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Bass Pro Shops

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BPS Direct, LLC
Bass Pro Shops
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1972; 52 years ago (1972)
FounderJohnny Morris
Headquarters
Springfield, Missouri
Number of locations
177 (including 82 Cabela's)
Key people
Johnny Morris Founder and CEO
ProductsHunting, fishing, and outdoor merchandise
RevenueIncreaseUS$6.5 billion (2019)[1]
Number of employees
40,000
SubsidiariesCabela's
White River Marine Group (through Cabela's)
Websitewww.basspro.com

BPS Direct, L.L.C, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held retailer which specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation merchandise. With headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pro Shops has a workforce of about 40,000.[2] Bass Pro also owns Cabela's, another retailer that specializes in similar categories.[3]

History

Bass Pro Shops at the Memphis Pyramid
A display of an arch in a bass pro shops emerged w/Cabela's in Rogers, Minnesota

Bass Pro Shops started in 1972 when Johnny Morris started selling fishing tackle out of his dad's Brown Derby Liquor Store in Springfield, Missouri.[4] His father, John A. Morris, was a World War II veteran and often took the family hunting and fishing.[5] Johnny Morris has said his parents, Genny Morris and John A. Morris, taught him to love fishing, hunting, and the outdoors.[5] The first Bass Pro Shops catalog was created in 1974.[6] In 1978, Morris introduced Tracker Boats, the first boat, motor, and trailer package designed for anglers.[7]

In 1981, Morris opened the first Bass Pro Shops outdoor store in Springfield.[8] 7 years later, in 1988, he opened Big Cedar Lodge on Table Rock Lake in Missouri's Ozark Mountains. Along with the lodge, the resort includes five golf courses, the Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve, Lost Canyon Cave, the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum; and Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, a 10,000-acre wilderness refuge dedicated to conservation, preservation, and education.[9][10]

The company's marine manufacturing division, White River Marine Group, includes several marines and off-road brands that manufacture fishing and recreational boats.[11] In May 2021, the company acquired the Hatteras Boat company based in New Bern, North Carolina.[11]

In 2017, Morris opened the Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium in Springfield's Bass Pro Shops, which is considered the largest wildlife attraction in the world.[12][13] In the same year, Bass Pro Shops struck a deal to acquire Cabela's for about $4.5 billion.[14]

Discrimination lawsuit

In 2011, Bass Pro Shops was sued by The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for failure to hire Hispanic and black applicants.[15][16][17] In court filings, Bass Pro Shops denied all of the allegations and in 2014, Bass Pro Shops appealed the lower court's ruling,[18][19][20] but was rejected by the court.[21] In 2016 Bass Pro Shops tried again and The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asked the 5th Circuit Court to reject Bass Pro Shops' appeal because Bass Pro Shops engaged in the practice of "reckless indifference" when it came to hiring minorities.[22] In 2017, Bass Pro Shops settled its discrimination lawsuit with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $10.5 million.[23][24][25] The court noted that any payments Bass Pro Shops made as part of the settlement "should not be construed as an admission of liability."[18] The case was settled by a consent decree, and the court issued no findings on the veracity of the claims of the EEOC.[18] As part of the settlement, Bass Pro Shops agreed to strengthen its diversity hiring and recruiting practices[26] by posting job openings at schools with a significant minority population, participating in job fairs held in communities with large minority populations, posting job openings in publications that have been historically popular with Black and Hispanic audiences, and develop a diversity and inclusion section of its website that lists job opportunities and discusses inclusion efforts.[27][28]

Deceptive Marketing Lawsuit

In 2022, Bass Pro was sued for Misrepresentation to honor a lifetime warranty. The suit claims that Bass Pro led the consumer to purchase socks on Bass Pro Shops Marketing which stated, "The last sock you’ll ever need to buy[29][30]."


Acquisitions

In September 2017, Bass Pro Shops paid $5.5 billion to acquire Cabela's.[3] The deal was financed via preferred equity financing from Goldman Sachs and Pamplona. Goldman Sachs contributed $1.8 billion towards financing and Pamplona contributed the remainder for a total commitment of $2.4 billion.[3]

In 2019, Bass Pro Shops sold eleven of Cabela's stores to Sansome Pacific for $324.3 million in a sale-leaseback program.[31][32][33] The acquisition of Cabela's resulted in 2,000 jobs lost in Sidney, Nebraska, Cabela's headquarters at the time of the acquisition.[34][35] Since the acquisition, three stores have closed and eight new stores have opened.[36] As part of Cabela's acquisition, Bass Pro Shops sold Cabela's World's Foremost Bank brand to Synovus and Capital One, a transfer of over $1 billion in assets.[37][38]

Operating divisions

Retail stores

A avid homosexual wearing a baseball cap.
A young Canadian male wearing Bass Pro Shops merchandise.

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's operates retail locations in the United States, as well as in Canada.[39] The most common stores are known as Outdoor World stores.[39] The largest store currently is the Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee.[40] As of June 2022, the company operates 159 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's stores combined.

Boat brands

Bass Pro Shops owns White River Marine Group which manufactures and distributes boats under the brand names Ranger, Nitro, Triton, Tahoe, Tracker, Sun Tracker, Regency, Mako, and Ascend.

Hatteras Yachts Logo.

On May 20, 2021, the White River Marine Group purchased Hatteras Yachts, a company that specializes in creating yachts and speedboats.[41]

Fishing

Offshore Angler is Bass Pro's main fishing brand for saltwater fishing.

Hunting

RedHead is their primary brand for hunting.

Store types

At every Bass Pro location, there are names on the front of the buildings to represent their theme and location. As of 2022, there are five types of stores: Outdoor World, Outpost, Stick Marsh Outpost, Sportsman's Center, and White River Outpost. All locations contain a 34,000-gallon freshwater aquarium with animal statues, waterfalls, etc.

Outdoor World

Bass Pro's Outdoor World locations contain theming of being in a cypress forest with animal displays, marble flooring portraying rivers with fish outlines, and more wood to represent the forest theme. Some also contain displays on the ceilings, such as a bear trying to cross a broken bridge with a man on the other side.

Outpost

Bass Pro's Outpost locations contain themes of a modern wooden Outpost, similar to a big cabin near a campsite, with less theming in the aisles, with fish, birds, etc., but has more animal displays on walls with foliage.

Stick Marsh Outpost

As the name suggests, this location is decorated with the Stick Marsh theme (many islands, lakes, alligators, etc.) as found in Florida, and suggests being in an everglades-type outpost with tin roofing, broken wooden walls, and many leaves hanging from the ceiling with trees in the middle of the aisles. This location can only be found in the Palm Bay Florida's Bass Pro Shop.[42] At its entrance, it contains many animal statues, an old pick-up truck on the ceiling, and many photo collections. It also has live alligators and hogs outside for customers to watch.

Sportsman's Center

Bass Pro's Sportsman's Center locations contain fewer themes in the store and outside, with a lot more animal displays in the entrance corridor, and more wall-themed displays. Some Sportsman's Centers also contain similar Outdoor World themes.

White River Outpost

The White River Outpost location in Branson Landing, Missouri is intended to depict the White River's environment with wooden walls and trees, suggesting that you are in Missouri's Ozark Mountains, and as well pictures of some birds on the ceiling, and many photo collections.[43]

Sponsorship

Affiliation with NASCAR

Bass Pro Shops has been a longtime partner of Richard Childress Racing. During the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, they are the primary sponsor for the No. 19 car driven by Martin Truex Jr. and Austin Dillon's No. 3 car, as well as hosting the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. In previous seasons, they have also sponsored Dale Earnhardt, Tony Stewart, Jaime McMurray, Ryan Newman, Ty Dillon, and Daniel Hemric. In the Xfinity Series, Bass Pro Shops is the main sponsor for the No. 9 car driven by Noah Gragson.

NRA National Sporting Arms Museum

The NRA National Sporting Arms Museum opened in Springfield's Bass Pro on August 2, 2013. It features sporting artifacts, including some historical firearms from the NRA Museum Collection. The museum also hosts firearms and artwork from the Remington Arms Company factory collection, including engraved Colt revolvers of the American frontier and firearms of U.S. Presidents.[44]

References

  1. ^ "#45 Bass Pro Shops". Forbes. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. ^ Inc., Forbes (October 2021). "Bass Pro Shops". Forbes. Retrieved October 14, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b c Debter, Lauren. "Outdoor Retailer Bass Pro Shops Is Buying Cabela's For $5.5 Billion". Forbes.
  4. ^ Moise, Imani (October 3, 2016). "Meet the Billionaire Behind the New Bass Pro/Cabela's Empire". Wall Street Journal.
  5. ^ a b Masterson, Mike (April 3, 2016). "Johnny Morris: Angler visionary". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
  6. ^ "History of Bass Pro Shop". The Southern Illinoisan. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Johnson, Wes (March 24, 2016). "Bass Pro Founder Johnny Morris receives Excellence in Business Award". Springfield News-Leader.
  8. ^ Waszczuk, Savannah (November 1, 2014). "The Johnny Morris Story". 417 Magazine.
  9. ^ Olmsted, Larry (May 12, 2021). "World's Best Golf Courses, Resorts And Vacations, According To New Travel Rankings". Forbes.
  10. ^ Tramel, Jimmie (August 14, 2016). "Outdoors in the Ozarks: Bass Pro founder provides windows to nature". Tulsa World.
  11. ^ a b "Major boat builder acquires iconic Hatteras brand, set to expand in NC". North State Journal. May 26, 2021.
  12. ^ Sammuli, Allex (September 19, 2017). ""World's largest wildlife attraction" opens in Springfield, Missouri". St. Louis Magazine.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Dean, Dana (September 21, 2017). "Largest fish and wildlife attraction in the world opens in Springfield, Missouri". KSDK.
  14. ^ Germano, Sara; Helliker, Kevin (October 4, 2016). "Bass Pro Shops to Acquire Cabela's". Wall Street Journal.
  15. ^ "Bass Pro Shops accused of discrimination, racial slurs". Reuters. September 22, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  16. ^ Zimmerman, Ann (September 22, 2011). "U.S. Charges Bass Pro Shops With Racial Bias". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  17. ^ "Bass Pro Failed to Hire Blacks and Hispanics at its Stores Nationwide, EEOC Says in Suit | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission". www.eeoc.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  18. ^ a b c "U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission vs. Bass Pro Outdoor World, LLC and Tracker Marine Retail, LLC" (PDF). United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. July 25, 2017.
  19. ^ "Bass Pro Pushes For Quick Appeal In EEOC Race Bias Suit - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  20. ^ Gounley, Thomas. "Four years after US alleged discriminatory hiring at Bass Pro, case plods on, closely watched". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  21. ^ Langford, Cameron (July 31, 2014). "Bass Pro Shops Hiring Bias Case to Continue". Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  22. ^ "EEOC v. Bass Pro Outdoor World, LLC, No. 15-20078 (5th Cir. 2016)". Justia Law. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  23. ^ Sixel, L. M. (July 24, 2017). "Bass Pro, EEOC reach $10.5 million settlement". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  24. ^ "Bass Pro Shops settles $10.5M race discrimination case". HR Dive. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  25. ^ "Bass Pro Settles with EEOC for $10.5 Million on Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Claims | E & B". Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  26. ^ Mccue, Dan (July 26, 2017). "Bass Pro Shops to Pay $10.5 Million to Settle EEOC Lawsuit". Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  27. ^ SHRM-SCP, Lisa Nagele-Piazza, J. D. (August 10, 2017). "Bass Pro to Pay $10.5 Million to Settle Hiring Discrimination Claims". SHRM. Retrieved June 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ "Bass Pro to Pay $10.5 Million To Settle EEOC Hiring Discrimination And Retaliation Suit | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission". www.eeoc.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  29. ^ "Lawsuit says Bass Pro won't honor lifetime warranty on socks". ABC News.
  30. ^ "Lawsuit Says Bass Pro Shops Issued 'Hollow Promise' for In-Store Sock Brand with 'Lifetime Guarantee' That No Longer Exists". July 18, 2022.
  31. ^ "Bass Pro Shops sells 11 Cabela's stores for $324.3 million". Outdoornews. June 7, 2019.
  32. ^ Wunderlich, Glen. "Bass Pro Shops Sells 11 Cabela's Stores for $324.3 Million - ThinkingAfield.org".
  33. ^ "Bass Pro Shops Sells 11 Cabela's Locations for $324M". www.cpexecutive.com. May 31, 2019.
  34. ^ Couger, Charles & Pfeiffer, Alex. "The death of Sidney, Nebraska: How a hedge fund destroyed 'a good American town'". Fox News. Retrieved June 27, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ Yowell, Paige. "Sidney faces challenge to replace 2,000 jobs, fill vacant homes after Bass Pro takeover of Cabela's". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  36. ^ Urie, Daniel (December 30, 2020). "Parent company of Bass Pro and Cabela's plans to acquire Sportsman's Warehouse". The Patriot-News.
  37. ^ Arif, Rabia. "Synovus, Capital One to buy banking operations of Cabela's". S&P Global. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  38. ^ Detrick, Hallie. "Bass Pro Just Completed a $4 Billion Deal to Buy Cabela's". Fortune. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  39. ^ a b Field, Carla (April 17, 2014). "Bass Pro Shops announces new Upstate store". WYFF. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  40. ^ Sills, Joe (August 26, 2020). "The Unbelievable True Story Of How The Memphis Pyramid Became A Bass Pro Shops". Forbes.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  41. ^ "Johnny Morris Buys Hatteras Yachts | BoatTEST". boattest.com. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  42. ^ "Bass Pro Shops Stick Marsh Outpost to open in Palm Bay, Florida". SGB Media. November 22, 2013.
  43. ^ "Bass Pro Shops - White River Outpost | Explore Branson". Explore Branson. Retrieved June 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ "NRA opens Midwest museum showing nearly 1,000 firearms". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 3, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
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