Big 5 Sporting Goods - Madera

Overall experience was average for a chain store. Store was clean ... staff friendly and tried to be helpful. But you have to understand that these employees are NOT sportsmen who work here ... so they have little, to no clue, about the inventory or about the needs of you or the sport your trying to shop for. Store could be laid out better and items could be better found if organized by sports type or intended use. However, you can find most of what you need if you are willing to look around and spend another 30 minutes ... give or take 10 minutes ... in the store. (A few of many examples = looking for a backpack ... found same brand, (my desired brand) which has 3 sizes, in 4 different locations in store. "And the size I wanted was buried behind other packs, high on a wall" (But not on any other display) ... so I'd have missed it completely, if I didn't want to look at another, similar pack in that display. One size was in the "soccer" area ... which would be ok ... if it wasn't a hiking/hunting backpack and totally inadequate for soccer needs. Also ... hydration-bladders were on 2 different racks in opposite ends of the store. "I found the bladder I wanted by accident." .... I found fishing gear and camping gear to be the same way.) Staff is very friendly, and "appear" to want to help. But in the middle of looking at a few options and sizes of one product, and asking questions to ensure that item would fit my needs ... the employee couldn't answer any of my questions ... then ... they disappeared. So ... It would be a great help if staff could be more educated on products ... at least know the product features ... even if they don't use them for their own, personal recreation. Still ... they do carry name brands and have the chain-store buying power to keep prices down to an affordable level ... so I will return and continue to shop here. But I'll ask my questions and do my research online before I enter the doors of the store to make a purchase.

I'm happy there is a Big 5 in madera. I visit this store often the problem with this big 5 is they don't always have things stocked so if it's on sale you might want to go as soon as it goes on sale.