Gander Mountain Returns to Catalog Business
Leading Outdoors Retailer Mails First Mail-Order Catalog in 12 years.
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ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 27 — Gander Mountain, the nation’s largest retail network of stores for hunting, fishing, camping, boating, marine, and outdoor lifestyle apparel and footwear, products and services, announced today that it has begun a limited national distribution of its 244 page catalog to customers. The catalog marks Gander Mountain’s return to direct marketing after 12 years.
The new catalog with custom artwork on the covers evokes memories of Gander Mountain catalogs from the 1960’s, some of which are now collectors’ items. Customers may sign up on http://www.GanderMtn.com to receive the current and future catalogs while supplies last.
The fall 2008 catalog will be the first edition from Gander Mountain since 1996 when it sold its catalog operation. The return to direct marketing allows Gander Mountain to become a true multi-channel retailer with the ability to sell products to customers in all 50 states, not just the 23 states in which its 115 retail stores are located.
“Gander Mountain titled catalogs will include a broad assortment of apparel and outdoors products that will always be available in the right size and colors,” said Rick Vazquez, executive vice president of merchandising.
The size of the potential market in the outdoor lifestyle industry is estimated at $50 billion or more in annual sales. Gander Mountain’s fiscal 2007 sales were approximately $969 million and the company views direct marketing via catalogs and its new e-commerce website (http://www.GanderMtn.com) as a significant opportunity to increase sales and profitability.
According to Gander Mountain’s CEO, Mark Baker, the return to catalog sales as well as the launch of GanderMtn.com in early August completes two key objectives for Gander Mountain as the company returns to its roots in direct sales, while providing customers a whole new way to shop. Baker said, “Gander Mountain led the way in direct marketing in 1960 and now we are back. The addition of our new website and the return of our catalog give us two additional ways to provide convenience for our customers and also welcome many more who are not able to visit one of our stores.”
About Gander Mountain Company
Gander Mountain Company (Nasdaq: GMTN – News), headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is the nation’s largest retail network of stores for hunting, fishing, boating, camping, marine and outdoor apparel, lifestyle products and services. Since 1960, the Gander Mountain brand has offered an expanding assortment of competitively priced outdoor equipment, technical apparel and footwear, as well as gunsmith, archery, boat, ATV and marine services. The stores feature national, regional and local brands as well as the company’s owned brands. Focused on a “We Live Outdoors” culture, Gander Mountain dedicates itself to creating outdoor memories. There are currently 115 conveniently located Gander Mountain outdoor lifestyle stores in 23 states. For the nearest store location call 800-282-5993 or visit http://www.GanderMtn.com. Gander Mountain is also the parent company of Overton’s (http://www.overtons.com), a leading catalog and Internet based retailer of products for boating and other marine enthusiasts.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this release that are not historical or current facts are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward- looking statements. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are described in the “Risk Factors” section of the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2007 and other required reports, as filed with the SEC, which are available at http://www.GanderMtn.com and at the SEC’s Website at http://www.sec.gov.