REI members who now drive to Columbus or travel out of state to get their fix will be able to buy all their camping, fishing, hiking, cycling, paddling and rock-climbing equipment here.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Outdoors retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. -- better known as REI -- on Thursday confirmed rumors that it will open its first Cleveland-area store in the Pinecrest development near Orange Village in fall 2016.
That means REI members who now drive to Columbus or travel out of state to get their fix will be able to buy all their camping, fishing, hiking, cycling, paddling and rock-climbing equipment here.
REI is also opening a store around the same time in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
"Our continued growth in Ohio and Pennsylvania speaks to the active outdoor lifestyle of both communities," said Greg Medlyn, REI divisional vice president of Retail in a written announcement. "We are excited to open our fourth store in each state and can't wait to better serve local adventurers looking to have fun and explore the outdoors."
Spokesman Mike Ferris said REI is planning a three-day store opening celebration including giveaways, with details to be announced closer to the date.
REI, based near Seattle and founded in 1938, has 140 stores in 33 states, as well as online stores at REI.com and REI.com/outlet, and a free REI mobile app. The company reported $2.2 billion in sales (up 9.9 percent from 2013) and 10,440 employees in 2014.
REI's loyalty program boasts 5.5 million members, who pay a one-time fee of $20 for a share of the company's annual dividends (a record $168 million in 2014), in addition to discounts on programs and merchandise and a 10-percent refund on purchases.
REI said Cleveland is its second-largest market of active REI members without a brick-and-mortar store, with more than 9,500 members in Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland store will be its fourth in Ohio, in addition to two stores in Columbus (at Easton Gateway and Dublin) and and one in Cincinnati.
At 27,000 square feet, the Cleveland-area store will be comparably sized and offer an assortment of merchandise from its catalogs and website, as well as an-store bike shop. The store will also house year-round REI Outdoor School, offering free and low-cost classes on topics like camping essentials, fitness monitoring, backpacking, outdoor photography, and urban emergency preparedness.
As part of companywide efforts to partner with local nonprofits to widen public access to the outdoors, REI has granted $60,000 to six Ohio organizations this year, including Great Parks of Hamilton County, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, and Central Ohio Mountain Biking Organization.
REI's Cleveland store will anchor Fairmount Properties' Pinecrest development at Interstate 271 and Harvard Boulevard and employ about 50 people.
Interested candidates can sign up online to be notified when the store starts hiring. REI has for 18 years been listed on Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For."