Meriden, Connecticut — The future of Eastern Mountain Sports remains murky.
Back in June, Mountain Sports LLC, which owns Bob’s Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), filed for bankruptcy. Eastern Mountain Sports is the most notable brand of the two for outdoor enthusiasts, selling numerous brands for various outdoor activities. Since then, various developments have occurred, making the future of EMS more uncertain.
On July 1st, it was announced that every Bob’s Stores location would begin a going-out-of-business liquidation sale. Twenty-one stores offered 30-70% off remaining items until their closure on July 14th.
Dave Barton, President of Bob’s Stores, said the following about the legacy of the retail chain in the press release announcing the closures:
“We regret that our financial position necessitated the liquidation of Bob’s Stores. Bob’s has been a stalwart of our local communities for nearly 70 years, and we know our customers remember us as having been there for major moments in their lives. We remain grateful to our vendors, suppliers, customers and employees for all of their support over the years.”
Eastern Mountain Sports’ future is more uncertain. Over the past few weeks, each store has been having a total inventory blowout sale, with deals ranging from 20% to 60% off the original retail price. Six stores are also closing for good, and they are also offering 20% to 60% off the original retail price. The stores that are closing are in Deptford (NJ), Freeport (ME), Hyannis (MA), Manchester (NH), Waterford (CT), and Westborough (MA). Another concern for long-time customers is that their website is currently down due to “planned updates.”
The fate of the rest of their stores is uncertain, but for now, EMS is a great place to go for cheap deals on outdoor gear.
Image Credits: Eastern Mountain Sports
