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EMS Saratoga is closed
Not much else to say.
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I'm surprised it stayed open this long. Their product quality on many items as well as their range of brands they carry took a huge nosedive when the company went from being run out of a glorified shed by a few ambitious hippies in MA to whatever thing it became under Versa. That's not to say that they don't still put out some decent stuff... hopefully their Lake Placid location stays open.My mind was wandering like the wild geese in the west. -
I worked part time for several years at one of the two EMS stores in Syracuse. When I applied for the job applicants had to be active participants in at least two of the departments within the company ie. Hiking, paddling, climbing, biking etc. people shopped there not only for merchandise but for the experience of the salespeople. At that time online sales was a very small share of the market. As online sales started to grow I noticed (and was very angry about personally) folks coming into the store seeking our input on products, size fitting, gear etc. then leaving the store sometimes telling us that they would purchase online.
brick and mortar couldn’t compete with cyber store who had lower overhead and no need for salespeople.
With the first bankruptcy product lines were adjusted from niche specialty item to more fashion and major brand categories in an attempt to gain market share. Several bankruptcy’s and ownerships has still suffered in the online marketplace.
Even REI has experienced the same challenges but has done a better job of creating higher quality in house brands and the co-op business model is probably two of the reasons that are keeping above water."Climbing is about freedom. There's no prize money; there are no gold medals. The mountains are all about going there to do what you want to do. That's why I'll never tell anyone else how to climb. All I can say is, This is how I prefer to do it."
Ed ViestursComment
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I remember chatting with you briefly once out at the Fayetteville location, probably around 2013. That particular store seemed to always be steady of not busy, but there was a customer service issue. There was an employee who was always around and was notorious for giving poor advice and generally having a really off-putting personality in general. I'm not blaming the store's closure on this person, that would be ridiculous, but you probably know exactly who I'm talking about.
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