Sportsman's Warehouse — Attraction in Riverdale

It is with great sadness and distain that I write this review. I have been coming to Sportsman's for years, ~20 plus years. On Saturday March 8th 2025. In the early evening I walked into the (Riverdale Location). I proceeded to the gun counter. They had 4 people working and helping customers. So I walked over to where the rifles were I was wanting to purchase. I had a couple grand in cash I was wanting to spend on a Ruger and Tikka Rifle. I stood and waited patiently for my turn to be helped by one of the gun workers. After 45 minutes of waiting, I was pretty disgusted with what I saw. Several of the employees, (especially a younger kid with long blonde hair) refused to help anyone and walked back and forth holding some paperwork pretending to be busy. I also noticed zero regard for lack of professionalism or common courtesy. After standing and waiting patiently for over 45 minutes directly in front of the rifles I intended on purchasing. Only to then see several other people get helped who had clearly arrived after I had and had only been waiting a few minutes. This combined with the, let's say "less than acceptable professionalism being exhibited by all 4 of the Sportsman's Warehouse employees behind the gun counter and the 5th mystery employee who kept coming in and out of the double swinging doors and walking around like he owned the place while speaking what seemed to be cryptic messages to his co-workers, then to only hurry back to behind the double swinging doors. Never looking over and acknowledging customers presence. As though he was pretending he could not see us or something. Very strange. After all this in a 45 plus minute time frame of waiting patiently. I gave up and walked away. Frustrated, upset and kind of fascinated at what I had just witnessed. Keep in mind. I had a couple grand in cash. I was going to purchase a Ruger and Tikka rifle. I literally just needed to check something on the display models for both rifles and that was it. But no, not once, did any of the said 4 "stellar employees" attempt to even look at me or address me or acknowledge I was even there. It was easier for them to pretend I did not exist so they did not have to work. Not only did Sportsman's lose out on a multi-thousand dollar purchase because of what I could only perceive was their total apathy and lack of willing/want to help customers who had been patiently and quietly waiting for assistance. But when I called the store on my way out that day, I asked to speak to a manager to let them know and be aware of what had just happened to me. The customer service agent transferred me twice to numbers who never picked up. I then called a 3rd time and politely asked if I could please speak to the Store manager. They curtly said he is not working and is not available. I persisted with being able to speak to a manager. They then transferred me to someone in the fishing department..... I cannot in good conscience support a company who allows and condones this type of behavior. But, they also lost a lifetime customer. it is really unfortunate, I always try to support local business over large corporations. However, I cannot in good conscience support a company who not only allows but apparently condones this type behavior towards their paying customers. Shame on you...

Went in this evening to get a online purchase I made, my daughter and I proceeded to the gun counter, where there were 3 employees standing there, after waiting a few minutes with zero help, we.proceeded to where it said " pick ups" where 2 employees were talking, and couldn't be bothered to simply ask us if we needed help. We explained we had an online gun purchase, and they said we had to go back to gun counter, so we did, we again approached counter, being ignored while they helped customers that came up after we were there never acknowledged us so I finally said excuse me, and asked if the could tell us where we picked up our firearm, and a Nice kid named Devin came up to help us, I have no initial complaints with him, other than when I explained we purchased online he asked make and model and asked for DL , and he comes back and asks for the card I purchased it with, well I didn't have exact card because it was paid for so didn't think I needed it, and he proceeds to say I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you tell me that, which is confusing especially when making a gun purchase, then proceeds to say he can't sell me that gun and he would have to refund it .I'm fine with that but asked of I can purchase a different gun with matching card and ID , and older gentlemen named Charlie walks up, and again I ask if there is anything close to that model that I could purchase, the older gentlemen proceeds to ask if I wouldn't rather purchase something I know more about like a "giftcard" ummmm NO I assure you I'm fully capable of buying a gun. In the meantime while Devin is grabbing another model, my daughter asks a younger kid if she can see one of the handguns in the case , ( as she is needing one for Police academy) and he huffs and puffs because he had to open case to help her, she then says she doesn't like the smaller grip and hands it back where he proceeds to walk off and ignore her the rest of the time. We finally get to the purchase of another firearm, and as I'm filling out background check, it asks me what my preferred gender is , SO MY CARD HAS TO MATCH, BUT I CAN IDENTIFY AS WHATEVER I WANT????

ITS NOT MY FIRST RODEO WITH FIREARMS , AND WONT BE MY LAST, BUT I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER THING FROM SPORTS"MANS" AND ADVISE OTHERS ESPECIALLY WOMEN TO SHOP LOCAL SHOPS THAT DON'T DISCRIMINATE BECAUSE IM A FEMALE!!!

⚠️⚠️ALSO MAYBE CHANGE YOUR YOUR WEBSITE SO THAT IT DOESN'T ALLOW PURCHASES TO GO THROUGH IF CARDS AND NUMBERS DONT MATCH. AND IF YOU DO IDENTIFY AS MALE SO IF THEY AREN'T TO BUSY CHATTING ABOUT HOW THEY WISH THEIR SHIFT WAS OVER THEY WILL ATTEMPT TO CONFUSE PEOPLE AND TRY TO GET OUT OF HELPING...

I've been a long time customer of SW and have typically had a positive experience. Something changed about 3 years ago. Now it seems like the store is always staffed by a skeleton crew of trainees and maybe one (equally undertrained) manager. Trying to get help is a very arduous process. I went in there yesterday to buy a new pair of high-end sunglasses (around $250), but I was unable to get anyone to come to that counter to help me, so I left. Today I decided to order them through their website and pick them up. When I arrived to pick them up, the young man at the counter had a deer in the headlights look on his face when I told him why I was there. He spent about 20 minutes in the back room looking for my sunglasses (which SW had already emailed me and told me were ready to pick up). Finally he called someone else over the PA and after another half hour, that person was able to find them. I signed for them and as I walked away I opened the box, only to find it empty. I tracked down the young woman that brought them to me, and she just sighed and told me to follow her. Long story short, they weren't in stock and I was given the floor model. For full price. No refund or even apology was offered.

All this would be fine if it were an isolated incident, but this seems to be the new normal at SW, or at least at the Riverdale location. I understand it's difficult to find employees at the moment, but SW has always been on the more expensive end of the spectrum as far as prices, I find it hard to believe it would be impossible for them to offer an attractive compensation package that would allow them for staff their store with competent, professional employees.

As much as it pains me to say, I think my years of loyal patronage have come to a somber end. It's a real shame. I hate the idea of giving more money to Jeff Bezos, but the truth is that I could have ordered these glasses from Amazon, for a better price, and they would've been delivered to my front door the next day. It would have saved me a significant amount of time, fuel, and...