Cabela's: A Toy Store For Today's Outdoorsmen

(Continued from cover)

enjoyed steady growth since opening in 1961. "People are living longer," says Kent Walton, Cabela's spokesperson. "Although we market toward children and young adults, it's a slower movement than with the mature consumer."

A key to its success among the former group is that it carries clothing, equipment and accessories specifically for them.

"Most kids who hunted, fished and camped as children wore hand-me-downs or Dad's items because clothing wasn't available in small sizes," Walton says. "Today, several collections, including a private label line, are available for kids. The same for women. We took the most popular men's items and scaled them down."

Vast Product Selection

Trying to meet the needs of an outdoor sportsperson that Walton says "has grown incredibly sophisticated," Cabela's carries all major sporting goods and clothing lines ? including the newest in high-tech accessories.

The strength of Cabela's employee base is what provides the bridge between the consumer and the products. "Every employee is involved in the outdoors," Walton says. "This makes them more qualified to service and assist customers. They also test the products out in the field.

"Customers know when they purchase Cabela's gear or clothing, they're getting top quality equipment that has undergone rigorous field-testing by staff members," he adds.

Created On The 'Fly'

Cabela's was inadvertently born when Dick Cabela discovered he could turn a profit by selling (at the then-current market price) fishing flies he purchased in Chicago at well below the going rate.

After running a classified ad in a Casper, Wyo., newspaper, Dick and his wife, Mary, set out to fill orders.

By fall of 1962, Dick convinced his younger brother, Jim, to join the company. In those early years, instead of drawing a salary, they invested in more mailings, new equipment and bigger quarters.

Today, Cabela's is a product of their vision ? and it continues to grow. By Summer 2000, it will have seven stores. Currently, it operates in Sidney and Kearney, Neb., Owatonna, Minn., and Prairie du Chien, Wis. New locations will include East Grand Forks, Minn., Mitchell, S.D. and Dundee, Mich. ? the latter being the company's biggest store to date at 200,000 square feet.

And while Cabela's retail outlets are well-known, it's their catalog business that has made them an international juggernaut.

The Cabela's catalog, which is shipped to all 50 states and 115 foreign countries, is published twice a year (spring and fall). Purchases can be made by mail order, phone, fax or on the website.

Customers Come First

Today, Dick, Mary and Jim remain the company's principal officers and run the show with an emphasis on customer service.

"This is why Cabela's has a return policy seldom seen in retail," Walton says. "Every product sold, even if it's been used and reused, can be returned for a credit or refund. We have a 'Bargain Cave' in the stores where they are resold."

Rather than retail pricing on used merchandise based on a percentage of its retail value, each piece is individually priced, depending on the amount of wear and its condition.

"Our growth is a result of our talented and experienced staff who believe in customer satisfaction and possess a passion for the outdoors," Walton says.

"Our goals remain the same: a good deal, a fair shake and better service with quality products at competitive prices," he adds. "That's what Cabela's is about ? today, yesterday and for the future."