Versa Capital - new owners of EMS lays off 110, restructure company

Hope this isn't the beginning of the end and EMS doesn't end up as the next Eddie Bauer.

http://pevc.dowjones.com/article?an...n=DJFLBO0020130131e91vr8jvq&from=alert&pid=15

Not good news for people in Peterborough. I was worried that this would happen.

In the Harvard Square store, I couldn't find decent pants for summer hiking, and the sales clerk had never heard of Patagonia (EMS only sells their line of shoes now, but still...). They cater to the students mostly.

Sad, but predictable, no?

I would think that mid-sized regional players are very vulnerable. Larger national brands that have mastered on-line retailing end up winning on price and selection. Cabelas and Bass Pro win in the hunting/fishing category. REI and Campmor in the camping category. Nashbar, Competitive Cyclist (and a few others) for bikes.

I would think the only move left would be to buddy up with other regional retailers with some product overlaps in the hopes of purchasing efficiencies. Bob's makes sense. So would have Sports Authority perhaps.

The thing I'm going to miss is EMS's product design. I think they have always done a better job than REI (or LLBean). It will be interesting to see if the new owners will keep the design group. It's an awfully crowed space though.

Probably a good idea to use up any EMS gift cards this year. They may be OK for a while, but long term they look like they are in trouble and with money managers running things, they'll look for the highest profit margin quickest turnover inventory and items and lower turnover gear and equipment, stuff hard core hikers are interested in, may be in much shorter supply.

IMO EMS has been on a slide for a long time. A little of this and a little of that without any true focus has facilitated a lack of brand name identification. I will agree with dave.m the online retailers are kicking their hinies. The store in North Conway is better suited for working on dump trucks or feeding elephants. It is unfortunate as EMS use to have a nice feel to it but that was thirty years ago. Bottom line is they got too big for their own good.

I was afraid for EMS when I went in recently and saw some pretty deep discounts. I am always careful to get a good price when I shop, but I also practice store loyalty and value being "known" at my local EMS. I sincerely hope they are able to come through all this turmoil.

skiguy said:

The store in North Conway is better suited for working on dump trucks or feeding elephants. It is unfortunate as EMS use to have a nice feel to it but that was thirty years ago.

Click to expand...

+1 from an ex-employee of their former remote outpost in Minnesota, which was an independent outdoor store before it was acquired. The then-management had the good sense to maintain the look and feel of the place. It worked very well, until REI opened a store six blocks away, ate their lunch and drove them out within a year or so, as I recall.

And Portsmouth/Newington is outfitted like a minimum-security detention facility.

The EMS in Burlington, VT generally has very few customers milling around, whereas the nearby Outdoor Gear Exchange is bustling with activity all day long. Granted, being on Church Street doesn't hurt, but I think it has much more to do with the great selection of gear. I think EMS went overboard in pushing their house brand stuff, which has limited appeal IMHO.

I would love to see more places like OGE flourish (employers that profit-share and value their long term employees ) - they show that it can be done!

Agree about Portsmouth/Newington. Moved out of the mall never to be found (by most) again. The small signage doesn't help. If you weren't going to try to find the Home Depot next door, you might never, ever see it. That EMS and the new Trader Joes should swap shops.

Tim Seaver said:

The EMS in Burlington, VT generally has very few customers milling around, whereas the nearby Outdoor Gear Exchange is bustling with activity all day long. Granted, being on Church Street doesn't hurt, but I think it has much more to do with the great selection of gear. ...

Click to expand...

There's that, and people around these parts truly value independent, locally owned businesses and recognize the OGE as such, and the OGE has a better consignment situation than any store I've ever encountered. Also, the OGE staff seems to know their activities and their gear better on average. There are bonafide outdoor nuts as well as people who only look the part in both stores, but the proportion of salespeople who actually do the sports in question seems better at the OGE.

I feel like I need to show some support for EMS. Until their demise which most seem sure of, they are all we have up here in Maine to actually touch and feel the merchandise, ask questions, get advice, etc. Sure, we can go to LL Bean but its just not the same anymore. Call me whacked but I also stick up for the AMC and all that they do.

Mirabela - agree on all of that! The atmosphere reminds me of what Ragged Mountain used to be when they were still making their own line of gear - slightly granola flavored, but knowledgeable

Tim Seaver said:

Mirabela - agree on all of that! The atmosphere reminds me of what Ragged Mountain used to be when they were still making their own line of gear - slightly granola flavored, but knowledgeable

Click to expand...

Ragged Mt. has not even come close to becoming what EMS has become. Tim you may see more of Ragged's product again at some point on their retail floor. Right now they are so busy with filling orders under other labels they can't keep up to supply their own store.

I have always been a satisfied EMS customer. I still value customer service and the brick-and-mortar experience of trying gear out/on before buying/ordering it. For replacement stuff, I can generally do that online. EMS is the best option for the Manchester-Nashua NH area.

Tim

Ragged is definitely still making their own stuff. Was there 2 weekends ago and got my son a new fleece (his favorite) and almost sprang for another Rock Pile pile cardigan (hands down the best layering piece for cold wet ever).

Regarding OGE in Burlington, small local shops are great so long as you understand they have a limited life-spans, just like local bike shops do. They are almost always centered around a single owner (or small group) and once that person retires, the shop changes and/or dies. Back in the 80s, Burlington had Pagocycle and Climb High was just an importer out near the airport. At some point in the 90s (iirc) the joined up and moved to Shelburne Rd. Not sure Climb High is hanging in there or not. It's been a long time since I drove down there. Burlington's Alpine Shop also changed dramatically over the years. Still a family business I believe but not what it was in the 70s and 80s. I could start going down memory lane on the bikes shops up there but now I'm just blathering. And then there is/was/sort is again Wild Things. Mountain Tools out in California is another funky local shop.

I think EMS did a very good job with their own designs compared to REI (I almost always hate their stuff) and LLBean. Tough market.

I wouldn't count the EMS brand out though. TNF and Eddie Bauer are currently vomiting their stuff in local malls at high mark up and REI is succeeding. If you can live with an EMS with more generically safe house branded stuff, they might still have a niche.

That's cool that Ragged is still making stuff - somehow I thought that was a thing of the past.

According to the OGE site, they have been there 16 years.

I haven't had the best of luck with EMS gear myself, but that can be an individual kind of thing, so I'll stop there .

bikehikeskifish said:

I have always been a satisfied EMS customer. I still value customer service and the brick-and-mortar experience of trying gear out/on before buying/ordering it. For replacement stuff, I can generally do that online. EMS is the best option for the Manchester-Nashua NH area.

Tim

Click to expand...

Agreed, we look like a walking EMS store every time we go out for a hike. We have always been satisfied customers and we have turned a lot of friends on to EMS. One of the managers in Nashua was our go to guy on our quest for the NH 48 and he took the time even when we didn't buy anything. We've been to a lot of different EMS stores and have no complaints.

Drove by the Peterborough store last night and the sign outside said "Insane Discounts"(or something very similar). I have never seen that before.

Edit: I drove past again last night and it actually said "Epic Dicsounts". Still never nothing I've seen before.

Quietman said:

Drove by the Peterborough store last night and the sign outside said "Insane Discounts"(or something very similar). I have never seen that before.

Click to expand...

This sounds terrible! Let's boycott.

I buy lots of stuff at EMS and I'm generally pleased with the quality of EMS brand specifically.