UFA Rebrands Its 15 Sportsman’s Warehouse Stores

By Bill Schneider, 6-30-09

Putting a formal stamp on its difficult transaction that netted it 15 stores from the bankrupt Sportsman’s Warehouse chain, UFA Co-operative Limited,of Calgary, Alberta, has quickly rebranded the stores as part of the Wholesale Sports chain it has owned and operated for many years in Canada.

The new signs are going up right now, says Natalie Dawes, of UFA, but customers still might find temporary banners in some locations.

When the smoke cleared after its rocky negotiations with Sportsman’s Warehouse, UFA ended up with stores in these USA cities:

Idaho: Coeur d’Alene.
Montana: Bozeman, Helena, and Missoula.
North Dakota: Fargo.
Oregon: Bend, Portland and Salem.
Washington: Burlington, Federal Way, Lacey, Kennewick. Silverdale, Spokane, and Vancouver.

Combined with the eight Canadian locations, the Wholesale Sports chain now has 23 stores.

“As we bring Wholesale Sports to the US, we’ll learn about these markets and what our new customers need and want,” Chuck Côté, divisional president of Wholesale Sports said in a press release. “We’re committed to becoming the outdoor adventure outfitter of choice in our new communities and serving our customers better than ever.”

Sportsman’s Warehouse stores in other locations will continue to operate under that brand, pending the outcome of bankruptcy proceedings.