--- title: "Gander Mountain Files for Bankruptcy" description: "Outdoor retailer Gander Mountain has filed bankruptcy and will close 32 stores in 11 states." date: "2017-03-12" modified: "2021-04-20" authors: - name: "Tony Hansen" job_title: "Contributor" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/tony-hansen/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/gander-mountain-files-bankruptcy/" categories: - "Gear" tags: - "News" --- # Gander Mountain Files for Bankruptcy ![Gander Mountain bankruptcy]() *Gander Mountain has filed for bankruptcy. GanderMountain.com* After months of buzz surrounding the potential merger of Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas, there is a new bombshell coming from the world of outdoors retailers: Gander Mountain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In a media release, Gander Mountain announced that it will close 32 stores in 11 states and is actively seeking a buyer for the Minnesota-based franchise. Here's an excerpt from the release: *“Today’s action is the result of an in-depth review of the company’s strategic options undertaken in recent months to preserve the value of the company and position it for long-term success. Like many retailers, Gander Mountain experienced challenging traffic patterns and shifts in consumer demand resulting from increased direct-to-customer sales by key vendors and accelerated growth of e-commerce. Despite aggressive actions to improve the efficiency of the company’s retail operations and support functions, the underlying financial impact from underperforming stores and unproductive, excess inventory hampered efforts to create a sustainable path forward.* *“The company’s strategic review yielded the following conclusions: A narrowly focused and lower cost operating model is necessary to position the company for profitable growth; The company does not have the financial capacity or time to reset its operations to fully implement the new model and, as a result; The best available path forward is to sell the company on a going-concern basis."* Gander Mountain stated that employees will continue to be paid in the interim and is preparing for an auction of the company in April with an ownership change in mid-May. Here's a list of the stores slated for closing: - Alabama (4) – Gadsden, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa - Georgia (3) – Augusta, McDonough, Snellville - Illinois (3) – Champaign, Algonquin, Springfield - Indiana (2) – Merrillville, Greenfield - Minnesota (3) – Rogers, Mankato, Woodbury - New York (1) – New Hartford - North Carolina (2) – Raleigh, South Charlotte - Tennessee (1) – Chattanooga - Texas (10) – Houston, Killeen, Laredo, Lubbock, Round Rock, San Antonio, Sugar Land, Texarkana, Waco, West Houston - West Virginia (1) – Charleston - Wisconsin (2) – Eau Claire, Germantown ## Author Tony Hansen is a contributing writer to Outdoor Life. A Michigan native, he lives in the southern Michigan community where he grew up chasing deer, turkeys, and football-sized smallmouths with the most meaningful catch of his life, his wife, Nichole. ### Author social links [Instagram]()