EMS Going Bankrupt?

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
The sooner they go under, the sooner I can get an REI near me.
 
Sadly, EMS is only a shell of what they once were. When I was in high school a pilgrimage to EMS was a special trip and I usually ended up picking up something. Even later when I moved into the North country the old EMS location in the Eastern Slope Inn was worth a visit and the staff was somewhat knowledgeable, once they moved into the high rent district south on the strip I stopped going.
 
Last edited:
I think there are EMS stores in certain locations that "got it right" so to speak. Comparing what I know: EMS in North Conway (been a while so could not be that way now) was staffed with very helpful and very knowledgeable people who also knew their local mountains and waterways. 2 stores not far from me, Poughkeepsie NY and Danbury CT. Not even close. I stopped going there all together. So many places out west to deal with....Whitaker Mountaineering, EMS, EVO, REI that the net has made palpable.

My thoughts on this anyway.
 
I think there are EMS stores in certain locations that "got it right" so to speak. Comparing what I know: EMS in North Conway (been a while so could not be that way now) was staffed with very helpful and very knowledgeable people who also knew their local mountains and waterways. 2 stores not far from me, Poughkeepsie NY and Danbury CT. Not even close. I stopped going there all together. So many places out west to deal with....Whitaker Mountaineering, EMS, EVO, REI that the net has made palpable.

My thoughts on this anyway.
 
Years ago EMS and REI were very similar, except that EMS was not a co-op and did not offer member dividend incentives. Still, they did well as an east coast base store vs a west coast base store. Both had catalogs, catalogs filled with pages and pages of useful outdoor information, not just fluff. Then EMS got the bright idea that they were no longer going to do catalog orders, only retail stores. Dumb, IMO. That lasted a few short years before the went back into the catalog business. Never really recovered as far as I could see. Both REI and EMS headed away from the strong outdoor gear focus and went the direction of fashion. Must have been better for profits I guess. Neither company is what it once was.

There are two EMS stores in Syracuse. One at the mega-mall in the city, and one in the suburbs. The one in the mall is awful, not worth a look for anything really outdoor oriented. The other store is much better equipped with a more knowledgeable staff, but the location still suffers from mall type of mentality.
 
I've been predicting this for 2 years. The fact that they changed their return policy to the worst in the industry was an indication that times were not good. Hopefully an REI comes to NH!
 
EMS has unfortunately been in a downward spiral for quite sometime. The outdoor retail world is a dog eat dog situation. Brick and mortar outdoor retail in general is suffering big time due to online sales. Personally I really enjoy actually looking and touching gear. The retail space that EMS has in North Conway IMO is one of the most poorly laid out retail spaces I have ever experienced. They are really doing themselves no favors. I really hope the best for them going forward as I have been a customer of that store since the 70's; but they really do need to do something to get their feet on the ground again. IF they can't do a stellar job in North Conway I can't imagine how bad it has gotten elsewhere. Hopefully they do not suffer the same demise as Eddie Bauer.
 
jniehof said:
The sooner they go under, the sooner I can get an REI near me.
Click to expand...

Hi jniehof,

I understand your desire to have an REI in your area, but for me, this is sad news.

EMS has been an integral part of outdoor life and some of the previous employees of the Portsmouth, NH store (Eric and Ben) were a wealth of knowledge and support. Some of my first purchases of "serious" outdoor gear came form the EMS located inside the Newington Mall. Thankfully the store was located near the entrance of one of the wings so I could avoid the throngs of regulars that inhabited the mall (not judging, just a not a food court loiterer).

I have to concur with others that the depth of knowledge regarding products and the local areas really varies depending on the store and who you are speaking with. I must admit being completely underwhelmed with the Peterborough (flagship) store.

As skiguy said, I too enjoy and appreciate actually getting my hands on a product before deciding whether or not to purchase it. I have only returned 3 items to EMS in the past 20 years, but returns regarding sight unseen online purchases are at least ten times higher. A lot of this gear ended up at IME in North Conway or being sent back.

You simply cannot substitute reviews and high resolution pics for walking in a store and physically inspecting an item. EMS has been very good to me over the years...

Z
 
I feel sad about this news, though I agree about the downhill part. They have been such an important part of my adult life.
 
summitseeker said:
Hi jniehof,

I understand your desire to have an REI in your area, but for me, this is sad news.

EMS has been an integral part of outdoor life and some of the previous employees of the Portsmouth, NH store (Eric and Ben) were a wealth of knowledge and support. Some of my first purchases of "serious" outdoor gear came form the EMS located inside the Newington Mall. Thankfully the store was located near the entrance of one of the wings so I could avoid the throngs of regulars that inhabited the mall (not judging, just a not a food court loiterer).

I have to concur with others that the depth of knowledge regarding products and the local areas really varies depending on the store and who you are speaking with. I must admit being completely underwhelmed with the Peterborough (flagship) store.

As skiguy said, I too enjoy and appreciate actually getting my hands on a product before deciding whether or not to purchase it. I have only returned 3 items to EMS in the past 20 years, but returns regarding sight unseen online purchases are at least ten times higher. A lot of this gear ended up at IME in North Conway or being sent back.

You simply cannot substitute reviews and high resolution pics for walking in a store and physically inspecting an item. EMS has been very good to me over the years...

Z
Click to expand...
Also something to be said about good hands on service being worth something. Lots of browsing going on out there in the brick and mortar spaces only for the customer to turn around and buy slightly cheaper online. I do realize money is tight with lots of folks and the gear isn't cheap to begin with. Although there is something to be said for the worth of the help from the folks in the trenches. I have been there. It's a tough nut to swallow when you spend a lot of time fitting boots or a pack only to have someone go buy it elsewhere for pennies less.
 
summitseeker said:
As skiguy said, I too enjoy and appreciate actually getting my hands on a product before deciding whether or not to purchase it.
Click to expand...

I know one of the big issues facing all brick and mortal retailers is that people come in, try it out, then check online for better deals (and usually find one).

As for me, I have an EMS right next to my work, so if the bankruptcy results in closings, that would be inconvenient.

As for REI, I'm curious how they are faring compared to other retailers.
 
I was just shopping for a bike rack for the back of my car. There were a few good options, including KTP because I worked for them last weekend. But when I checked for reviews to the product on Amazon, I saw that they had an out-of-box unit for greater than $50 off, much less than my discount with no shipping costs and no tax. And with my busy schedule it would be delivered to me. If I had worked with a salesman for information or fit, however, I would have bought from them and even willingly spent $20 or even $30 more. It really comes down to competition and what customers want. Losing the EMS option will be a big loss for me.
 
I'm not surprised to hear this. When they were at Fox Run Mall, I'd always swing in to buy something if I was at the mall for other shopping. I rarely need to make a special trip to an outfitter and if I wanted to go to a free-standing store, I'd go to Kittery Trading Post or REI-Reading- not that pathetic excuse for a store in Newington.

No one could be sadder than me.

My son's initials are E.M.S.

Everything was monogrammed :(
 
Just because the holding company is filing for bankruptcy does not mean that any EMS stores will close. This is a financial transaction to reduce debt load. Stores may close, but we can't tell yet.
 
EMS was the first dedicated store I went into when they were in Boston back in the 60s. There was a poster on the back wall which happened to be a Dick Smith photo of a family hiking on the southern Presidentials, approaching Pierce. It was me and my family! I was so excited to see it that they gave it to me. I still have it and recently had it framed. We also have a black and white of the same photo, and it was published in a book, as well. Also, it was where my mom and I would meet to shop back in the 80s. Great memories and so hopes that this store can rebound.
 
summitseeker said:
I understand your desire to have an REI in your area, but for me, this is sad news.
Click to expand...
I'm not hating on the store they used to be; after six+ years of watching them slide and hoping for recovery, I've gone through the mourning and just want the undead shell out of the way so better companies can move in. I'd happily take a c. 2005 EMS (although preferably not limited to c. 2005 gear.)
 
Are we sure EMS is the reason for Vestis Group filing for bankruptcy? It certainly isn't surprising news but it is not unusual for a holding company to cannibalize better performing chains to offset losses in other areas. Many examples of that over the years. Bob Stores has been doing crappy for years and sports stores like Sports Authority have also been in the tank for awhile. The article is brief but doesn't really specify that EMS is doing horribly unless I am misinterpreting. Doesn't sound like Vestis was very clever with their portfolio of companies.

I really haven't been a big EMS guy for years when they transitioned into urban fitness equipment, like trendy down jackets you wear to Starbucks when it's 60 degrees out so you can grab a mocha latte and flash a North Face logo to the barista. And the return policy change was "the last straw" for me. I'm generally only shopping there if I have a 20% off coupon and I know what I want, not looking for advice. I can certainly see why EMS would be struggling with it's ever shrinking assortment of quality gear and less and less knowledgeable people in their stores. Nothing like it was decades ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

ChrisB
EMS Sold -- Again
2
Replies
37
Views
4K
Dana
Dana
P
EMS parent firm declaring Bankrupcy
Replies
17
Views
10K
Nessmuk
Nessmuk
Kevin Rooney
Fewer Americans are visiting national parks. Administrators ask why
2 3
Replies
51
Views
8K
RoySwkr
RoySwkr

Latest posts

Top