The Good Book
Posted by Pete Robbins on Jan 6th 2020
Yesterday I received the 2020 Bass Pro Shops Master Catalog, nearly 600 pages of mostly fishy goodness.
Twenty years ago, the receipt of this annual gem was cause for celebration. It was a first chance to look at many of the newest goodies and to gauge how much I’d be spending in the coming months. It was fish porn of the highest royal order, and received a coveted space behind the throne.
But this time around I could only wonder: “Why did I receive this?”
That’s not a facetious question. I’m serious.
I shop at Bass Pro Shops occasionally, usually when I happen to be passing near one and need some staples, but I can’t say that I’ve ever found anything unique among their goods. They have some quality gear, and non-extortionate prices, but I can’t imagine that I’m going to turn to page 259, see the Slab City crappie grubs and either hop on the highway to BPS or hop on the phone to make an order. They are what they are and they fill a very large niche.
My best guess is that they have two primary types of shoppers: hard core outdoorsmen who know what they want before they ever make an order or step in the store; and “destination” shoppers who come to see the displays and then buy t-shirts and bagged candy. Does this book thread that needle?
Despite my doubts, Johnny Morris and his team are clearly smarter than I am. That’s why he has a jet and I ride coach. It’s why his typical trip sits high atop my bucket list. It’s why he has his name on rods and reels, and the only place you’ll find mine is where my mom inked it in my undershorts.
Surely the planning, preparation and distribution of this tome costs a pretty penny. Where is the ROI?
