Irrespective of your personal experiences & predispositions, these are guys that are supporting our interests, never doubt it for a moment. Same may be said for Bass Pro & I'm NOT defending, rather just stating ... "The facts, Maim, Just the facts.", as Joe Friday was wont to say. Go public & you lose some things that were possible on a smaller scale. I like mom & pop enterprises, but in the scheme of doing bidness, if you are successful on a small scale, as your business grows you are ultimately confronted w/the conundrum of going bigger ... or going under. It is quite simply the nature of today's business climate, nothing more, nothing less. Accept that & you can either move on .... or take advantage as postoak has. There are some silver linings in those dark clouds of angst and frustration, if you visit the store at the right time. Its like some types of shooting; its better to be lucky than good, always.
BTW, I've no dog in this fight, just stating my perspective, that's all. I have no quarrel w/what has been stated by others. However, I am glad that the big box stores for outdoorsmen are very much involved in protecting our interests and that they are on our side. I give them some business from time to time. Is their customer focus perfect? No, but I never had that expectation. It gets down to the luck of the draw, always a matter of individuals. Some do better than others.
If this reads like preaching, it is not intended in that vein, I've done the best that I can to explain my feeling about it.
