will begin selling fabric and other “heritage†merchandise like fishing tackle that disappeared a few years ago when the retailer tidied up stores to attract more affluent shoppers.
> Over the past couple of years, Walmart devoted about 20 percent more floor space to push home entertainment items, and in particular television sets. But with consumers showing little interest in 3D TVs, and with popular electronic gadgets shrinking in size, Walmart has made the decision to scale back its electronics department and use the space to sell things like fishing poles….
> “We’ve listened to our customers and we’re bringing back the products and brands they want, †said Duncan Mac Naughton, who was put in charge of U.S. merchandising in January. [Really? Does anyone reading this buy a lot of tackle at Walmart?]
> The Bentonville, AR retailer is pursuing its back-to-basics strategy to reverse a streak of seven consecutive quarters of declining sales in U.S. stores….
Obviously good news for some tackle manufacturers and FLW Outdoors.
8 Comments
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Bassn1
April 15, 2011 at 7:23 am
I use to use Walmart as a place to pick up Tackle when in a crunch. Now, at least where I live, they might as well not have any tackle with the selections they have available. If you are a hunter you have a choice. If you are a dedicated fisherman, they really have nothing to offer us.
Jim Weller
April 15, 2011 at 12:04 pm
20 years ago, the local walmart here had a great fishing department. Now it’s a shadow of what it was. Empty pegs all over, poor selections. We’ll wait and see on this one.
tumblebug
April 15, 2011 at 2:32 pm
You ask if anyone buys their tackle at Walmart. No, because their selection has sucked for several years now.
Years back they were the go to place. Best price and best selection in many home towns.
Jeremy Adair
April 16, 2011 at 8:11 am
The Walmart in my city isn’t too bad, it’s no BPS or Cabelas, but it isn’t bad. Even when they went through the Great Culling, they still had enough gear and tackle to get someone started. Buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, cranks, etc. Their plastics selection has never been any good, but that’s really the only legitimate complaint I can come up with.
But really, if you’re looking for a G. Loomis or Curado, you wouldn’t be heading to Walmart to begin with (I hope). At Walmart you stop and look because you’re there anyway and it beats looking at fabric samples with the Mrs…
Chance C.
April 17, 2011 at 9:54 am
They do carry certain things that are good: zoom, strike king (KVD’s 1.5 cranks) and I saw KVD’s triple grip treble hooks. I also have noticed they are carrying a big line of Vicious items.
happ mc murter
April 18, 2011 at 8:24 am
in Ontario Canada Walmart is at least respectable…rapala and berckley out the wazzoo…..and they carry alot of american stuff you just cant find anywere else within a half hour drive
Robert Allen
April 18, 2011 at 2:36 pm
Walmart used to be a great place to buy tackle, with the possible exception of rods/reels. Then they tanked and took pretty much anything not a Zoom finesse worm or a cricket hook with them. I have noticed they seem to be getting back closer to where they were.
joe Grave
August 22, 2011 at 4:36 pm
I used to spend 20-50 bucks every time I went with my wife to Walmart on fishing tackle as well as clothes. Now she goes to the local grocery store and I have not been to walmart for ages with no intentions of going back until some one tells me they have built their tackle section back up