Layoff's at Fishermans

[Elkhunter]

Spoke with a Cashier that told me there were some layoffs at both stores. She said they were trying to cut costs. She said it was folks that had been there a while also. I wonder if Sportmans had anything to do with it. It's too bad, never a good deal when folks are getting let go.

[rob allen]

elk thats the economy improving!!!!

[Irie1]

[img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img] Gee, I never looked at it that way. One would tend to think, when the economy improves, the unemployment rate should decrease.

[salmurai]

Is that what happened to Gary at the OC store? Any one know where he went?

[Kentucky Hog Hunter]

Ya,

This story sounds familiar...I know someone that worked there a week and got let go...

Sounds like a common theme over there...It is sad to hear of folks loosing their job in such a tough economy.

[skein]

Yes, that is tough. I really hate to hear of folks getting laid off - in any industry.

That's why I rarely order from Cabela's or any of the other mail-order houses any more. By the time I pay freight I'm not saving much (usually) and I've decided to try to keep my $$$ local.

I'm not trying to make this a soapbox either. But if I don't buy locally how can I hope that others do. And if we don't ring our local merchant's cash registers once in a while, pretty soon they'll gone.

Skein

[Wingman]

Lets all thank our democratic governor and his new taxes. The economy is improving everywhere but in Oregon...

[Born to be Wild]

I think we might be looking at a little too much competition rather than federal tax cuts.
This comes of no surprise to me.

Dano

[lilnorthfork]

More folks back at work means less folks fishing.

[dla]

[ 01-16-2004, 03:31 PM: Message edited by: dla ]

[dla]

I think this says it all. And I firmly believe the latest round of fee increases will accelerate the trend.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/...formation.html

[Noah II]

DLA
You are correct, the trend will continue. The State is well aware of this but they also know the higher fees will result in more total revenue to them. ( Until they reach that point when they have strangled their Golden Goose.)
The sad part is,(IMO) they couldn't care less about the adverse effects they have on local busines(ie Fishermans, GI Joes, Etc.) because of fewer fishermen & hunters. This attitude doesn't seem appropriate to me. I have to admit, I have a definate bias toward Bureacrats.
NoahII
Jim
Was it Will Rogers who said, just be thankful you are not getting all the government you're paying for :smile:

[Lured In]

One word....competition.

Fisherman's just got about $350 from me in the last few weeks.

Sportsman's has gotten about $400 from me since it opened.

Joes has gotten about $100 since September.

$200 of what I spent at Sportsman's came directly out of business that either Joe's or Fisherman's would have gotten. The other $200 is for products neither Joe's or Fisherman's carry or have less stock of. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] As such, I go to Sportsman's and try to save a trip somewhere else.

It is my hope that both Joe's and Fisherman's will step up to the plate and compete with Sportsman's. There is only so much business in the PDX area, add a competitor and everybody's piece of the pie gets smaller.

One thing I will say is that this spring should be interesting. I honestly believe that Fisherman's has the upper hand in winning the lion's share of the fishing business. But they are going to have to fight to keep it.

Sportsman's on the other hand is so much better in the hunting department, I don't think anyone will be able to touch them.

[TinyWonder]

I'm with Skein.

Keep it local, by the time you pay for freight it is about the same cost to buy from a store near you. Plus there is the wait for the item or items to arive, it seem endless. Then what if you have a problem. You have to ship it back.

I personally don't buy that much from FMS, their service is a bit lacking at the OC store. But it is too bad that anyone would loose ther job.

[Tilla]

Gee Lured In, how come I am not on the $$ list?

[ 01-16-2004, 06:34 PM: Message edited by: Tilla ]

[Lured In]

Tilla...you are on the list. You are just way way WAY down there. :tongue: :grin:

[Pete]

Or maybe, with the likely cut backs in our Spring Chinook fishery, they are doing the right business thing. I bet Fisherman's will have someone in Olympia tomorrow ... I wonder if any sport fishers will show up to support their own fisheries.

[salmurai]

Thanks for the info, STGRule. I'll check it out the next time I'm in town. He's quite the Loomis pusher.....

[STGRule]

Check for Gary up the street at G.I. Joes.

[Straydog]

Federal Tax cuts at work.

[Frenchy]

This is bad news for me,here I am,stuck in Iraq and Kuwait,and my job may not be there for me when I return.
I know what the federal law says,but if they lay off someone with more senority then me while i'm here, then there's little chance I'll have a job when I get back.
This has been a really bad year.

[Surething]

thats to bad

[corrirod]

I've got the solution! [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

Let's tax the business owners some more.......that'll make them hire more people!

[foxer]

The same thing is happening to this industry as in others ie computers, cars, etc. Everybody wants a piece of the pie. Great for consumers that are not financially dependant on any of these industries, but bad for the people who work in them. Margins just keep going down and down and down. Corporations still have to make money so they start cutting overhead....Hope hey dont lay off all of those cuties [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

[TheRogue]

competition, simple as that. The addition to Sportsman's Warehouse to the area can be directly linked to these layoffs, IMHO.

competition is good for consumers...except when you get into the "Walmart Syndrome" where an large out of area store comes in and undercuts everyone just for market share. I don't believe that's what has happened in this case, SW doesn't have incredible prices, and they advertise very little, except word of mouth.

I'd be interested to see where FMO is taking the biggest hit, I bet it's in firearms/hunting/outdoor, that's where they are weak and SW excels. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that FMO didn't sell firearms...maybe, with the market conditions, they need to drop it and concentrate on their strength, fishing and marine.

TR

[Pete]

Actually, I think you'll find that ALL retailers have seasonal layoffs. Lots of people are hired for the holidays and after the holidays they are let go. There isn't a retailer that doesn't do it.

[Reel Fun Fish'n]

Right On Pete. It's too early to tell if these rumored lay-offs are seasonal, or market driven.
If seasonal then it's undestandable. But if its market driven then I question their wisdom.

[Straydog]

As in most issues, there is not one single item that affects the labor budget of retailers, but many.

1. Our overall economy is still weak and has been for some time. Consequently, this has been a soft year for many of us, even us fishhook and bullet peddlers.

2. As has been pointed out, competition has increased and the pie is cut into smaller pieces for all involved.

3. Oregon has the highest number of National Guard enlistees employed overseas than any other state. I wonder how many of those guys in the desert would be fishing and or shooting if they were at home?

4. About the only season going this time of year is Winter Steelhead with the exception of some Sturgeon in a couple of markets. People buying slinkies, corkies and hooks don't spend as much money as those pursuing other fisheries. This is compounded by weather considerations and the fact not as many people like to fish in cold rain as like to fish in warm sunshine. As Pete mentioned, seasonal layoffs are not uncommon.

5. The big snow and freeze earlier in the month pretty much brought our businesses to a halt. This makes for the need for immediate adjustment of expenditures and labor is the first to get hit.

6. Some people are unhappy about the increase in license and tag fees and will either not purchase at all or will hold out until their favorite season is upon them and then, when all of the Springer buddies or Elk Camp buddies start talking about the season will go out and buy tags and gear.

7. The industry has been riding a strong wave of growth since the return of our fisheries the last few years. This wave has leveled and we are seeing the consequences in terms of business. Many, many people that entered the sport for the first time or re-entered after an absence, have made their major purchases of rods, reels and other high ticket items and since these are not what we call "consumables", those dollars are not being respent as rapidly as the coins spent on terminal gear.

As one that has analized the highs and lows of this industry for over a quarter century, again, it is my opinion that not one single factor has led to the current circumstances.

By the way, hats off to Skein and those that understand the importance of buying local. Did anyone see or hear from a Cabella's or Bass Pro representative at either the Oregon or Washington Springer Allocation meetings??? Did we hear from any of them at the Oregon hatchery meetings??? Do we see any of them at habitat improvement volunteer events???

Support those that support you, buy local. We are all in this together. :smile:

[ 01-18-2004, 09:55 AM: Message edited by: Straydog ]

[TheRogue]

Excellent list, SD...

That pretty much sums it up, thanks for a true insider's prospective!

TR

[corrirod]

competition is good for consumers...except when you get into the "Walmart Syndrome" where an large out of area store comes in and undercuts everyone just for market share.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">And Fred Meyer is local? It always confuses me how everyone protests WalMart but not Fred Meyer. What's the difference? Both are owned by huge out-of-state companies.

There seems to be a feeling that Sportsmans has caused people to be layed off..........but didn't Sportsmans have to "hire" people when they opened their store?

Competition is inevitable. Regardless of what market you are in, you must be able to adapt to increased competition. It will never end. Burying your head in the sand and hoping nobody will come into your market is foolish. Fisherman's and Joes have had plenty of time to prepare and fight the incoming presence of Sportsmans warehouse.

Regardless of whether or not Sportsmans came to town, Fisherman's and Joes need to increase sales to increase hiring. It's up to them to figure out how to get our business.

[TheRogue]

You're right about Freddie's, they can no longer be considered local, since they became part of the Kroger empire. Most people don't remember that part. I personally don't shop at Freddy's for anything except emergency items. They're overpriced across the board from groceries to nails.

TR

[lost_sailor]

Probably 'cause I haven't been there for over a month. Sorry. :blush:

[skein]

Corirod,

By local I mean dealing with folks who are our neighbors. The ones we wave to on the river or shake hands with at the Christmas toy drive. If we just followed the huge conglomerates that put the stuff on the shelves, we'd end up in China.

(And you don't want me to get on that soapbox - ugh)

Skein

[corrirod]

I not only understand what your saying Jim, I agree.

Buying U.S. products is something we should all try to do more but I won't get on that soapbox either because I do own items made in China, Japan, Taiwan, etc. I need to pay more attention and have lately but I'm not religious about it.

I just find it amusing at how outraged people are when a Walmart tries to open a new store but there's a Freddy's on every corner!

[foxer]

True, but Freddy's WAS a local chain and it has been around forever. Freddy's also is a major employer in the area and pays well above what Walmart pays its employess. I wouldnt mind Walmart as much if they actually paid their employees more. Ah heck, I still wouldnt shop there. That place is kinda creepy

[corrirod]

How much less are they paying their employees? How come so many people go to work for them then? Seems to me like they would add a lot more jobs then they would take away?

This thread has really got off topic but should be carried on over on LIG.

[foxer]

Well, I do know that all of the employess at the FM disti center in Clackamas are union and are paid fairly well for what they do (and they do work hard) Not trying to pick a fight or anything. I just cant stand to see the country's largest retailer come into markets and intentionally sell below cost to drive the competition out of business. In the end, you just lose choices.. I better quit before I fall of the soapbox :grin:

[ 01-18-2004, 11:39 PM: Message edited by: foxer ]