Cabelas is just the current example of the general race towards mediocrity that appears to be today’s standard of American business. One sees this frequently in restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, etc. Mediocrity started with the over expansion of Cabelas 30 years ago. The Gun Room died shortly after it opened in too many outlets and as their stock of good, high quality guns diminished to overpriced new guns. As merchandisers often do the company followed trends and maximized immediate profits never thinking about the longevity of the business. Without a sense of what the business does, or an attachment to the business, a hired Harvard MBA will likely drive it into oblivion fully believing that a short term gain, then dumping the company, is success. The MBA just moves to another company who’ll give him/her a buy out clause.

I don’t know if the quality shops that I visited in my youth will ever come back. I certainly hope they do, but survival in today’s business environment will be challenging for the under financed attempting to get into it.