It appears Gander Mountain in Hermantown will be hanging on after all, as the new owner of the St. Paul-based retailer announced Monday it intends to keep 70 or more of the stores open after buying the outdoors chain out of bankruptcy.
The news comes as a liquidation sale, complete with "store closing" signs, is ongoing at the Hermantown Gander Mountain at 4275 Haines Road.
"The current liquidation of the existing Gander Mountain inventory will allow us to start with a clean slate of what we consider the appropriate mix and level of inventory, including the addition of Camping World and Overton's offerings where appropriate," Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis said Monday in a news release.
Previous reports indicated that only 17 store leases would be acquired, leaving the future of many of the roughly 160 locations in doubt.
"Camping World obtained the right to designate any real estate leases for assignment to Camping World or other third parties and initially plans to operate stores that it believes have a clear path to profitability," the news release stated.
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On Monday, Lemonis posted a list on Twitter of Gander Mountain stores that he said would remain open, and Hermantown was on the list of several dozen stores - along with Lakeville and Forest Lake in Minnesota; Eau Claire, Wis.; and Fargo. Additional stores might be added to the list, he said.
Gander Mountain opened its first Duluth-area store in 1993; it moved to its present 65,000-square-foot location in Hermantown in 2005.
