Cabela's
Cabela's is a premier American retail chain and brand for hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor recreation gear. The company was famous for its robust mail-order catalog business and its massive, themed retail stores that served as tourist attractions.
The company was founded in 1961 by brothers Dick and Jim Cabela in Sidney, Nebraska. They started by selling hand-tied fishing flies via mail order.
Similar to Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's built its empire on its mail-order catalogs. These catalogs became the "Bible" for hunters and anglers across North America, providing access to specialized gear that was hard to find locally.
Cabela's later opened large retail locations known as "destination stores." These stores cover hundreds of thousands of square feet and are decorated with lifelike wildlife exhibits (taxidermy), large aquariums, and other features that turn a shopping trip into an experience.
In 2017, Cabela's was acquired by its main rival, Bass Pro Shops, in a $4.5 billion deal. This merger created the largest outdoor retail giant in North America, which now operates under both brand names.
Cabela's remains a powerful brand associated with quality, particularly in the hunting sector, while Bass Pro Shops focuses more heavily on fishing
