Has anyone else noticed there are very few handheld GPS's in sporting good stores? I went to 3 stores and found a total of 4 of them. They must not be a very good seller anymore. Has the smartphone killed them? Thoughts...

Yeah, maybe a lot of folks who think they know what they want out of a gps can get all they need out of a smartphone, but a dedicated unit still holds a significant advantage - durability, waterproofness, battery life, etc, so I'm not sure that's entirely it. Even way back when I got my first Garmin GPS 45XL, they seem to have always been one of those items that involves personal (usually online) research, decision-making, and purchase. Difficult to get a good feel for what they can do in a brief store visit. Also, fairly high-priced niche item that stores don't care to keep in large inventory. And few sales people who have done enough due diligence in research to be helpful, anyway. Yes, there are good apps for phones, but not something I'd care to bother with on an extended wilderness route.

I think so, for those who just occasionally use a GPS. Frequent users have more knowledge than what is found at most stores.
I've noticed a lack of good baseplate compasses, focusing more on sighting military styles or phone apps/wrist units in stores like REI, not to mention a lack of knowledge (from salespeople) about what a modern GPS is capable of.
Also, GPS technology has reached a plateau for handheld units.
Not attractive to new tech adopters.

butthead

Doesn't surprise me, I do most of my shopping online with free ship-to-store. The GPS I bought (eTrex 30) was marked down to $150 at REI on Cyber Monday. I did a substantial amount of research prior to the purchase rather than going in the store to examine packaging and whatnot. There's just so much more information to help guide a purchase available online that side-by-side comparisons of a GPS unit in store probably won't offer you much benefit.

Clothes, tents, sleeping bags, cooking stuff, etc. -- now all of these things ARE worth checking out in person. Get a feel for the fabric, check the sizing, how heavy is it, and how does this compare to the other offerings in my pricepoint?