As far as Gander is concerned, I agree that it just isn't staffed properly. However - and this is the unfortunate part - I have sort of come to expect that when I am shopping retail these days.

For example, I make my living as a computer professional - I have the degree, several years of experience, and many, many certifications to back all of that up. When I go in to Best Buy or another "big box" computer store, I typically end up leaving, shaking my head, and wondering how the staff can be that unreliable. Sometimes it is ignorance, sometimes it is lack of training, and sometimes they just don't care enough to go out of their way to learn and help their customers. Regardless of the reason, it is a rare day when I hear something that I did not know (and is actually true) when going into that kind of store.

I think the same can be said of some big box sporting goods stores. Yes, Gander is supposed to be a little more specialized than the fishing section of WalMart or Dicks's but in a way, that's what it is. If any of these stores had staff that knew what they were talking about, they would still have crap selection, but we might be a little more willing to tolerate it.

We have to expect though, as people who have made this our passion for a long time, that we are probably more informed than most of the customers that these stores ever deal with.