Cabela's enters Bass Pro's backyard

Sidney, Neb.-based Cabela's Inc. yesterday opened a store in the Ozarks, effectively moving in on competitor Bass Pro Shops' territory.

The Rogers, Ark.-based 100,000-square-foot store is Cabela's first in the state and its 39th nationwide and in Canada, according to a Cabela's news release.

“It took Cabela’s many years to open a retail store in Arkansas, but given the tremendous response from our customers today, it was well worth the wait,” Cabela's CEO Tommy Millner said in the release, referring to the store's roughly 3,000 customers on opening day.

The store's features include trophy animal mounts and a mountain replica and aquarium. Cabela's, founded in 1961, sells hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor merchandise.

Springfield-based Bass Pro has plans to open a Little Rock, Ark., store by the end of 2013, and it has stores in all of its contiguous states. Bass Pro operates 58 stores in the U.S. and Canada and has six planned stores, according to its website.

Bass Pro broke ground last week on a Bristol, Tenn. store, which is expected to open in late 2013 or early 2014. Cabela's also has laid claim to the area with a planned 2014 opening of a store in Bristol, Va., Bristol, Tenn.'s twin city across the state line, according to the release.

Publicly traded Cabela's (NYSE: CAB) posted second-quarter earnings of $33.9 million. For the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2011, the company's revenues were $2.8 billion and its profits were $142.6 million, according to Securities and Exchange Commission  filings.

As of 8:55 a.m., Cabela's shares were trading at $47.88, compared to a 52-week range of $19.12 to $48.50.

Bass Pro was ranked by Forbes as the 93rd largest private company in 2011 with revenues of $3.83 billion.