REI - Re-opening our stores

To our co-op community,

I’m writing to share some good news. After two months of temporary closures, this week we will begin reopening our stores—just in time to celebrate our 82nd anniversary.

In some places “opening” will mean curbside service for orders placed online. In others, our doors will open for a limited number of customers. In every case, we’ll be taking precautions for the health and safety of our employees, customers and communities. We’ll have health and safety procedures in place for our store teams, and clear guidance for you on how to shop or do curbside pick-up. We’ll also be closely following guidance from national, state and local authorities to make sure we’re operating in compliance with any restrictions in your area.

We have made significant progress in all of these areas over the last month, and we are ready to begin expanding services in many of our stores. Our hope and expectation is that more than half of our stores will be open for curbside pick-up in time for our Anniversary Sale, May 15–25, and a small number of stores will be open for in-store services as well.

You can find more details about your local store here.

We’re doing our part to make the curbside and in-store experience as safe as possible for everyone, and we need your help. When you come into our stores, our employees will be wearing face coverings, and we’re going to ask that you wear one too. It’s a simple thing that we can all do right now to take care of one another and, if you forget yours, we’ll have disposable face coverings available.

For anyone who can’t make it to a store, we’ll keep doing our best to get you all the gear, expertise and inspiration you need through our digital channels. We’re offering all the great deals you’d expect during Anniversary Sale at REI.com. In the coming weeks, we’re also rolling out virtual events and gatherings for members, zero-contact shop services for bicycle maintenance at our stores, a virtual outfitting program and an improved returns process.

Few things make us happier than serving our customers in our stores. The journey is far from over, but we are making progress, and we’re grateful for your support and understanding right now. To everyone who has reached out with a word of encouragement or has helped support local nonprofits through our Outdoor Emergency Fund, thank you.

There is a spirit of togetherness that has defined your co-op for 82 years, and as we celebrate our anniversary, I’m reminded that right now it’s more important than ever. Be well and take care.

My best,

Eric Artz
President and CEO, REI Co-op