REI opening local outdoors store

Recreational Equipment, Inc., a national retail cooperative that sells outdoor gear and clothing, said today it will open a local store in fall 2008 in the Town Square area of Biltmore Park.

[ashevillein]

I hope Diamnond Brand can withstand this, even though I like REI, I prefer local stores.

[Michelle]

This is worrisome. I believe REI is 'coop-owned' i'd still prefer a store that's locally owned.

[rickm]

Nothing like coop at MSRP!

[REI is lame]

REI's whole business plan is based on constant growth--They aren't really a CO-OP.

They get huge discounts because of their bulk purchasing power. Then they sell products at MSRP and use the profits to open more stores.

[Otto]

dude, you get a dividend back if yur a member. after costs and shit, like 80% of their profits get returned. its like adiscount on everything.

[lame is lame]

So REI is Lame, what is a co-op?

[Shop Local]

If everything is about a 10% discount then keep shopping at REI. If not, then come to Diamond Brand Outdoors, talk with real locals and be treated well every time you come.

Having worked for REI-I can tell you they are not a CO-OP, at least not in the pure sense. And they are the Wal Mart of the outdoor industry.

[Jake]

Shop Local wrote:

If everything is about a 10% discount then keep shopping at REI. If not, then come to Diamond Brand Outdoors, talk with real locals and be treated well every time you come.
Having worked for REI-I can tell you they are not a CO-OP, at least not in the pure sense. And they are the Wal Mart of the outdoor industry.

Very true. Who wants to fight the heavy traffic and interstate construction in Biltmore Park to get to REI??!! It seems ironic that one will need to fight large crowds in order to buy gear that helps them enjoy the secluded outdoors.

[Local Citizen]

Shop Local wrote:

If everything is about a 10% discount then keep shopping at REI. If not, then come to Diamond Brand Outdoors, talk with real locals and be treated well every time you come.
Having worked for REI-I can tell you they are not a CO-OP, at least not in the pure sense. And they are the Wal Mart of the outdoor industry.

The Wal-Mart of the outdoor industry? Dude, you cannot be serious. REI is a company that gives back so much of their profits to the environment, in addition to the untold hours their employees spend on projects to benefit the outdoors.

And what's a "real" co-op? It's usually defined as an organization that seeks to gain discounts from manufacturers on behalf of its members by buying in bulk. At the end of the year, the members split a large percentage of the profits. That sounds an awful lot like what REI does.

You wanna know where the bulk of the money comes from to open new stores? It ain't the profits...it's membership fees from new members. And every time one of those new stores opens, they employ a bunch of "real" locals.

I worked at REI for 9 years, from 1995-2004. It's true that some newer employees at REI might not know as much about climbing or biking or backpacking, but they learn. The people who stick around for a long time are the ones who make the best employees, and there are a lot of those, because REI takes care of their employees. They are a huge part of why REI has been named one of the 100 best companies to work for for about ten years in a row.