REI Relaunches Digital Outlet Business to Offer Members Best-in-Class, Off-Price Outdoor Gear

News provided by

Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

Aug 10, 2016, 13:00 ET


SEATTLE (PRWEB) August 10, 2016 -- Today REI, the national outdoor specialty retailer and consumer co-op, launches REI Garage, a new digital store that offers a unique shopping experience for best-in-class, off-price products handpicked by co-op experts. REI Garage replaces REI Outlet and features a focused product assortment of only the top closeout products and brands that its members love.

“The outlet space is way too complicated and confusing right now, and the shopping experience feels unnecessarily chaotic. It’s too hard for consumers to sort between genuine, first-rate products, and gear that was made specifically for the second-tier market. REI Garage is a complete rethink of this space. We are curating gear so that the shopping experience is clearer, simpler, and less pressured. We’re working with vendors to find top-tier closeout product and offering it at the best possible prices. This is a very different approach from how most companies operate in this space, and we think it is more aligned with the experience customers expect at REI,” said Mark Seidl, REI’s divisional vice president of Digital Retail and general manager of REI Garage.

Over the past 18 months, the co-op engaged its members to redesign REI outlet. That process led REI to build REI Garage around three promises:

  • Quality first: REI Garage offers products that share the same standard of quality as REI’s full-price business. The only difference is that REI Garage products are closeout items.
  • Distinct shopping experience: REI Garage provides a separate shopping experience that is designed for the off-price shopper, but still offers the convenience of a shared shopping cart with REI.com and returns in store.
  • Stand behind its products: All products are backed by REI’s 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

Each product sold by REI Garage is purposefully selected by a team of expert buyers to ensure high quality, varied assortment and the best deals. All products are new and unused end-of-season closeouts and previous-year models purchased specifically for REI Garage.

REI is unique in its ability to offer these exclusive deals. The co-op’s trusted relationships with vendor partners allows it to have the best access to closeout products, and with decades of expertise the co-op can offer the best closeout gear and apparel to members.

About REI
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 6 million active members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 145 stores in 35 states. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI-Garage.com or the free REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 170 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI’s Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to–and steward–the outdoor places that inspire us.

Mike Ferris, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), +1 253-395-8114, [email protected]