Eastern Mountain Sports
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Eastern Mountain Sports (or EMS) is an outdoor apparel and equipment retailer in the U.S. Northeast.
EMS sells outdoor equipment and clothing from brands like The North Face and Merrell, and also their own, less-expensive EMS line. They also offer classes and climbing schools in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and in the Gunks.
Until September 2004, EMS was privately owned by the American Retail Group, which in turn is owned by the secretive Brenninkmeyer family. EMS is now owned by the EMS Management Group, led by EMS's current President and CEO, Will Manzer.
[edit] History
EMS was founded in 1967 in Wellesley, Massachusetts by two rock climbers who couldn't find the selection of gear they wanted anywhere else. Some years ago when they experienced financial problems, a new president was appointed, and she turned the company around, partly by attracting non-outdoor enthusiasts into the store through day-to-day clothing and a wide range of items such as school backpacks.
Since Will Manzer became President and CEO in September 2004, EMS has refocused back towards being a specialty outdoors retailer. This started with a new logo and a reorganization of all their stores. In the recent past EMS were heavily focused in malls, but the company has decided to slowly move towards more self-standing stores.
EMS' top competitors are REI, L.L. Bean, and Dick's Sporting Goods.
[edit] Operations and policies
Most of EMS's customer policies focus on brand loyalty, rather than having the lowest prices. This method relies heavily on their return policy and 100% guarantee.
EMS employees go through a training program, now mostly online using a Flash-like interface, but only accessible through store computers. The program covers everything from store policies, to the science behind all the products they sell (e.g. how fleece is made, how GPS works), to practical product-specific information (e.g. how to fit hiking boots and tricks for tying shoelaces), to general sales techniques (e.g. how to close the deal).
