why is rei closed on black friday
REI is closed on Black Friday because the company made a values-based decision to reject the “doorbuster” shopping rush and instead encourage employees and customers to spend the day outdoors through its Opt Outside campaign.
Core reason REI is closed
- REI created the Opt Outside initiative in 2015, choosing to close on Black Friday and pay employees to spend time outdoors instead of working the busiest shopping day of the year.
- The company frames this as a stand against Black Friday “mass consumerism” and a way to align its brand with outdoor recreation and environmental-minded values.
How the Opt Outside policy works
- On Black Friday, REI closes all its retail stores, distribution centers, call centers, and headquarters, and treats the day as a paid day off for employees.
- Customers can still place online orders, but REI delays processing and fulfillment until the following day as part of the statement that this day is not about shopping.
From experiment to permanent tradition
- REI first tried closing on Black Friday in 2015, initially deciding on a year‑by‑year basis whether to repeat the move.
- In 2022 the co-op announced that Opt Outside would become a permanent, ongoing employee benefit, committing to close every Black Friday going forward.
What message REI is trying to send
- Public statements from REI leadership describe the move as an effort to “ditch the chaos and mass consumerism of Black Friday” and focus instead on time outside and community values.
- The policy doubles as brand differentiation: being one of the only large retailers closed on Black Friday reinforces REI’s identity as an outdoor-focused, purpose-driven co-op rather than a typical big-box chain.
Recent updates and “latest news”
- REI continues this practice each year; announcements in 2023 and 2024 confirmed it would again close all locations on Thanksgiving and Black Friday while paying tens of thousands of employees to Opt Outside.
- Coverage notes that REI’s stance stands out even more as other retailers extend hours or start sales earlier, keeping the topic trending each holiday season for people searching “why is REI closed on Black Friday” and related news.
TL;DR: REI is closed on Black Friday because of a long-running Opt Outside campaign that rejects Black Friday consumerism, gives employees a paid day outside, and reinforces the co-op’s outdoor-first brand identity.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.