\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Talk about the American Dream... ...started at a kitchen table in 1961 in the small town of Chappell, Neb. Dick Cabela had spent $45 on nearly 3,000 hand-tied fishing lures while on a buying trip to Chicago with his father for the family hardware and furniture store. Cabela tried to sell the fishing flies in the store, but they were a dud — not one sold. Next he took out an ad in a Casper, Wyo., newspaper offering 12 of the flies for $1, and got only one sale. Finally, according to a Cabela's company history, he placed an ad in Sports Afield magazine: "FREE Introductory offer!!! 5 popular Grade A hand-tied flies. Send 25c for postage and handling." The orders started pouring in — Cabela and his wife, Mary, began assembling packages of the lures in their kitchen and sending them out. ...The profit from the "free" fishing flies was only about 11 cents per transaction, but it gave the Cabelas something far more valuable for the future — the start of a mailing list. Mary kept a record of names and addresses on recipe cards, and Dick bought more imported gear. ...Today: Cabela’s sells $2.8 billion worth of goods a year at 48 stores and makes another $319 million in revenue from its financial-services unit. It still mails more than 100 million catalogs a year. ...What Cabela knew astonishingly well was his customers. He knew what they were looking for in a gun, a fly-fishing rod, a camouflage pattern, and a gear store. Even today, the company aims for “intense loyalty.” That’s not altogether rare, but Cabela seemed to understand passion for a product the way few executives do. http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-dick-cabela-20140220,0,2124653.story http://www.suntelegraph.com/story/2014/02/19/obituaries/richard-n-cabela/3554.html http://www.omaha.com/article/20140219/NEWS08/140218636 http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-02-18/remembering-the-slow-rise-of-dick-cabelas-guns-and-gear-empire http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-18/richard-cabela-founder-of-namesake-retailer-dies-at-77.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 it amazes me back then people had the foresight to realize the importance of direct marketing, and networking, and a wife no less, not to disparage women but in the early 60's women weren't traditionally exposed to business schools and practices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 it amazes me back then people had the foresight to realize the importance of direct marketing, and networking, and a wife no less, not to disparage women but in the early 60's women weren't traditionally exposed to business schools and practices Well putting the customers names on recipe cards was probably not something you get in business school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBud Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 The store in Columbus OH opened less than a year ago. EVERY weekend the place is PACKED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Opening one in suburban Buffalo in April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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