Outdoor Sports Store Enjoys Upside of Down Economy

If it’s possible to find a silver lining in the current economy, perhaps it lies in the shift that many people are making toward a simpler lifestyle, choosing to get back to basics and rethink past spending patterns.  

While many businesses have been feeling the ill effects of a sputtering economy, in Bridgewater has been growing, albeit incrementally, over the last few years, according to manager Brian Rosener.  

What he and his associates have observed is a growing trend toward enjoying simple, inexpensive pleasures that are more integrated into everyday life.  

“I think a lot of people are discovering that maybe it’s not the intensity of a huge trip that’s important, but maybe the long term high you get from enjoying hiking, biking, rock climbing and kayaking on a regular basis,” said Rosener, who himself is an avid rock climber.  

Rosener said all of the 21 people who work at the Bridgewater store love the outdoors and live their passion. He said that’s what makes them such great sales people.  

“I think what’s different about our store is that we live what we sell," he said. "When you walk into some other outdoor sports stores, you can tell the sales personnel are not athletes."    

“Some customers have asked us if we impose weight limits on our employees because everyone is in such good shape," he added. "But what we have is a group of like-minded people whose number one priority is to be outside."

Rosener and his team would rather act as consultants to customers.  

“When someone walks into our store, we’re more likely to talk the customer out of buying expensive gear that they may not need because we’re serious about outdoor sports," he said. "We want to make sure that we help customers purchase gear that suits them at their current level, so they enjoy the sport."    

The company, which now has 64 stores on the east coast, was founded by two outdoor sports enthusiasts from New Hampshire in the late 1960s.

Having gone through several changes in management, the company is now led by Will Manzer, who transformed the company in 2004, according to Rosener.   Rosener said Manzer recently rode in a five-borough bike tour in New York City.  

Eastern Mountain Sports was initially located in the in 1993, and then quickly outgrew that location and moved to Route 202/206 in the South Somerset Shopping Center.  

Hiking gear is at the center of the business, Rosener said, but the store offers a wide range of gear for rock climbing, kayaking, camping and bicycling.  

Rosener, 31, said he began working for Eastern Mountain Sports when he was 20 years old and had a keen interest in mountain biking. Since then, he has embraced hiking and took up rock climbing, studying with some of the best climbers in the country.  

Since the price of admission for outdoor sports gear is relatively affordable, there is no reason why the average person can't enjoy the great outdoors on a regular basis, Rosener said.  

Hiking shoes, Rosener said, run about $80, a good bicycle might run between $350 and $500 and a kayak can be purchased for $350 to $500.  

“There are some upfront costs, but once the gear is purchased, buyers can enjoy endless hours of fun and relaxation,” he said.  

Once outfitted, there are some great parks to hike and places to go kayaking, like Spruce Run Reservoir just north of Clinton.  

“People are definitely turning toward sports and recreation that they can enjoy closer to home,"Rosener said. "They get to escape on a regular basis, rather than just once a year.”  

While an investment of $400 for a kayak is not necessarily inexpensive, Rosener said, when you weigh that against the cost of a flat-screen television, there’s no comparison.  

“I’d rather kayak for four hours than watch television for four hours any day,” he said.   

 For more information, call 908-725-7255, or visit the Eastern Mountain Sports website at ems.com.