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LanceOregon
Regular Member
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Posted: Sat Apr 11th, 2009 05:01 am |
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Well, no buyers stepped forward to allow GI Joes to remain in business. So the company's inventories have been sold to a liquidation firm for 50 cents on the dollar what GI Joe's paid for them.
So I guess that no one has to worry about open carry in a GI Joe's store anymore. For they will shortly be history. See this news report:
http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=123931925555652200
You know, I wonder if the liquidators will continue the old rule of no open carry while they sell off the remaining inventory?
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CharlesAFerg
Regular Member
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Posted: Sat Apr 11th, 2009 07:19 pm |
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Their prices were awful anyway, and can't even remotely compete with even the largest of online retailers.
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Jeffytune
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| Joined: | Mon Mar 9th, 2009 |
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| Posts: | 126 |
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Posted: Sat Apr 11th, 2009 10:52 pm |
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I think the two things that killed them was, they forgot there core customers. They started out as a military surplus store, GI Joe's.
Then they started to go into sporting good, car parts, and moved farther away from there roots, a discount supply store.
The last management team they took over the store tried to kill off that image and to try and become a trendy store cratering to the kayak and back pack crowd, like an REI outdoor store.(I.E. the tree hugger anti army types)
And there prices matched REI.
When they dropped off the "GI" from there name, it was to try and draw in the liberal, anti military crowd, that never like anything to do with guns or army stuff. they would not shop there, but by removing the "GI" from the name, they insulted there core customers who most support the troops and our armed forces.
Upset your core, and the ones you were going after still think your a army store and won't come in, no surprise to me they went under.
I know I stopped shopping there when they dropped the "GI" from there name.
Last edited on Sat Apr 11th, 2009 10:55 pm by Jeffytune
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adamsesq
Regular Member
| Joined: | Wed Oct 1st, 2008 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 368 |
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Posted: Sat Apr 11th, 2009 11:58 pm |
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I have to agree with much of what Jeff said. I worked my way through college many years ago working for GI Joe's. They were still locally owned and managed and were a wonderful company to work for.
I think they served their market (sporting goods/outdoors and automotive) very well and can't fault them for their target audience. But when they started thinking the yuppy crowd would do it for them they lost it. I don't know whether that decision was made before or after selling to out of state owners.
When I left the Oregon area for a while and moved to the mid west I really missed GI Joe's. There just were no other do it all kinds of stores for the kinds of things I had fun doing. When buying a tent or camping equipment meant doing it online or going to WalMart you know things are not good.
But the biggest downfall of all, as the OP touched on, was the internet. Lots more places to shop and lots more competition for both stuff and prices. They just couldn't keep up with that.
I have not liked what they have been at least the last 10 years but I am sorry to see them go. Whatever sports/outdoors stuff I needed they usually had it.
-adamsesq
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DenWin
Regular Member
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Posted: Sun Apr 12th, 2009 03:05 pm |
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| I'm glad I wasn't the only one that didn't like where GI Joes was heading. I started shopping at Sportsman's Warehouse a while ago, and more so (when I'm in town) since my friend started working at the fire arms counter there. Hope every one found or finds a good place to go from now on.
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Mainsail
Regular Member
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Posted: Sat Apr 25th, 2009 02:53 am |
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| Joes had a corporate anti-gun policy. I was asked to leave for OC, I contacted their corp offices and was told that firearms carry, open or concealed, was not allowed in their stores. I told the guy I'd never step foot in a Joes store until their going-out-of-business sale, and I haven't. Then I sent them eamils telling them how much I spent elsewhere. The didn't seem to care.
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jmar254
Regular Member
| Joined: | Tue Jun 3rd, 2008 |
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| Posts: | 18 |
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Posted: Sat Jun 6th, 2009 06:29 am |
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Sorry to hear about G.I. Joes, I worked at the Milwaukie store for about 3 or 4 years, in the late 80s.
I guess they found out the hard way what happens when you mess with the masses.
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dartonvpr
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| Joined: | Sun Jun 14th, 2009 |
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| Posts: | 3 |
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Posted: Sun Jun 14th, 2009 05:14 pm |
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| I worked at the north Portland store in the early 80s and agree with the fact that they started to cater to the yuppy crowd, and that was the downfall. The problem I see is that most large chain sportinggoods stores are leaning toward the yuppy populace. I am seeing it in most of the local stores; sportsmens warehouse, fisherman's marine and joe's. Worries me that corperate america is forgetting who put them where they are today.
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