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Post by zipposdad on Apr 16, 2017 7:06:52 GMT -8
We had an EMS in Grand Rapids, but pulled out of MI and their other Western shops when they withdrew back east about 10 years ago. I prefer local shops to on line, But local shops dont stock every thing I need. What do others think? Why do you buy online?
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 16, 2017 10:21:45 GMT -8
Competition is brutal, and it's exacerbated by the popularity of cheap, low-margin gear. Brick-and-mortar places can't generally afford to stock a wide range of pricier items that don't sell in volume. My guess is that they survive on slightly higher-margin branded items from Nike, Under Armour, North Face, and the like. But that's what everyone is selling, and only the biggest places can profitably sell it at much of a discount.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Apr 16, 2017 11:05:40 GMT -8
What BL said. And yeah, I buy stuff online from cottage manufacturers like Tarptent and Mountain Laurel Designs.
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on Apr 16, 2017 12:02:18 GMT -8
This country is way over-retailed. More stories like this to come.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 16, 2017 16:13:10 GMT -8
On the way home from work, I pass REI, Ramsey Outdoor (quite similar to Campmor) two Dick's locations, two Modell's locations, two now-closed Sports Authority stores, and those are only the big-box stores that focus on sporting goods. There are at least six specialty sports places, three WalMarts, and about 20 other big-box department stores, many of which are not long for this earth.
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Post by starwalker on Apr 16, 2017 17:12:47 GMT -8
Backwoods in Wichita was my favorite place, but they went bankrupt. There is still a Backwoods in Tulsa.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2017 2:05:05 GMT -8
I bought a lot from Gander Mountain back in the early 1980's....
Now, the prices are so much higher than the rest of the big box stores in our area....it's no wonder they're re-organizing.
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Apr 17, 2017 4:38:40 GMT -8
our locally owned brick & mortar store (the last in a town that had 4 before REI moved in) still gets a lot of my business.
In 30 years, they've done so much for our outdoor community, i feel like i owe it to them.
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Westy
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Post by Westy on Apr 17, 2017 7:30:36 GMT -8
In the late 70's I was working construction for the new EMS headquarters in Peterborough, NH. I dropped my 22 oz. Eastwing framing hammer from staging and by the time I went to recover the hammer the cement had been poured on the floor, thus my hammer became an artifact in the building floor. Like others I have procured most of my gear direct from OEM's and distributers online or a local specialty mountaineering shop.
This past year I did make an online purchase from EMS and appreciate that they didn't adopt a "death by spamming" marketing approach requiring excessive unsubscribing and deleting actions.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Apr 17, 2017 8:40:20 GMT -8
GM was down to only one store in the Denver area, and that was way out in Parker. Their prices were reasonable, and they were great about honoring their price match guarantee. That one is not on the list to close.....yet.
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