I think your analysis is spot on. My former Neighborhood REI has become a clothing store mostly, they do not carry much inventory for actually participating in outdoor activities, and four miles from some of the best surf kayaking, SUP surfing andpaddling in the US, they don’t carry any watersports equipment.
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What’s on the floor depends on what season you visit. My local REI (Reading, MA) has winter clothing and snow sports products out in the winter. In summer, the bicycling section is by far the biggest. The second biggest section is probably paddle sports. Both grew a lot in the pandemic. Backpacking, camping, and climbing inventory have shrunk as a result. They are still the best sporting goods retailer in the area for the kind of sports I like to do.
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Absolutely! I am increasingly not needing much of anything that REI carries. Maybe socks or the occasional quick-dry shirt when on sale.
There used to be a sizable kayak section with a variety of things like gloves, boots and gadgets but now the stores are packed with fashion-first apparel at a premium price. A lot of space was given over to fancy cycling gear as well.
The pandemic did shift things in that lots of people who had not previously been interested in outdoor activities are now going camping and hiking, but with minimal knowledge and a thirst for comfort. That lead REI to start focusing on glamping and car camping gear - have you seen how many plug in coolers and massive power banks they now stock? Huge 6 person tents? Bunkbed cots? Gear to set up gourmet kitchens in the woods? I am often reminded of that priceless scene from “Fly Away Home” as the support guy was being questioned at the border about all the gear crammed into his SUV - gas, generator, etc. “Lot of stuff for one guy”, the officer says. “Nothing like a scary movie and a pina colada in the wilderness” was the reply.
I’ve mostly switched to small independent companies. Dyneema dry bags and stuff sacks from Hammock Gear, on-line suppliers like Backcountry and Canadian Outdoor Equipment for hardcore functional stuff.
Amazon aside, it’s just as easy to purchase direct from manufacturers, something retailers struggle with. That could be plaguing REI as well.
Dmned if they do, dmned if they don’t. That REI probably is avoiding accusations of competing with small shops.
I noticed when they began emphasizing trendy clothing more than actual equipment, too. I didn’t like it, but I still liked and like them to buy clothes from. Still more to my taste than regular clothing stores. Paddling and cycling gear I usually preferred to get from paddling and cycling shops.
I bought one sea kayak from them, a WS Tempest 165 rotomolded version, that was an excellent buying experience. Ordered it, they transferred from a Seattle area store to the Lakewood, CO store which was closest to my old home, and the kayak arrived in perfect condition. No shipping charges applied to that. Could not ask for better.
We no longer live near any REI (though this will change in the next year with a new store that’ll be an hour’s drive away). But we still do mail order from them.
The politically correct slant in some of their catalogs and ads turns me off a bit. OTOH, at least it’s not the politically rabid slant I see in ads and catalogs from some different kinds of recreational gear.
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The one nearest me is very heavily focused on clothes, mostly trendy outerwear. I rarely buy any camping or paddling gear there anymore. The last few times I went in, I found the item I liked and was promptly told “we don’t have that in your size/color, go home and order online.” So I do that now and if it doesn’t fit I return it to the store. The store, for me, is mostly a return center for online purchases.
As others have noted, I don’t go in there without knowing what I want. I wouldn’t rely on the staff to fit a pack or make experience-based suggestions regarding gear. It’s shame. I grew up with (the old) EMS, where everyone there hiked, climbed, camped etc. Those days are gone.
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Agree. REI stuff is way too expensive. 6 Years ago I could afford to shop there. No more.
Would hate to see them go under but they need to do something to get back in line with prices.
I was referring to the parent company of the products they dropped. REI is still a co-op.
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LL Bean is the same way; since the pandemic, their prices have gone through the roof. I live less than a mile from one of their outlet stores and I used to buy most of my clothes there, but not anymore. It wasn’t that long ago that I could pick up jeans on sale for ~$25, but now they’re around $60. Other than pricing, I have no issues with them and I stop in once in a while. There’s a Sierra Trading Post store in town now and they get most of my business.
Yes, and they have an elected board of directors that members voted for.
If there’s a gripe about choice of manufacturers, that should be aired to the board. Otherwise, I suspect it’s too easy for them to make decisions based only on their preferences, which could be heavily focused on factors unrelated to product quality and popularity.
Our last tenants were twentysomes who worked for REI and fled Seattle during Covid. They worked from home and were paid 150k each. They then broke the lease and bought a house. They were excellent renters since they paid all throughout lockdowns. (Whew, that could have gone sideways with Washington laws)
I find the air in REI suffocating and smelly. These places keep the heat too high for me to spend any time in there. My husband buys climbing stuff there and I usually wait in the truck. It’s suffocating inside and the SoCal stores are the same. Trying on wetsuits or drysuits is not appealing.
The shopping experience has become miserable
IMO, I’d rather just window shop walking in a city and then figure out how to order things.
I’m all into trendy clothing… It’s just that my trend is leaning towards relaxed fit.
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Yet REI opened two new branches in Southern California in 2023: Marina del Rey and Laguna Hills. REI did announce it will close their Santa Monica branch in Feb 2024 due to all the shoplifting crime and cost of doing business there.
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Just rob under $999.99 and you’re good to go nowadays. No consequences.
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The shoplifting and vandalism at the Santa Monica store was crazy.
every outdoor equipment company ends up as a clothes company…
Orvis used to be hunting and fishing, now is a clothes retailer with sidelines in fishing and hunting. At least they are still family-owned and keep the outdoors business mostly out of sentiment I think.
Abercrombie & Fitch used to be the place to go, their 1907 catalog has long chapters on how best to gear up for a month-long canoe trip in the woods. I have an A&F spinning reel from the 1950s that is still going strong.
MEC in Canada used to be a kind of REI, a co-operative, designing their own stuff and being a good corporate citizen. They just got sold to USA private equity which will turn them into a outdoor fashion retailer with the cheapest possible Chinese fast-fashion.
and on and on…
Garage Grown Gear is where I go for backpacking, canoe gear from stores in the BWCA as I visit most years, fishing gear is from ebay and the 1950s 
when US manufacturing was at its peak and they built gear to last and last.
Mostly get my outdoor clothes from Goodwill honestly… polyester long-sleeve dress shirts for sun, nylon pants, etc. The cheapest raingear Cabelas sells works pretty well.
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And dog beds … hundreds and hundreds of expensive dog beds.
We are lucky to still have a locally owned true outdoor shop here in St Pete (Bill Jackson’s). There is also an REI in Tampa, only 25 minutes away, that opened a year or two ago (before that I had to drive to Orlando). I do like REI for clothes as I really need to try things on first. Honestly prices at the two places are comparable and while I like to support the local guy, REI has more sales and plus I get my dividend each year. I don’t think I’ve ever seen much of anything on sale at Bill Jackson’s.
As far as paddlesports shops, there are several, but with the demise of Sweetwater Kayaks there is nowhere local to get high end sea kayaking gear so that is pretty much all online for me.
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I like to order from REI, try it on, and then mail back what I dont want. This is the easiest way to shop, especially with free return shipping. I feel a little guilty because I return a LOT the next day. I expect a cancellation from Jeff Bezos and Nordstrom any day now.
REI had almost no dry suits when we went home to San Clemente, Ca.
Pre-COVID when we were still doing in-person meetings for our local paddle club, the REI store near us let us use their conference room for meetings. I went through that store once a month for a couple of years, but I can’t remember ever buying anything there. The store had two floors - the first was camping, hiking, biking and paddling gear, the second was clothes. It was a good size store, but it still didn’t have the selection of gear that you find on-line. I’m sure I have bought stuff on-line at REI, but not in the store.
I do enjoy going to the big LL Bean store in Freeport, ME - a lot more gear there, but it still can’t compete with on-line. It is a neat place to go and wander around, but it is also mostly clothes.
The Bass Pro Shops near me used to have a pretty good camping section. I went there a couple of weeks ago, and was surprised that most of the camping gear had been replaced with smokers and fancy BBQ’s. I guess you stock what people buy. At least they haven’t turned into a clothing store, unless you are a hunter or want to look like a hunter. Boy, their boats and ATV’s are expensive.
Sounds like REI might go the way of Performance Bicycle. Brick and mortar out. Online shopping in.
Even small businesses seem to go through a somewhat predictable life cycle. Remember those delicious Orange Julius drinks and the great hot dogs you could get at the Orange Julius place? Yeah, they were good but when they jacked up the price to a certain point the customer just says “too much”.
A week or so ago I went to Auntie Anne’s for some of their delicious soft pretzels. They had jacked up the already high price… again. I noticed there were 3 employees in the tiny place and I was the only customer. I don’t see them lasting much longer.
Come to think of it, BOEING is floundering. “If it says Boeing, I ain’t going”.
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