REI Co-op To Open First Store In Wyoming, Jackson Hole Location; Invests $20,000 In Local Community
REI Co-op has been offering adventure travel in Wyoming for more than a decade, but on Nov. 5 the outdoor retail giant will be better equipped to outfit those travelers with its first store in the state.
The company is set to expand its massive retail footprint with a new location in Jackson Hole, which was announced almost a year ago to the day. In addition to the usual selection of outdoor apparel and gear, the full-service store will also offer a specialty bike, ski, and snowboard shop.
“We are thrilled to join the community and support the active lifestyles of local residents and visitors as they play and explore in the region,” said Jason Priest, REI Jackson Hole store manager. “Whether trying a new activity or heading out on a familiar trail to bike, hike, or ski, we aspire to be at the center of people’s outdoor lives for products and expertise.”
When it opens its doors on Nov. 5, REI Jackson Hole will kick off a three-day grand opening celebration. The store will open each day at 9 a.m., with giveaways while supplies last, and an outdoor social every afternoon from 2 to 6 p.m. with music, outdoor vendors, and local partners. Participating nonprofits will include Friends of the Bridger Teton, Coombs Outdoors, and Friends of Pathways.
REI boasts 20 million lifetime members and now expects to grow its presence in Wyoming with its new store. Before the opening of REI Jackson Hole, more than 4,600 people in the city and 31,000 in the state were lifetime co-op members.
The new locale should also bolster the co-op’s adventure travel offerings in Wyoming. REI has offered guided hiking, kayaking, and family trips in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks for more than a decade.
This new store announcement comes on the heels of some other big news for the Seattle-based co-op. REI has upped its DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) game big time with the appointment of Wilma Wallace to build and lead a new Diversity and Social Impact Office, and the creation of the REI Cooperative Action Fund, a 501(c)3 charity whose grantmaking efforts will support “nonprofit organizations promoting justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors.”
REI also recently announced that it will again ask consumers and employees to spend time outside on the busiest shopping day of the year rather than spend money on holiday gifts with its #OptOutside campaign. 2021 marks the seventh year in a row that the co-op will forgo profits and sales on the busiest shopping day of the year but still pay its more than 15,000 employees.
