EMS stores in N.H. unaffected by company closures

The Eastern Mountain Sports store in Concord will not be affected by cutbacks that have led the business to close eight outlets, including one in Massachusetts.

The parent company of EMS announced the cuts Monday as part of a bankruptcy reorganization that will also hit Sport Chalet, a sporting-goods chain in the western United States, and Bob’s Stores.

EMS, which was founded in Massachusetts a half-century ago, has a store in the Fort Eddy Plaza, as well as in malls in Manchester and Portsmouth.

Vestis Retail Group, which owns the chains, said the restructuring was prompted in part by retail competition, especially from online sites, along with the unseasonably warm winter that sapped sales of cold-weather gear in New England.

David Brooks