There is a lot of confusion online about Gander Mountain and its “Going Out of Business” sale, which has many people wondering if their local store will be closing its doors on May 18.
Here’s what we know.
Gander Mountain, a retail network of stores that sells outdoor and hunting equipment based in Minnesota, announced in May it would be closing all of its locations.
If you go to the store’s official website (as of May. 8), you will see a large image that says “All 126 locations nationwide going out of business!” and a second image that says “Store closing!”
But there’s a catch.
On May 1, Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and CEO of Camping World and best known for his show “The Profit” on CNBC, announced Camping World’s successful bid for certain assets of Gander Mountain in a bankruptcy auction back in April.
“After reviewing the stores in more detail since our successful bid in the bankruptcy process, our current goal is operate seventy or more, locations subject to, among other things, our ability to negotiate lease terms with landlords on terms acceptable to us and approval of the Bankruptcy Court,” said Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and CEO of Camping World.
Lemonis said the current liquidation will allow the company to start with a “clean slate” with a desired mix of inventory.
Why does the official website say “All 126 locations nationwide?” will be closing?
Lemonis said the liquidators will continue to run the Gander Mountain website until May 18. After that date, he will regain access to the website and will publish information about the stores to remain open.
Lemonis shared this list on Twitter, which includes the stores expected to remain open past May 18. Lemonis said the list of stores will likely be updated through “Monday afternoon.”
So what does this mean for me?
If you have a Gander Mountain location that is not included on the list from Lemonis, it’s safe to assume (as of May 8) your location will be closing on May 18.
On the official Gander Mountain website, it says “Gift cards accepted until May 18.”
Lemonis has not publicly commented on whether gift cards will be accepted at the stores that will remain open past May 18. He did send out a tweet on Sunday urging customers to “use your gift cards up asap,” but that tweet has since been deleted.
Lemonis also said he “absolutely” anticipates opening additional Overtons locations in the future.
If you do make a purchase at Gander Mountain, make note of these terms:
“All sales final. No refunds, no exchanges or adjustments for prior purchases. We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express Cards. Not all items in all stores. Inventory is limited to stock on hand. These stores are not participating in current circulars.”
