Sportsman's Warehouse

[Old Jeff H]

Back in 2008 - 2015 I used to go into SW almost every weekend. Even in the tough times, they still seemed to have good stuff and good prices. All of the staff was super friendly, and I knew most of them by name.

These days their prices suck, quite frankly, their selection is much more limited, and they seem to be staffed by zombies. Could just be me, but it seems like the customers are a completely different crowd as well.

I think I've gone in there maybe twice in the last 2 years. I miss the experience that it used to be.

 

[brandyspaw]

Yeah, I'd have to agree. I don't have much interest in new production guns anymore but back when I bought new stuff I bought some guns from them. They did seem to have better prices than the other big box stores back then.

Of course, these days I only buy older, out of production guns so it doesn't make that much difference to me. It is a shame, however, but all big box stores seem to suffer from poor selection and morons for staff. Changing times I guess.

 

[pneuby]

I visit Chandler and Deer Valley most often. I think their remains but ONE gun-counter employee over 40 between the two stores. That's the very nice lady at Chandler. The rest are youngin's suffering various stages of give-of-a-shite. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw one gumming on a lolli-pop whilst engaging with customers. Simply juvenile, and unprofessional, I don't care WHAT business you are in.

 

[GunNut]

SW can pound sand. Like other places don't care at all about a customer or what you want. You are a bother & interruption to the "workers" who just wants out of there.

 

[Limper]

As for the issues with staff, my experience with the staff at the Yorkshire/I-17 store has been consistently positive. I recently purchased a firearm from the online store and had it shipped to the Yorkshire store. There was a delay in shipping that I went in person to inquire about. The staff member I talked to tried but could not answer my question at the time. However, he took my number told me he would call me back after looking into it further. A couple hours later I got a call letting me know that the firearm would ship in a couple days. When it did make it to the store I was notified promptly and the pickup process/paperwork went as expected.

Doesn't change the experiences of the previous posters, but my experience with the Yorkshire store has been consistently positive. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have just thrown another $430 in Sportsman's coffers.

 

[rockbronco]

As for the issues with staff, my experience with the staff at the Yorkshire/I-17 store has been consistently positive. I recently purchased a firearm from the online store and had it shipped to the Yorkshire store. There was a delay in shipping that I went in person to inquire about. The staff member I talked to tried but could not answer my question at the time. However, he took my number told me he would call me back after looking into it further. A couple hours later I got a call letting me know that the firearm would ship in a couple days. When it did make it to the store I was notified promptly and the pickup process/paperwork went as expected.

Doesn't change the experiences of the previous posters, but my experience with the Yorkshire store has been consistently positive. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have just thrown another $430 in Sportsman's coffers.

Same experience. Ordered online and shipped there. Everything was smooth and ended up coming in cheaper then the online price so got a couple things to fill the gap in price. Tried to upsell all the fluff but respectfully took a no for an answer and finalized the transaction. Granted I did not go in to shop the gun counter but only pickup what I knew I wanted already. I have not purchased much there in the past several years and was the first time purchasing a firearm with them

 

[knockonit]

IMO, just about every biz, that has interaction with the ''public'' for sales has issues with employees, since before the ''covid'' scare, customer service is gone, in most places, i do however on occassion find a location of any biz that may have a employee that ''gives a hoot'' about the customer, but its rare, and i always provide accolades for their attention to my needs, as well as letting them and mgt. know when my needs aren't met.

employers no longer hold employees to any type of standard for service, they are just glad to have someone besides themselves at the counter or serving. When there is no consequences for bad behavior, this is what we have, a society that believes they have the right to be arseholes to whomever they choose that day, shame really, almost like being in France, where every server is expected to be an arsehole.

my rule treat'm like they treat me, and perhaps on the ugly side, be even nastier, so perhaps some may get it, bummer one had to resort to being what they were just treated by
happy hump day
rj

 

[338lapua]

As for the issues with staff, my experience with the staff at the Yorkshire/I-17 store has been consistently positive. I recently purchased a firearm from the online store and had it shipped to the Yorkshire store. There was a delay in shipping that I went in person to inquire about. The staff member I talked to tried but could not answer my question at the time. However, he took my number told me he would call me back after looking into it further. A couple hours later I got a call letting me know that the firearm would ship in a couple days. When it did make it to the store I was notified promptly and the pickup process/paperwork went as expected.

Doesn't change the experiences of the previous posters, but my experience with the Yorkshire store has been consistently positive. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have just thrown another $430 in Sportsman's coffers.

Everyone in this store is easy to deal with from the gun counter to the cashiers. My only issue is that they took their primer price up so much that they made Brunos the cheapest place to get primers. They also raised the price on the Sig pistols by 100 bucks so I bought my last Sig DH3 from Tombstone who was a hundred less.

 

[paulgt2164]

Once they were going to be bought out by Bass Pro, it went down hill. They revamped the stores, then the deal fell through. They then decided to do their best impression of Bass Pro/Cabelas despite the buyout failing and it is the reason I stopped shopping there (mainly the i17 & Yorkshire location.)

The "last straw" was a double-whammy of fail. I went in there one day looking for a trigger - that showed they had it. I called, they said they had a few of them. I drove up there and was hassled at the door by some unknown charity, went to the gun counter - and asked a sales guy about the triggers (same sales guy who helped me by a S&W 460 PC, Canik TP9SFX,SAA, Henry SS 45-70, G19, Ruger PCC, etc previously) he walked over to a small display and said "nope, we don't have it." I explained I called - and someone check and they were in stock, so maybe they are in the back (I could see a bunch of timney triggers on a pegboard in the back through the left side door behind the counter.) He couldn't be bothered to check. Pretty sure they were there. So I ended up buying some #10 caps cause they actually had them in stock - and at the register "Zip code?" no..... "would you like a credit card" no...... and then what really annoyed me - the survey on the pin pad that you have to answer to finish the sale, which I gave a one star. Checkout guy asked why, so I explained all the above. He didn't seem to care. Leaving, hassled by the same charity. After that experience I drove to Tombstone and bought the same trigger (and it was cheaper....) and haven't went back to SW since despite spending tens of thousands of dollars there over the years.

The ammo prices are stupid, and have been for a couple years. Some stuff is 25-30% higher. I pretty much completely have stopped shopping there, Ammo Az , MLS, and Tombstone get my money these days. I will pay more at Bruno's for reloading stuff just so I don't have to deal with the B.S. getting in and out of SW - and at least the staff at Brunos is always super helpful.

 

[BigNate]

I noticed the same stuff. The gun counter has turned over a few times in the last year. What is very noticeable is the decrease in inventory. I asked one of the clerks about it and he got a weird look on his face and then repeated what sounded like a canned answer about "supply chain issues and lack of available product..." Yeah... I'm skeptical... they are spreading out shelves (like 8 foot walkways between them in some spaces - it brings back memories of the same "hmmmm - this ain't good... " feeling that I got walking into Fry's Electronics about 6 months before they went under.

 

[Razai]

I guess it’s as subjective as anything else, or comes down to luck of the draw. I would say I make a purchase at I-17 and Yorkshire better than half the times I walk in there. Sometimes they are the only local outlet who has what I am after, and I never overpay. I have owned, fired, sold, shopped for, etc. just about all there is where firearms are concerned. I have my regular sites, both online and brick and mortar, that I spend too many hours checking into. If I buy from SW, it’s because I can’t get it or beat the price elsewhere. I have found similar deals on ammo, too. I am there often enough that I find the deals, maybe.
I loved Tombstone when they were in their original spot, but ever since they moved into the bigger store they lost me. Four times in a row I went there to spend money, and all four times I walked out as ignored as I was the whole time I was in the store. I am the easiest sale for them to make: I go in knowing what I want, knowing it is in stock, and ready to pay. The longest I waited for a salesman to hand me the pistol I wanted (which never happened) was over 20 minutes. Guy was visiting with a friend instead. I waited almost 30 minutes in a checkout line and ended up setting all of my stuff on the counter and leaving. Two others walked out behind me. Their customer service was once great. Nonexistent now.
Everyone’s experience varies and is as valid as the next guy’s.

 

[Ballistic Therapy]

Nothing is , or will ever be the same as it used to be.
Gun stores are no different.

 

[hrob]

My experience with the Prescott Sportsman's has been nothing but positive. The staff behind the gun counter are knowledgeable, pleasant and I've heard them consistently give good advice to customers. They usually have a pretty good inventory and if they don't have what I'm looking for, it normally doesn't take very long to get. All my firearm purchases there have been smooth and without a hitch.

 

[Yellowcarbon]

Part of the problem is us. We want online pricing at a retail space that has everything in stock with the best service. It isn't going to happen, we can only get 2 out of those 4 things. We got to pick, cheap and in stock=mediocre service. Good service and cheap prices=very little in stock. Good service and lots in stock=not cheapest pricing.

 

[campinginaz]

I've always had great service at the Mesa location. This includes many areas of the store, not just the gun counter.

Speaking of firearms, they normally have a huge gun selection as well. As with anything else you have to know your prices and shop sales.

 

[paulgt2164]

it brings back memories of the same "hmmmm - this ain't good... " feeling that I got walking into Fry's Electronics about 6 months before they went under.

The whole thing with Fry's was hilariously sad. The inventory kept decreasing - yet management was adamant in telling everyone (including employees) that it was fine and they were reorganizing or something.

I really miss the one that was near me - as it was the only place in town I could get component level electronics, and it was nice having somewhere I could buy stuff like solder, 3d printer supply, proto/breadboards, etc

 

[338lapua]

I noticed the same stuff. The gun counter has turned over a few times in the last year. What is very noticeable is the decrease in inventory. I asked one of the clerks about it and he got a weird look on his face and then repeated what sounded like a canned answer about "supply chain issues and lack of available product..." Yeah... I'm skeptical... they are spreading out shelves (like 8 foot walkways between them in some spaces - it brings back memories of the same "hmmmm - this ain't good... " feeling that I got walking into Fry's Electronics about 6 months before they went under.

The gun industry is run on allocation these days. Everyone gets some but nobody is ever fully stocked. I went to Cabelas last month looking for powder and their gun counter had the least number of guns I had seen since Sandy Hook went down. No new production added either for many years. We go through these things and then we are fully stocked again for a while until the next tragedy or war happens.

 

[Old Jeff H]

Part of the problem is us. We want online pricing at a retail space that has everything in stock with the best service. It isn't going to happen, we can only get 2 out of those 4 things. We got to pick, cheap and in stock=mediocre service. Good service and cheap prices=very little in stock. Good service and lots in stock=not cheapest pricing.

I don't know. SW used to have all 4. Even in the times when stock was thin, we still got the other 3. It didn't matter if I went to the Mesa, Tucson, Phoenix, or Las Vegas store, they were all great.

They're not even remotely competitive to me anymore, especially in pricing and customer service. And by customer service I mean the entire staff used to acknowledge you, smile, treat you like you were valuable customer, etc. The gun counter guys really knew their stuff.

I'm guessing the shift from where they were to where they are now comes from the top down.

But maybe you're right. Maybe it's because we've accepted that it doesn't matter where we go, we're probably going to get crappy service. Perhaps the "Quiet Quitting" trend is what this country is all about now. And that's where we are the problem, because we allow and tolerate these non-stop baby steps toward mediocrity, and away from what used to make us great.

 

[brandonsmash]

I'd suggest that in addition to the shift towards shopping online, decreasing helpfulness and service contributes to the decline of places like SW.

The last 3 (maybe 4) times I've been in there I've been interested in spending several hundred dollars on firearms. Every single time I've walked out without spending a dime because, primarily, the staff hasn't even been interested in giving me the time of day. If staff is visible they're just standing around talking with each other. Most of the time they don't even acknowledge me at the counter, with or without a ticket and when the store is or is not busy.

Look, if you're going to make it that hard for me to give you my money, fine, I'll just go elsewhere.

 

[BigNate]

I noticed the same stuff. The gun counter has turned over a few times in the last year. What is very noticeable is the decrease in inventory. I asked one of the clerks about it and he got a weird look on his face and then repeated what sounded like a canned answer about "supply chain issues and lack of available product..." Yeah... I'm skeptical... they are spreading out shelves (like 8 foot walkways between them in some spaces - it brings back memories of the same "hmmmm - this ain't good... " feeling that I got walking into Fry's Electronics about 6 months before they went under.

The gun industry is run on allocation these days. Everyone gets some but nobody is ever fully stocked. I went to Cabelas last month looking for powder and their gun counter had the least number of guns I had seen since Sandy Hook went down. No new production added either for many years. We go through these things and then we are fully stocked again for a while until the next tragedy or war happens.

Their gun shelves look pretty well stocked... it's the rest of the store that is looking more sparse...