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Aside from just being an outdoor retailer, part of REI's culture is stewdardship and encouraging people to get out and enjoy our forests, river, and mountains. They are closing on Black Friday in order to get their employees outside, and anyone else who wants to join them. REI members are probably more interested in getting outdoors on a long holiday weekend rather than trampling over someone to get a cheap TV.
Me, as a member of REI for over 25 years, I'm going hiking!
This has little to do with employees or some quasi holiday, it has to do with PR and getting media attention.
It ia a gimmick, just like Black Friday soon to beome Black Friday matters as more stores try this gimmick.
This is business. If you are closed when customers want to buy, so be it, that is a choice.
Face it, REI goes after granola sandal wearers who look for the latest in bamboo underwear. They can buy that anytime they want.
What does REI sell that you cant simply buy any other day at sale prices? Absolutely nothing, they charge a lot more for the same stuff.
Anything you can buy from REI you can buy online from places like Amazon. This is REI capitulating to online retailers just like many other stores will do.
Is REI going to close its online store? No? Then do the employees working in their IT department and shipping departments get the day off too? Thought so.
Aside from just being an outdoor retailer, part of REI's culture is stewdardship and encouraging people to get out and enjoy our forests, river, and mountains. They are closing on Black Friday in order to get their employees outside, and anyone else who wants to join them. REI members are probably more interested in getting outdoors on a long holiday weekend rather than trampling over someone to get a cheap TV.
Me, as a member of REI for over 25 years, I'm going hiking!
Best answer yet. As a typical retail store, closing on BF doesn't make sense. Explaining the culture of this store is helpful for those of us who are unfamiliar with REI. Thanks!
Same here. I will, though, add "Don't need them!" We have Scheels, Cabela's, and Big Bear, as well as a huge sporting/outdoor section in all three Big R Stores.
I seldom leave the house on "Black Friday". I detest mobs.
The IT workers would be working anyway. IT operations run 24x7x365.25 So regardless if its black Friday, Super Tuesday, Christmas ... IT Ops is manned.
Fulfillment (Picking packing and Shipping) Most of that will start happening on Sunday night , for outbound carrier pickup on Monday.
(Does REI even do there web presence? or is it hosted by someone else? does it do its own fulfillment? )
Many retailers lose money on Black Friday (profit). I am sure that REI analyzed shopping trends in their stores on that day and compared the profit vs cost of staying open. If it was a big profit day for them they would have stayed open. I am guessing they are trying to shift purchases to another day and not offer deep discounts on that day. It is a calculated effort.
By the way, Black Friday isn't a great hiking day by me. Also, no way I can get my wife out on the trails on that day...she would rather shop. I do my REI shopping online, anyway.
(Does REI even do there web presence? or is it hosted by someone else? does it do its own fulfillment? )
All I heard on the local Seattle news this morning is that those in shipping will also have BF off. Evidently, they have their own employees who do fulfillment.
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