Instead of opening their doors as American families are still digesting their ritual turkey, outdoor adventure retailer REI is bucking the holiday shopping tradition this year by keeping the doors closed on all 143 of their stores on Black Friday, encouraging their co-op members to #OptOutside on the annual shopping “holiday.”
In an email to co-op members Monday, REI announced that instead of opening their doors at the crack of dawn to eager bargain hunters the day after Thanksgiving, their stores will remain closed on Black Friday, instead paying their employees to “be outside.”
“We’re passionate about bringing you great gear, but we’re even more passionate about the experiences it unlocks for all of us,” REI said in an email to its membership. “Perhaps John Muir said it best back in 1901: ’thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home.’ We think Black Friday is the perfect day to remind people of this essential truth.”
The email closed by promising that great deals would abound all season, but they were encouraging their members to #OptOutside on Black Friday.
“While the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles, we hope to see you in the great outdoors,” the store said.
• Jennifer Pompi can be reached at jpompi@washingtontimes.com.
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