Wholesale Sports in Lethbridge

qballs · #1 09-12-2007, 07:59 AM

I just needed a place to vent. I went into Wholesale yesterday, looking for a new bird vest. They did not have one, and did not know if they would be getting any!! Are you kidding me? I think that they would sell, I don't know, maybe 100 a year if they had any available. Every time I go into there, I come out disappointed.
I will be going over to see Ted at Marksman's AGAIN!!! He will always get what you want.

#2 09-12-2007, 08:17 AM

That's why I like my home town stores. The mom and pop type. Sure I may pay a little more on some things but the service I get is well worth it. If they don't have it, most times, in 2-3 day I can have it in!!!

tyee43 · #3 09-12-2007, 08:18 AM

So typical of their "We're not happy, until you're unhappy" way of doing business (like Air Canada)...

You're much better off supporting the "little guy" if you have one...or by ordering from Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops.

We'll have a Bass Pro Shops just north of Calgary sometime in the next 18 months...

I've absolutely given up on Wholesale...

tyee43

Versatile · #4 09-12-2007, 09:28 AM

qballs I shop there as well. last time we went in it was 2 weeks before the waterfowl opener they had NO decoys, but atleast shells. I went and looked for a new vest and some pants, maybe a shooting shirt. NOTHING. It seems hunting season was a TOTAL surprise for them this year.

There was a big shoot 2 or 3 weekends ago IPSIC (I think thats right) and they had NO ammo. If its anything like last year we will get right in the middle of season and they will have NO ammunition, we will be stuck shooting 30 dollar tungsten rounds because that all they have, and they wont have any rifle ammo except for the 1000 cases of .22 ammo they just got in so people can shoot gophers.

Why they dont take down the 20 isles of fishing crap and fill them with decoys, shells, blinds, calls, for hunting season is beyond me. Personally I dont think I need a new trolling motor in january.

I dont know if they realize how easy and cheap it is to order stuff out of Cabela's. With gas its only 20 dollars more for me to order out of Cabela's than it is for me to go to wholesale and get told they have nothing. So now all I do is shop at Cabela's or I go see Ted over at marksmen when I need a new gun or ammo. Wholesale is a LAST RESORT for me. Perfect example in January I ordered myself a set of DU Whitewater Bibs and Parka in Max4, a neoprene face cover, as well as some gloves. The total came to 200 dollars CAD to my door. So next time I was in wholesale I took a look around and found the exact same stuff I order from Cabela's and it was twice as much. I as much as I hate ordering out of the states and not buying local this is just ridiculous.

ABwhitetail · #5 09-12-2007, 10:57 AM

Though I have had a "few" ok experiences @ wholesale in Edmonton...the results are the same.....no stock and no idea when they will get more....maybe the info on this board will be read by someone in the wholesale organization that will start them looking into WTF is going on there.....because with the service you get fom the small guys, and the prices you can get in some of the BIG retailers coming to Canada...whos going to shop at wholesale anymore????

I have shopped in both the TO Bass Pro and Vegas Bass Pro, and the service was excellent! Perhaps not as knowledgable as your small local guys, but at least they were there to help.....

Tuc · #6 09-12-2007, 11:46 AM

I'm sure some of their staff read these boards.

Over the years there have been many threads on here about poor service at Wholesale. In my opinion they're just shooting themselves in the foot. The competion is coming and I wouldn't be surprised once Pro bass is opened up in Balzac, another will soon follow in Edmonton. Who knows, if Cabela's see success with ProBass, they may come to Alberta also. That that may spell the end to outfits like Wholesale and Russells. It wouldn't also surprise me to see the big box American stores buy em out if they are able to hang on and muster up a little competion.

unclebuck · #7 09-12-2007, 12:19 PM

Wholesale will be in hard competition with Cabela's in Canada, as they have purchased SIR in Winnipeg, with the name change to be happening next spring. Should be good, as service by mail order couldn't be any worse than it is in person at Wholesale!!!

Accubond · #8 09-12-2007, 12:19 PM

[QUOTE=Tuc;53655]I'm sure some of their staff read these boards.
Who knows, if Cabela's see success with ProBass, they may come to Alberta also. That that may spell the end to outfits like Wholesale and Russells.

About 2 years ago I heard a rumor that Cabelas was enquiring at Calgary city hall about the legals to build a man made pond by Calaway Park. Presumably to allow trying out fishing gear and the like.

123 · #9 09-12-2007, 08:54 PM

ok i going to u this qball on the compters it only says the quantity coming in it does'nt say when it is coming in. also all the shipping goes threw calgary they do all the ordering. the staff knows they need the stuff but they can't do nothing about it. calgary controls everything they decide how much they get and what they need. the staff have no control on any of that. so pls did'nt blame the staff for not having any stock they did'nt control it calgary does.

smurph · #10 09-12-2007, 09:14 PM

did i find the right message to vent about! I was in Wholesale sports in Edmonton last week and was looking at some new Semi Auto shotguns. I asked the guy behind the counter for a particular semi-auto and he asked if it was an over-under. I assured him it was a S/A. Anyway, long story short he asks me for the part number. Hmmm... who works here and who's the customer? Then he can't find it anywhere. Then proceeds to write down the phone number for the Calgary store and tells me to call them as his store is just a 'satellite' store of the main one in Calgary. What Bull###T is that? I thought his job was to find the product for me. Anyway, I wrote a long letter to the Calgary office and the Edmonton manager promptly called me the next day and apologized. I know that the economy is making a lot of things suffer but it still doesn't negate the fact there is never any stock of anything in the store. I... against better judgement... went in there again yesterday looking for a Browning Gold Fusion 20Gauge with 28" barrel. Nope... nadda nuthin. And no idea when they're getting any more.

Went to a friend's house yesterday and he says the Wholesale Sports in Calgary is a whole different atmosphere and the people there actually seem to care. Now if they have stock, it might be worth the drive! I just emailed LeBaron's in Ontario to see about shipping times and SIR should be ok though they're a bit pricier and don't seem to have the same amount of selection on their website but hey, we all know WS doesn't have any of the products on their website actually IN the store anyway. Grrrr...

Thank you for listening.

Now back to finding a shotgun

tonka · #11 09-12-2007, 09:15 PM

I was in the calgary store to get a couple boxes of powershox and they were out asked when it will come in and was told " well I hope it gets here before the hunting season begins in a couple weeks". How the hell do they not know the season is here

Versatile · #12 09-12-2007, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 123

ok i going to u this qball on the compters it only says the quantity coming in it does'nt say when it is coming in. also all the shipping goes threw calgary they do all the ordering. the staff knows they need the stuff but they can't do nothing about it. calgary controls everything they decide how much they get and what they need. the staff have no control on any of that. so pls did'nt blame the staff for not having any stock they did'nt control it calgary does.

About time somone from the stores log into here. So what department do you work in?

Jethro · #13 09-12-2007, 09:53 PM

Rumour has it that in the Lethbridge Wholesale the old owners of Hoyt's have got out of the buisness. They have lost some other good staff lately, but it does not seem to hurt sales, the parking lot is full everytime I drive by.

Versatile · #14 09-12-2007, 10:19 PM

Thats because they are the only sporting good store (other than Marksman) for 200 kms people have no choice if they need it now and even then most people dont know how easy it is to order from Cabela's

123 · #15 09-12-2007, 10:23 PM

Another thing is calgary gets first dibs on everything we get leftovers and if calgary needs it calgary gets it even if we need it badly and it already at the store. The hunting booth was probably really busy and there was probably a huge line up thats why he asked u to do it. It can sometimes take a while to get throw to calgary. i know some of the hunting guys right now did'nt even have time to go on lunch because there so busy. ryan i not going to tell what store or department i in because i did'nt want u guys hassling me.

qballs · #16 09-13-2007, 07:19 AM

I would never bag on the staff. They are simply doing their job. It just blows me away that they would not have any product at all.... Its like opening up the golf course for the season without any golf balls in stock.

I emailed the main store and told them about the problem. They replied that they had some coming in and asked which model I would be interested in.

I guess this is what keeps us so fickle as consumers....

Hey Ryan, how is the GSP? Last time we went out with our dogs you had just picked it up. I went out for some ducks yesterday, shot one, sent Bentley out into the water, he actually got it and brought it back!!! Nothing makes a guy prouder!

AbAngler · #17 09-13-2007, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smurph

Went to a friend's house yesterday and he says the Wholesale Sports in Calgary is a whole different atmosphere and the people there actually seem to care.

He lied.

Dark · #18 09-13-2007, 08:01 AM

Hey 123 explain this, for a month I have been trying to buy some standard goose shells (flambeu) I have had 4 differant employees look it up in their computer , computer says they have 4 boxes wait 1/2 hr for them to go in the back hoping this employee will be smarter than the last and find them, each time they come back with the same answer computer is wrong no stock. I explain that this has happened 4 times, now as an employee would you not fix the computer so it says out of stock. is that Calgary's job to come and update your computers. No new stock will arrive until the computer says out of stock. This is not brain surgery.

Versatile · #19 09-13-2007, 10:02 AM

qballs he is doing AWSOME I will be testing him in his Master hunter com spring and hopfully his FDX as well. Gotta pass the Field Dog test first though.

We will have to get together this year and we can chase some Ditch Parrots.

123 I hope you take this page as well as the other multiple thread about Wholsale and show it to your manage and store owener. Maybe then they will get their Sh*t together, realixe they are loosing buisness and will be loosing buisness once BPS comes in.

123 · #20 09-13-2007, 10:06 PM

Dark it probably does not get upgraded intel the new shippment comes in. I would'nt of gone back 4 times and asked because odds are the people at the gun section have been there for along time and know where everything is. The reason it shows 4 are there is because some got brought and were'nt counted there are lots of ways this could of happened. The gun section isn't my area so i did'nt know much about it. Ok i going to give u guys some advice on how to save some time. First thing u can do is get your stuff during mid december to april after hunting season there will be way less line ups and there be able to have more time to help u. Second thing u can do is phone ahead and see if we have it. They will ussually pick up the phone right away and will be able to help u instead of u driving there and finding out we did'nt have it. The problem is known preaty well and i really did'nt want to bring these post in. did'nt ask me why did'nt they fix it i have no clue why they did'nt. if u guys have anymore question did'nt be afraid to ask just did'nt be to rude about it.

hunterchick · #21 09-13-2007, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 123

ok i going to u this qball on the compters it only says the quantity coming in it does'nt say when it is coming in. also all the shipping goes threw calgary they do all the ordering. the staff knows they need the stuff but they can't do nothing about it. calgary controls everything they decide how much they get and what they need. the staff have no control on any of that. so pls did'nt blame the staff for not having any stock they did'nt control it calgary does.

And it does not matter how many times the staff order through Calgary, they will not send it or screw it up that it may **** the consumer off!
The staff at the Edmonton store are just as frusterated as you guys!

tonka · #22 09-13-2007, 10:15 PM

Phone right you mean try for three days with no answer

123 · #23 09-13-2007, 10:19 PM

hunter chick u work at edmonton store.
while did'nt phone on saturday after 4-5:30 and excpect them to pick up instantly

tonka · #24 09-13-2007, 10:40 PM

I call at 9am -5pm and nothing WSS service sucks I would rather get kicked in the nuts than shop there. But russels did not have the ammo I needed

123 · #25 09-13-2007, 10:47 PM

while i did'nt know where your phoning but that does'nt happen at the store i work at

Versatile · #26 09-14-2007, 10:41 AM

Happens at the Lethbridge store all the time. I get put on hold and the gun counter takes forever. They get 1 minute then deals off.

qballs · #27 09-17-2007, 10:34 AM

You were right Ryan,
Cabela's is easy!!!!!!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...Cat=netcon&cm_

This looks like the vest I wanted, and will soon have in 7-10 days!

Thank you Cabela's

smurph · #28 09-17-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qballs

You were right Ryan,
Cabela's is easy!!!!!!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...Cat=netcon&cm_

This looks like the vest I wanted, and will soon have in 7-10 days!

Thank you Cabela's

gotta love cabela's and even more with a .98 cent CAN dollar

. Hey qballs.... what size did you order compared to your everyday clothing? I always wonder about that since you can't try it on before buying.

Winch101 · #29 09-17-2007, 11:41 AM

Firstly the name is a missnombre if there ever was one ....
Being from Winterpeg I know what " Wholesale " means
and they aint it ... I tried to buy dog stuff , waterfowl stuff,
and upland gear ... I have a good friend who works there
so I tried to give them bussiness.
So far everything has come from cabelas .....
and the pricing in the states is so much better even with shipping
and exchange ....
The bottom line is you cant hire good staff for 12 bucks an hour
when Tims is paying 14....

The rumor mill is that they ( wholesale ) and russells are for sale
maybe Cabelas will buy them as well....
You will still have the staffing problems ...I was in sporting goods
for 30 plus years , and historically retail pays the S-%#^%
And can anyone tell me what the connection between knowing a lot about guns and not washing is..Shes a little ripe at that gun counter some days .... Good test for that scentlok clothing ....

qballs · #30 09-17-2007, 02:21 PM

Smurph,

XXL seems to work for me for any type of outerwear. I have long arms, and US sizing seems good. It is usually a little big in the waist. Best size for me is XL tall. Bassproshops has that size and it seems bang on for me all the time. I am 6'6" and 260.
I always err on slightly large with that stuff.