REI closing on Black Friday

[Rogar]

REI just announced that they will close all of their 140 stores on Black Friday. Their CEO said, "While the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles, we hope to see you in the great outdoors." They are giving all of their employees the day off with pay and will have a cover page on their web site encouraging people to go outdoors. That's refreshing. I buy some of their REI brand products and they are always of decent quality and their online REI outlet has some good deals on off season clothing and other things. And they take returns back on just about anything for a decent reason even if it has been used.

Probably not a perfect business, but a good model for others.

[catherine]

I saw that! I think it's great PR, if nothing else.

I boycott stores on Black Friday, and I also boycott for the Christmas season all stores that open on Thanksgiving. When Macy's started opening on Thanksgiving, I wrote a message to one of my MILs former colleagues in the Retail Department Store Worker's Union and asked if they were doing anything about it, and she said that actually, they weren't, because the store offers double time and some people want/need that as an option. They aren't mandated to work. So that put a slightly different spin on it for me, but I still don't shop at Macy's during Christmas (or Kohl's or any of the growing numbers of stores opening on Thanksgiving).

[Ultralight]

On the rare occasion I buy something, I go to REI if applicable. I am a "member."

I got my Gerber Dime Travel there, along with a tent and a pair of swim trunks. haha

Glad they are at least noting the insanity of Black Friday.

[Rogar]

I actually don't shop much over the Holidays and mostly buy online to avoid the mess. It might be a little bit of a PR move, but I suspect they will not make up for lost sales totally. It just seems like a decent thing to do and a good message to spread.

Regarding Ultras swim suit purchase, as good as the store is, I've not found that they carry speedos that look good on me:)

[iris lilies]

I don't even know what REI is,but that's nice for them.

[Alan]

I don't even know what REI is.......
Thanks for that, I thought perhaps I was the only one.

Edited to add: Curiosity did force me to activate the Google machine to see of we even had such things here in flyover country, and I see that we do! They're even hosting a local Zombie Preparedness Course tonight. http://www.rei.com/events/zombie-preparedness-surviving-a-zombie-apocalypse/cincinnati/126173

How did I miss that?

[Dhiana]

Loved REI before, have been a member for years and love them even more now!

Already marked my calendar to go online and purchase the items on my list on Black Friday.
(but I'm watching for good sales before then, anyway :)

[Gardenarian]

REI is a member-owned (co-op) store that sells high quality hiking, backpacking, and other outdoor gear. (They also have lots of good advice about gear on their website.)

I'm a member, and am happy they chose to close the day after Thanksgiving. It's Buy Nothing Day!

[lessisbest]

Is it too much to hope the novelty of "Black Friday" will just quietly go away? May many others follow their lead.

I've finished my (paid-for) holiday gift-making/buying, and have never participated in the Black Friday frenzy.

[Ultralight]

Festivus!

[Williamsmith]

REI shows you don't have to be immoral to be a successful capitalist. Perhaps if we could get more CEO s with hearts in positions of influence, might be able to turn around the "consume at all costs" attitude that is driving our country to bankruptcy. What ever was so wrong with being thrifty and frugal with our resources?

[iris lilies]

Festivus!For the Rest of us!

[SteveinMN]

REI shows you don't have to be immoral to be a successful capitalist. Perhaps if we could get more CEO s with hearts in positions of influence, might be able to turn around the "consume at all costs" attitude that is driving our country to bankruptcy. What ever was so wrong with being thrifty and frugal with our resources?
"Thrifty" and "frugal" does not keep company sales growing quarter after quarter. Wall Street likes to see sales growing quarter after quarter. And, by now, executive compensation, the retirement accounts of millions of people, and the entire consumption-based economy, hinge on people buying more goods and services.

I saw the CEO of REI on CBS (okay, that's enough acronyms) News and one of the anchors challenged him on whether this really was going to cost them as a company. He allowed as to how most of REI's customers were not the type to line up for door-opener sales on Black Friday. I'd guess most companies which are on the financial ropes (looking at you, Sears/KMart, JCPenney, and Walmart) would not consider doing away with one of their busiest shopping days.

[Dhiana]

The thread on the Millennials would explain a lot about the CEO's decision. They are the future of business.

They value experiences and authenticity. Show you value your employees, customers, etc...don't just say you do.
REI carries much of the quality equipment and clothing for enjoying those experiences Millennials want to have.

[sweetana3]

REI is a "different" type of company that answers to people who are really different from the unknown shareholders. Here is from the company:
Being a consumer co-op, rather than a publicly-traded company, enables us to focus on the long-term interests of the co-op and our members. We answer to you—our members—and run our business accordingly. And it means that we're able to operate a business that plays a vital national role in growing outdoor participation and protecting the environment for future generations.

Anyone may shop at REI, member or not. But co-op members pay $20 for a lifetime membership to join and receive a portion of the cooperative's profits each year based on a percentage of their eligible purchases, among many other member benefits.

[Miss Cellane]

I saw that! I think it's great PR, if nothing else.

I boycott stores on Black Friday, and I also boycott for the Christmas season all stores that open on Thanksgiving. When Macy's started opening on Thanksgiving, I wrote a message to one of my MILs former colleagues in the Retail Department Store Worker's Union and asked if they were doing anything about it, and she said that actually, they weren't, because the store offers double time and some people want/need that as an option. They aren't mandated to work. So that put a slightly different spin on it for me, but I still don't shop at Macy's during Christmas (or Kohl's or any of the growing numbers of stores opening on Thanksgiving).

I don't know when Macy's started opening on Thanksgiving, but when I worked there not that many years ago, you either picked a shift for Thanksgiving Day/Black Friday--or one was assigned to you. If you didn't come in on Thanksgiving Day itself, you were most likely coming in between midnight and 3 am on Friday and working a 10 hour shift. So technically not working on Thanksgiving, but pretty darn close. And the people who put stock out and put up the sales signs? They started work at 5:30 on Thanksgiving morning and worked until they were done--about 4 pm.

It certainly felt as if I had to work. I suppose I could have called out, but that would not have left a very good impression on the bosses.

They did pay time and a half for your entire shift if any part of it was on Thanksgiving, and if you were eligible for holiday pay (worked there 6 months or more) you got that as well. So I think I earned around $160 for a 10 hour shift. And Macy's has an attendance point system, where you "spend" a point or more every time you call in sick or otherwise are late or can't work your shifts. You earn more points by having perfect attendance for a month--then you earn another point. If you had perfect attendance from the middle of November to the end of December, you earned 6 points, where ordinarily you would earn about 1.5. So there were some advantages.

The store did provide pizza and soda and cake and coffee all night long, with doughnuts appearing in the wee hours. The pizza place and the doughnut shop were open all night long as well, so there's a domino effect there.

I'd have rather had the sleep I was missing. Many of the customers were demanding and rude. We sold out of one size of something that was on sale with a free gift, and spent most of the night explaining to angry customers that we simply didn't have any more. They weren't happy.

I didn't shop on Black Friday before I worked there, and I still don't. I think it's a made-up gimmick. And there's starting to be research that shows that opening on Thanksgiving doesn't really help sales all that much.

[Williamsmith]

Miss Cellane.......were you represented by a Union when you worked at Macy's?

[Float On]

NPR article this morning talked about how there would be less retail on Thanksgiving Day this year but they expect an uptick in on-line sales.

[Cypress]

I saw the headline on REI but thought it said they were closing all their stores. As in, out of business. I can understand not opening on Thanksgiving Day, but not on Black Friday. I think I should read the article to understand. If you are in sales, than Black Friday is an important sales day. I'm cool if they keep the hours normal and don't offer those enticements at 5 a.m. or all that, but to not open on a traditional busy shopping day doesn't make sense to me.

[ToomuchStuff]

Count me among those that had/have no clue what REI is.
That said, they have to know their customer base, as well as their employee base (customers happy, verses employee moral). And they have probably made some calculation that they will get positive advertisement and response out of this.

That said, last year I posted something that is still in my photo albums.

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1451&d=1417189304

[bae]

REI is one of my go-to stores for many specialty goods, and I've been a member forever. Whenever I drive through Seattle I stop in at the mothership, where they let me test out climbing/rescue gear on the climbing wall.

And I love the profit redistribution check every year :-)

[Miss Cellane]

Miss Cellane.......were you represented by a Union when you worked at Macy's?

Oh, dear lord, no. IMO, Macy's is terrified of unions. I got two days of training, all done by video. There was a separate, half-hour video of the evil of unions and how to report anyone trying to start a union or raise interest in a union to management. This was a long video, considering how short some of them were, even ones on topics much more important--like how to use the cash register.

Unions were portrayed as something evil, something that you'd want to report, so that one would never form at your store. I found the video humorous in its heavy-handed attempts to propagandize against unions, but I'm sure many employees take it seriously.

The thing is, about not being forced to take a shift on Thanksgiving. This was true. If you didn't select a Thanksgiving shift, you were assigned a Friday shift. The "catch" was that those Friday shifts started when the opening shifts were ending--so they started at midnight or 2 or 3 or 4 am. And you would get no overtime pay.

So there was that "choice," but everything about pay and and the hours you would work and attendance points was very slanted towards working on Thanksgiving. But technically, Macy's could say that no one was forced to work on Thanksgiving against their will.

And don't get me started on the store staying open until 2 am every night the week before Christmas. Maybe in New York City, there are people who go shopping at Macy's at 2 am. In the wilds of New Hampshire, this stunning decision resulted in six employees circling an otherwise empty store, desperately trying to stay awake.

[catherine]

Oh, dear lord, no. IMO, Macy's is terrified of unions.

Some Macy's stores certainly have a union--my MIL was the Vice President of the Local 1-S of the RWDSU in the NY area. She was a fantastic representative for worker's rights, and they had great benefits.

[Miss Cellane]

Some Macy's stores certainly have a union--my MIL was the Vice President of the Local 1-S of the RWDSU in the NY area. She was a fantastic representative for worker's rights, and they had great benefits.

Oh, I know some stores do have unions. I was just very struck by how hard Macy's works to keep unions out of the rest of their stores. They stressed that a union will charge you dues, maybe even $200 a month, and give you back nothing. There was truth in the video, but a lot was left out. And unions were made to look like vultures that just wanted to take your money, but couldn't guarantee you anything. It was all spin.

[JaneV2.0]

Best Black Friday visual ever: the line of "door busters" snaking down the block at the Oregon Humane Society. They regularly find homes for 250+ pets per week. I remember when they were a dismal high-kill shelter. No more--they're a great example of what can be done.

The PNW in general does a good job of spaying, neutering, rehabilitating, and rehoming pets, and providing education and other resources to the local population. We have excellent organizations like Fences for Fido http://www.fencesforfido.org/ and we regularly take in unwanted animals from other states via Wings of Rescue:
http://www.wingsofrescue.org/ --Just in case anyone was looking for a holiday giving opportunity. :)

[catherine]

Best Black Friday visual ever: the line of "door busters" snaking down the block at the Oregon Humane Society. They regularly find homes for 250+ pets per week. I remember when they were a dismal high-kill shelter. No more--they're a great example of what can be done.

The PNW in general does a good job of spaying, neutering, rehabilitating, and rehoming pets, and providing education and other resources to the local population. We have excellent organizations like Fences for Fido http://www.fencesforfido.org/ and we regularly take in unwanted animals from other states via Wings of Rescue:
http://www.wingsofrescue.org/ --Just in case anyone was looking for a holiday giving opportunity. :)

I was just last night introduced to Fences for Fido when they won the Pet Organization of the Year Award on a show I just happened to land on--All-Star Dog Rescue Celebration on Fox. It was definitely all-star--I couldn't believe all the celebrities that they got to show up (or videotape) for this show. If you love dogs, it was very compelling to watch. I was crying my way through most of it.

[JaneV2.0]

I watched that, too--alerted by several animal rescues on Facebook. I only watched an hour of it, but I was impressed by all the efforts on animals' behalf. I can't believe after all these years that people haven't got the message about spaying and neutering--if you can't afford a low-cost spay or neuter operation, you can't afford a pet.

Because Fences for Fido is a Portland based organization, people I know have volunteered for it or suggested likely candidates for a fence. I really can't believe people are chaining animals in this day and age, either. I guess I'm naive.

[Teacher Terry]

We usually adopt out 1000 between Thanksgiving & Christmas due to all the aggressive & unique ideas that the Humane Society does. It is awesome!

[cdttmm]

Another REI supporter here. I noticed their #OptOutside campaign gained some solid traction on social media yesterday, too. That was gratifying to see. It was an absolutely gorgeous day here in New England yesterday and with the number of people hiking at the nearby state forest, one might think there was no one out shopping!

Our local (no kill) animal shelter also held their "Black "Fur-iday" event complete with Five Dollar Felines yesterday to encourage people to adopt adult cats. I haven't seen a final tally on the number of pets that were adopted, but I suspect it was a huge success.

I haven't participated in Black Friday in more than 2 decades. I much prefer to view the day as Buy Nothing Day, although I have lots of those. But I go out of my way to avoid buying even routine things, like gas or groceries, on that particular day.

[JaneV2.0]

If I get another cat, it will be an older model--like Henry Ford's cars, basic black. (Of course, if I actually get to the point of choosing one, or letting it choose me, all bets are off.)

[sweetana3]

Jane, Indy has FIDO, Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside. They help get dogs off tethers/chains. They also have taken over responsibility for the pet food pantry.

We now have three black cats. Newest one, QT or Cutie, is a 2 year old but chose us even though we wanted a kitten. Turned out she was starving on what she was getting in the free roaming cat room and to top it off appears to have ringworm. She is our project cat.

[bicyclist]

The decision of REI to close on "Black Friday" is just a small gesture in the retail universe but I hope it will inspire its' members and other people to do something else more meaningful and environmentally conscious besides shopping on that day. The meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas has long been lost due to the pressure on people to buy stuff. I hope this can be become a trend!

[Miss Cellane]

The Mall of America is closed on Thanksgiving this year. :)

And here's a list of stores that are also closed: http://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2016/10/24/a-major-change-many-stores-will-be-closed-thanksgiving-including-nordstrom-dillards-and-costco/#5312e7c82705

Mind you, Macy's is opening an hour earlier than last year.