Gander Mountain

What Gander Mountain does

Gander Mountain is a specialty retail chain focused on hunting, fishing, camping, and outdoor lifestyle products and services. Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the company historically operated a network of large-format stores serving individual consumers across the United States, with a workforce of 5,001–10,000 employees at scale. The business model was classic big-box specialty retail: purchasing outdoor recreation merchandise from third-party brands and reselling at unit-level pricing through physical storefronts, with revenue mechanics dependent on foot traffic, seasonal demand cycles (notably hunting and camping seasons), and SKU breadth across categories such as firearms, fishing tackle, apparel, footwear, and camping equipment.

The company's strategic history, as reflected in the input, includes the 2007 acquisition of Overton's (a water sports and outdoor accessories retailer) to broaden its addressable category footprint, and a 2010 capital raise of approximately $16.8 million. The company was publicly traded on NASDAQ under ticker GMTN prior to delisting. Leadership during the documented period consisted of a four-person C-suite: David C. Pratt (Chairman & CEO), Brian Kohlbeck (CFO & SVP), Michael J. Owens (COO), and Eric R. Jacobsen (EVP, Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel). No products, technology platforms, AI capabilities, or current operating financials are described in the supplied input beyond the firmographic baseline, limiting the depth of forward-looking assessment.

Note on data scope: the supplied dataset contains substantial content blocks describing Camping World, an RV dealer operating under FreedomRoads, LLC — a separate entity from Gander Mountain. That content has been excluded from this description and analysis except where it directly bears on Gander Mountain's corporate situation (e.g., the FreedomRoads trademark/copyright reference).

Name

Gander Mountain

Legal name

FreedomRoads, LLC

Website

https://gandermountain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Gander Mountain is a U.S. specialty retail chain, founded 1960 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, selling hunting, fishing, camping, and outdoor lifestyle products to mass-market consumers through a network of large-format stores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Sporting Goods Retail

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Adventure Multi-Category Retail (CRAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Camping, Hiking & Climbing Specialty Retail (CRAMABAM)

Keywords

• Outdoor sporting goods
• Hunting equipment retail
• Fishing equipment retail
• Camping gear retail
• Outdoor lifestyle apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. RV Sales: Revenue generated from selling new and used recreational vehicles including travel trailers, fifth wheels, class A, B, and C motorhomes, camper vans, pop-up campers, toy haulers, truck campers, and destination trailers. Sales prices range from approximately $17,000 to over $100,000 per unit.
2. RV Financing: In-house financing services offering pre-qualification for RV loans, enabling customers to secure loans before purchasing. Partners with lenders like Aqua Finance and Alliant Credit Union to provide competitive financing rates. The financing operation generates revenue through interest on loans and financing fees.
3. RV Service & Maintenance: Service department providing routine maintenance, repairs, collision center services, and performance installations for existing RV owners. Revenue generated from service fees, parts, and labor charges.
4. RV Parts & Accessories: Parts and accessories sales through physical store locations and e-commerce platform (CW Direct). Includes consumables, upgrades, and aftermarket additions for RVs.
5. Sell My RV / Consignment: Two-path program allowing customers to sell their RV (trade-in or consignment) or have Camping World purchase the vehicle outright. Generates revenue through margin on resale and consignment fees.
6. Good Sam Membership: Associated membership program offering rewards, discounts at Camping World locations, roadside assistance, and other member benefits. Members earn rewards and discounts on purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gander Mountain operates a specialty retail chain selling hunting, fishing, camping, and outdoor lifestyle products and services. The company runs a national network of physical stores complemented by an e-commerce website, serving individual outdoor recreation consumers across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Good Sam: Membership club offering rewards, discounts, and roadside assistance services for RV owners.
• CWI, LLC

Products and services

• Hunting products and equipment
• Fishing products and equipment
• Camping products and equipment
• Outdoor lifestyle products and apparel

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• KeystonemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner sold through Camping World locations. Keystone brands include Coleman, Cougar, and other models displayed in inventory. Multiple inventory units available including 2026 Keystone Coleman models ($25,988-$33,788) and 2026 Keystone Cougar 33RLI ($56,188).
• Forest RivermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner sold through Camping World locations. Forest River brands include Salem, Salem Cruise Lite, Wildwood, Alpha Wolf, and other models. Major inventory supplier with units ranging from $18,188 (2026 Salem FSX 174DBLE) to $31,788 (2024 Wildwood 27RKX).
• JaycomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner sold through Camping World locations. Jayco Jay Flight SLX line featured in inventory including 2025 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 210QB at $17,644.
• Coleman (by Dominion Enterprises)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner sold through Camping World. Coleman Lantern and Coleman Light lines featured in inventory including 2022 Coleman Lantern 300TQ ($28,788), 2024 Coleman Lantern 334BH ($30,784).
• ThormajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor RV manufacturer brand partner featured in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• WinnebagomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium RV manufacturer brand partner featured in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• Grand DesignmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuality-focused RV manufacturer brand partner featured in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• HeartlandmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• East to WestmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• CoachmenmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• CrossroadsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• Gulf StreammajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• KZ RVmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• Dutchmen RVmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner in Camping World's brand directory and available for sale at locations.
• AlliancemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured RV brand partner in Camping World's product offerings available for sale at locations.
• FreedomRoadscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent/sister company entity referenced in source as operating Camping World locations alongside FreedomRoads dealers. Both brands operated under FreedomRoads, LLC corporate umbrella. 2025 FreedomRoads, LLC copyright notice indicates unified corporate structure.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Field & Stream (brand / store program): Field & Stream is a heritage outdoor brand now operating small-format stores; partially overlaps Gander Mountain's hunting/camping assortment and represents a smaller-format, private-brand-heavy competitive threat.

Direct peers

• Academy Sports + Outdoors: Academy is a ~$6B sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer with 250+ stores across the southern U.S., offering hunting, fishing, and camping merchandise; comparable to Gander Mountain's assortment and pricing-positioning, particularly in core southern markets.
• Cabela's (pre-Bass Pro merger): Cabela's was historically the largest direct competitor to Gander Mountain in big-box hunting/fishing retail before merging with Bass Pro; helpful as a historical comparable for store-format and category-mix benchmarks.
• Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's: The combined Bass Pro/Cabela's entity is the largest U.S. specialty outdoor retailer focused on hunting, fishing, camping, and outdoor lifestyle, with ~$6B+ in sales and 200+ stores; directly competes with Gander Mountain across virtually the same product assortment and customer base.
• Sportsman's Warehouse: Sportsman's Warehouse operates ~120 specialty outdoor/outfitter stores across the western and southern U.S., focused on hunting, fishing, camping, and shooting sports; direct competitor to Gander Mountain with overlapping categories and customer demographic.
• REI Co-op: REI is a consumer co-op operating ~180 specialty outdoor stores across the U.S. focused on camping, hiking, and active outdoor recreation; competes with Gander Mountain in the camping/outdoor lifestyle category (less so in firearms/hunting) and represents a cooperative ownership alternative model.
• Overton's: Overton's is a direct mail-order and online retailer of boating/marine/water-sports and outdoor recreation products that was acquired by Gander Mountain in 2007 for ~$70M; provides historical M&A precedent and adjacent-channel comparability for outdoor specialty retail.

Broad incumbents

• Dick's Sporting Goods: Dick's is the largest U.S. sporting goods retailer (~700 stores, $13B+ revenue) with a significant hunting/outdoors category presence and proprietary Field & Stream brand; competes with Gander Mountain on the hunting/outdoor customer but within a much broader sporting-goods portfolio.

Others

• Camping World: Camping World is the acquirer of certain Gander Mountain assets post-2017 bankruptcy; not a pure comparable but is the parent/successor entity for parts of the Gander retail footprint and now operates the Gander Outdoors banner.

Regional players

• Northern Tool + Equipment: Northern Tool operates ~140 stores across the U.S. (concentrated in the Southeast/Midwest) selling outdoor/utility equipment, generators, and tools; comparable to Gander Mountain's hardware-equipment side-categories, particularly with contractors/agricultural buyers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GanderMTN
• Facebookfacebook.com/gandermtn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/15777

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gander Mountain