Bass Pro Shops — BrandWiki

Bass Pro Shops

Overview

BPS Direct, LLC

subsid
trade name	Bass Pro Shops
type	Private
founder	Johnny Morris
key people	Johnny Morris (Founder)
industry	Retail
products	Hunting, fishing, and outdoor merchandise
revenue	US$6.5 billion (2023)

num employees	40,000

foundation	1972

location city	Springfield, Missouri

locations	181

homepage	https://www.basspro.com/

BPS Direct, LLC, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held sporting goods retailer that offers hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation equipment, marine manufacturing and sales, and outdoor resorts. The stores feature natural outdoor designs and decorations. Bass Pro Shops support conservation efforts, organizations that support the United States Armed Services and Veterans, and outdoor education and recreation for youth. The company's headquarters, original store, and the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium are located in Springfield, Missouri.[1]

History

In 1972, 24-year-old Johnny Morris started selling fishing tackle out of his dad's Brown Derby Liquor Store in Springfield, Missouri.[2] His father, John A. Morris, was a World War II veteran and often took the family hunting and fishing, which Johnny Morris cited as what taught him to love the outdoors.[3] People who bought tackle from Morris in Springfield continued to request specialized gear from him even after they left the area. To meet their demand, Morris created the first Bass Pro Shops catalog in 1974.[4] In 1978, Morris introduced Tracker Boats, the first boat, motor, and trailer package designed for anglers.[5] Later the boats sold through Tracker Marine Group, owned by Bass Pro Shops.[3]

In 1981, Morris opened the first Bass Pro Shops outdoor store in Springfield.[6] A few years later in 1987, Morris bought an empty plot of land on Table Rock Lake in Missouri's Ozark Mountains.[7] One year later, at that location, he opened Big Cedar Lodge resort.[7][8] The resort has five golf courses, and an outdoor arena.[9]

The second Bass Pro Shops location opened in Duluth, Georgia in 1995.[8] From then until 2004, the company opened 3–4 stores a year, and 7–9 stores a year from 2005 to 2008.[10] In 2006, the first store was opened in Colorado,[11] and the first Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Arkansas opened in 2013.[12] In 2015, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid opened in Memphis, Tennessee.[13] The location includes interactive conservation exhibits, a giant cypress swamp, an alligator habitat, a hotel, restaurants, shopping, a bowling alley, a 28-story free-standing elevator, and an arcade.[14]

The company acquired Cabela's Inc. for $4.5 billion in 2016.[15]

In 2017, Morris opened the Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium adjacent to Springfield's Bass Pro Shops, which is considered the largest wildlife attraction in the world.[16][17] In 2022, Bass Pro Shops announced a new Bass Pro fishing resort would be built in Marathon, Florida, on Valhalla Island.[18] In July 2025, Bass Pro Shops and Big Cedar Lodge officially opened a new par-3 18-hole golf course called Cliffhangers, located in Hollister, Missouri. [19]

Starting in 2010, and continuing through 2025, Bass Pro Shops has been repeatedly accused of benefiting from billions in subsidies from taxpayers while failing to deliver on their promises of tourist and economic activity. [20] [21]

Acquisitions

In 2016, the company acquired Cabela's Inc. for $4.5 billion.[15]

The deal was financed via preferred equity financing from Goldman Sachs and Pamplona. Goldman Sachs contributed $1.8 billion towards financing and Pamplona contributed $600 million. In 2019, Bass Pro Shops sold eleven of Cabela's stores to Sansome Pacific for $324.3 million in a sale-leaseback program.[22][23][24] The acquisition of Cabela's resulted in 2,000 jobs lost in Sidney, Nebraska, Cabela's headquarters at the time of the acquisition.[25][26] Since the acquisition, three stores have closed and eight new stores have opened.

Operating divisions

Retail stores

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's operates retail locations in the United States, as well as in Canada.[34] The most common stores are Outdoor World stores.[34] Their largest store is the Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee.[35] As of March 2026, the company operates 181 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's stores combined.

Store types

At every Bass Pro location, there are names on the front of the buildings to represent their theme and location, commonly named based on the local area. As of 2022, there are five types of stores: Outdoor World, Outpost, Stick Marsh Outpost, Sportsman's Center, and White River Outpost. All locations contain an aquarium as well as animal statues, waterfalls, etc.[36]

Outreach

Conservation

Bass Pro Shops has a history of supporting conservation initiatives throughout North America, contributing to many significant conservation organizations and initiatives. The company partners with conservation groups, including Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.[59]

In 2019, Morris and his family were awarded the Audubon Medal, in a ceremony at The Plaza Hotel in New York. The award was presented for a "lifetime passion for conservation and sharing the outdoors with everyone." National leaders from throughout the conservation community recognized Morris for his vision in convening a bold new movement to help unite and mobilize the next generation of conservation leadership across North America.[60]

In 2023, the University of Missouri Board of Curators approved the naming of the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems, in recognition of the Bass Pro founder's contributions to conservation.[61]

Sponsorships

Conservation

Bass Pro Shops works with a number of organizations to sponsor conservation. These include:

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation[90][91]
Pheasants Forever[92]
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)[93][94]

Accolades and awards

In 2018, the National Retail Federation ranked Bass Pro Shops as the No. 2 Hottest Retailer in America, and the following year in 2019 was named one of America's Most Reputable Companies by Forbes.[107][108]

In 2021, Newsweek ranked Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's as the top outdoor retailer in its list of America's Best Trending Online Shops, and in 2020, recognized the brands with Best-In-State Customer Service Awards across 16 states.[109]

In 2021, the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships awarded a $1 million first-place prize to the winning team, Tucker Smith and Logan Parks, two students from Auburn University.[110][111] The same year, Forbes named Bass Pro Shops one of America's Best Employers, with rankings among the top 10 in the country. They would go on to receive this same accolade in both 2022 and 2023.

Lawsuits

In 2011, Bass Pro Shops was sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for failure to hire Hispanic and black applicants.[115][116][117] In court filings, Bass Pro Shops denied all of the allegations and in 2014, Bass Pro Shops appealed the lower court's ruling,[118][119][120] but was rejected by the court.[121] In 2016, Bass Pro Shops tried again and the U.S. EEOC asked the Fifth Circuit Court to reject Bass Pro Shops' appeal because Bass Pro Shops engaged in the practice of "reckless indifference" when it came to hiring minorities.

External links

Bass Pro Shops

References

Great American Outdoors Group Forbes, October 2021, retrieved 14 October 2021^
Imani Moise. Meet the Billionaire Behind the New Bass Pro/Cabela's Empire Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2016^
Mike Masterson. Johnny Morris: Angler visionary

Store types

Outdoor World: Themed around a cypress forest. Features wood and rock architecture, faux rivers, animal displays, trees, foliage, and murals of outdoor scenes. The Outdoor World in Harrisburg has a 60,000 gallon aquarium.[42] The Denver location was created with a "great lodge" theme.[37] It includes a log and rockwork entrance, a gabled clerestory, outdoor-themed chandeliers, concrete flooring imprinted with dinosaur fossils and wildlife tracks, and a 21,000-gallon freshwater aquarium.[37]
Outpost: Themed around a wooden outpost similar to a cabin or cottage. Intended to feature less theming in the aisles than Outdoor World. The stores include aquariums and water features, local antiques and artifacts, trophy fish and wildlife mounts, and murals of local scenes.[43] One Outpost was designed with a lobby that resembles an old boat yard warehouse and blacksmith's shop.[40]
Sportsman's Center: Sportsman's Center locations include a less themed exterior, but many animal displays and foliage inside. The Miami, Florida location is themed around an underwater exploration and includes a sunken ship display that doubles as a 19,000-gallon saltwater aquarium.[44]
Stick Marsh Outpost: Themed around a slightly deteriorated outpost in the Everglades, featuring swamp murals, trees, swamp animal statues, photo collections, hanging willow leaves, and an old pickup truck on the ceiling. It is unique to the Palm Bay, Florida location.[45]
White River Outpost: Themed around the forests along the White River in the Ozarks, featuring wooden walls, trees, and has many photo collections. It is unique to the Branson, Missouri location.[46]

Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund

The Outdoor Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.[62] Customers at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's can donate to it by choosing to round up their purchases to support different conservation partners and projects.[62]

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium

Bass Pro's Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium partners with departments like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to care for sea turtles that are found injured, hosting them at the facilities sea turtle center.[63] Some of the sea turtles are unable to be returned to the wild and remain at the aquarium, while others are rehabilitated and released.[64] The aquarium has around 35,000 animals representing over 800 species[65][66] and was voted "America's Best Aquarium" in 2018, 2020-2024.[67][68][69]

In May 2025, Wonders of Wildlife was voted America's Best Aquarium for an unprecedented seventh time by USA Today readers, as part of its 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.[72] The honor came on the heels of Newsweek recognizing Wonders of Wildlife as Best Aquarium in its Readers' Choice Awards in February 2025.[73]

Sea turtles—Every year since 2021, WOW has hosted these critically-ill sea turtles suffering from cold-stunned phenomenon, caused by sudden drops in ocean temperatures and leaving them immobile and susceptible to severe conditions such as hypothermia, pneumonia, dehydration and unable to forage for food and defend themselves. This treatment includes hydration therapy, wound management, nutritional support and specialized veterinarian care.[70][71]

Audubon International Signature Sanctuary

All five golf courses at Big Cedar Lodge are designated as Audubon International Signature Sanctuary locations.[9] The certification process includes an evaluation of land management practices and land use, multiple site visits, and the implementation of a Natural Resource Management Plan that covers wildlife conservation and habitat enhancement, water quality monitoring and management, integrated pest management, water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction and management, and green building products and procedures.[74] Big Cedar Lodge is the only resort in the world that has all of its golf courses designated as Audubon International Signature Sanctuary locations.[75]

Thunder Ridge Nature Arena

The Thunder Ridge Nature Arena sits on the 1,200 acre Thunder Ridge property at Big Cedar Lodge.[76] This land was set aside as a nonprofit foundation.[77] All proceeds from events held at the arena are used to enhance Thunder Ridge land and support conservation efforts.[78] In July 2024, the Rolling Stones performed and demonstrated the region's capability to host major musical acts and attracted significant attention to the arena, indication its potential for large-scale entertainment event.[79][80]

Bass Pro Shops

History

Acquisitions

Operating divisions

Retail stores

Store types

Outreach

Conservation

Sponsorships

Conservation

Accolades and awards

Lawsuits

See also

External links

References

Store types

Boat brands

Hospitality

Resorts

Restaurants

Resorts

Restaurants

Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium

Audubon International Signature Sanctuary

Thunder Ridge Nature Arena

Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium

Audubon International Signature Sanctuary

Thunder Ridge Nature Arena

Convoy of Hope

Military and veterans organizations

Helping a Hero

Helping a Hero

Affiliation with NASCAR

NRA National Sporting Arms Museum

Professional Bull Riders