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It’s been said a job at Eastern Boarder can make or break you in snowboarding. Many a great pro, industry head and local legend has fit boots and gripped decks on the hallowed floors of one of its New England locations. So it is with a heavy heart that we report on the Danvers location closing it’s doors for good on August 28, 2014. Rather than just make stuff up like we usually do, we dialed up Tabor Coates, Owner/President/Janitor at EB Danvers, for the real scoop.
Why now?
We’ve been barely breaking even for years. It’s unfortunate. I almost closed it a year ago and with times they way they are, business being rugged. It’s been difficult with increased online competition and the economy the way it is. Our landlord reduced our rent a year ago, and we signed a year lease to try and make it work, but unfortunately business was off 20-30% . It was really emotional, I should have closed it a year ago but I had great guys, people who’d been with me forever and I didn’t want to pull the plug. We gave it another shot and it just didn’t come around. It was to the point where it was effecting the other stores. The guys were working there knew it was coming. One of em had a backup plan, and the other ended up filling a position that opened up at the warehouse. The timing was right.
What can we do to keep more shops from closing?
I think we have to figure a way to convey the value of a local shop that provides service to customers. I think some of the manufacturers are helping with that. We have to do a better job of letting people know that snowboarding is just as easy to learn as skiing and it’s a lot of fun. Instead of showing a lot of the big Superpark style jumps, we have to show people dorking around and having fun. You don’t have to be hucking yourself off huge jumps out West in the backcountry to have fun. We definitely are getting beat up by skiing and a lot of the families are under the impression that you need to start skiing first, which is wrong. And people think skiing is much easier than snowboarding, which it’s not.
Why not just sell skis?
We don’t ski and we’d be faking it and doing it for the wrong reasons. It’s the same reason we don’t have scooters. It would be faking it. We’ve pretty much stuck to the same things that we did when we opened. There’s a lot of people out there down for life with tattoos and stuff, the last thing I would want to do is start selling skis.
What are some of your best memories from over the years?
I think the people made it cool, more than events. We had annual art shows that would draw big crowds, people would skate in the store. It wasn’t not snowboarding, but we had skate events right in the parking lot. That store really didn’t do well in the winter. It wasn’t our biggest snow equipment mover by any means. It had more of a skate scene than snow.
What does Danvers closing mean for EB as a whole?
This should only put us in a better position, where we can focus on the four stores that are working. It’s real sad to see it go. It’s been there for 13 years. A lot went on in that time, a lot of great customers. But it’s a sign of the times. It’s tough for mom and pops, a lot of people think we’re this big chain or corporation, and it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Oct is our 25th anniversary in business. We’ve always been about doing events and activities and contests and video premieres and demos, I think that’s why we’re still here. Trying to be community based. It reminds us of why we do it, see people stoked and having a good time, I’ll be out somewhere outside of the store and some one who’s 25 or 30 will talk to me about some demo we did years ago and say that was the best. That makes it all worth it.
If you want more insight on the state of shops “in this economy,” WWD’s got you covered.
zumiez new location in danvers
SnoCon in West, EB on East. whats happening with you kooks, stop buying on your smart devices and buy locally sold china gear. Lizard out-
EB Nashua rulz
Tabor is the fucking man.
Here’s a depressing statistic for ya…Dick’s sells more snowboards than about 150 specialty shops combined.
what kind of boards does dicks sell?
oh look at that, they sell burton. isn’t that burtons fault for allowing them to be sold there?
fuck burton
Well the good news is there a couple other locations still around. EB won’t go out of business anytime soon.
Being a local from the 978 and goin to Eastern Boarder in danvers for like 12 years now it sucks to see it go rip Danvers EB
the problem lies with the parents,
they don’t want to have to drive to a shop and talk to some punk shop kid to buy their kid a board, they would rather just click a button on their computer
As much as I hate to say this….. this is the reason shops keep biting the dust. Bullshit cool-guy mentality, you have to be open to change. Change your business model, keep up with the times. Making money is alot cooler than not making money.
“We don’t ski and we’d be faking it and doing it for the wrong reasons. It’s the same reason we don’t have scooters. It would be faking it. We’ve pretty much stuck to the same things that we did when we opened. There’s a lot of people out there down for life with tattoos and stuff, the last thing I would want to do is start selling skis”
I 100% disagree with you. selling scooters is gay, don’t do it. thank you EB.
but they still sell BMX stuff, hmmm
Skiing is easier than snowboarding. Any fat retard can put on a pair of skis for for the first time and a get down the mountain just fine. No matter who you are the first few times you snowboard you’re going to get fucked up and spend most the day on your ass.