Gander Mountain Co., will close its Hixson sporting goods store within the next month as part of a bankruptcy reorganization of the financially troubled retailer.
The St. Paul, Minn.,-based sporting goods retailer announced Friday that it is filing for bankruptcy, closing 32 of its 162 stores and putting its operations up for sale.
Gander Mountain opened a 50,000-square-foot store in the Oak Park Town Center in Hixson in 2014, but the sporting goods retailer has faced mounting competition from online sales and other, bigger retailers targeting hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities in the market, including Bass Pro Shops in East Ridge, Cabela’s in Fort Oglethorpe, Academy Sports in Hixson and Sportsman’s Warehouse in East Brainerd.
“With much regret, we will be closing our Chattanooga store, among 32 we’ll be winding down in the coming weeks,” the company said in a statement Friday. “The decision to close these stores was not an easy one and was made only after an extensive strategic review of our options.”
The typical Gander Mountain store employs 20 to 30 full time people and another 20 to 30 on a part-time and seasonal basis. The retailer will continue normal operations and pay while it restructures its debt and finances under the protection of the bankruptcy court.