Gander Mountain Hiring Hundreds to Sell More Shoes

Gander Mountain Co. is doubling the size of its shoe departments and boosting sales staff by 400, the latest evidence of retailers jumping into the footwear market. The New York Times reports on the shift by the St. Paul, Minn.-based company, which has traditionally sold outdoorsy equipment but is adding more than 20 brands of athletic shoes from brands like Nike, Saucony and Under Armour. It's also boosting staff training to sell the new products, which Gander Mountain hopes will help double footwear sales in the next two years.