Gibson's Sporting Goods Store

Manager J. R. Coursey’s office is tucked in the back of Gibson’s Discount Center, and it isn’t much bigger than a closet.

It’s a small room packed with boxes and a small desk with an old computer and a handful of big monitors tuned to the security cameras. There’s barely enough room for two people to sit down.

“I’m never in here,” Coursey said. “That’s why it’s a mess. That’s because I don’t do an office job. I work out on the floor. I work with my people.”

Anyone who has ever shopped at Gibson’s has probably seen Coursey walking up and down the endless aisles, talking on his cell phone and chatting with customers.

“They have friendly people here, and that’s big,” Terry said. “And these guys really know a lot, too.”

Coursey said the helpful disposition of his staff has as lot to do with his relationship to them. “When I took over as manager, I said, ‘The first thing I want you to know is there’s not one of you here I want working for me,’” Coursey said. “Everybody was like, ‘What?’ I said, ‘If y’all want to work with me, we can turn this store around.’

“All of my associates are real proud to be working here,” he added. “A lot of the secret to our success is that customer service.”

As much as people are pulled in by the friendly service, one of the biggest reasons Terry keeps going back to the West Main Street landmark is what they sell, as much as who sells it.

“They’ve got the widest selection of anywhere in town,” Terry said. “They have some of the best prices on ammo, and they have a great layaway plan. .. . I buy fishing stuff here, I buy a lot of ammo ... flashlight parts, ice chest parts — basically, anything you’re looking for, you can find here.”

David McCright of Kerrville, said one reason he continues to shop at Gibson’s is that it’s a link to Texas’ past. Gibson’s was once part of a larger chain throughout Texas and based in Abilene, but now that there are only two stores left in the state, McCright said the experience of shopping there is a great reminder of the past.

“I like the nostalgia of it,” he said. “I grew up out in West Texas, and we had a Gibson’s out there. This is one of the last two left. ... This used to be the Walmart of Texas, but it was a mom and pop thing.”

Gibson’s offers a wide range of goods for the outdoorsman, and that’s what Coursey said keeps people coming through the doors.

“We’ve got just about everything you need,” he said. “We’ve got all the guns you’d need, all the fishing accessories and boating accessories ... If we don’t have something, well, we can order it.”

“And I sell them at a good price. ... The way I picture the thing is ... you can make a high profit margin on an item, and you made a profit on that one item — if you sell it. But if you sell something for two-thirds of that and you’re selling a lot of them, then you’re going to make more profit in the long run. And it’s the long run that I care about.”

Gibson's Sporting Goods Store can be reached at (830) 257-3511

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