REI is ready to open its doors in SLO. Get a sneak peek inside the new store
The opening of REI’s long-awaited San Luis Obispo store is finally here — and a sneak preview reveals a modern, open space stocked with backpacks, tents, bikes, rock-climbing gear, clothing and more.
REI Co-op will hold its grand opening Friday, with doors opening at 10 a.m. for the 22,000-square-foot facility located at the SLO Promenade.
This weekend’s activities will include a host of promotions, including a free water bottle with a $10, $50 or $100 gift card for the first 250 people through the door, according to store officials.
And an afternoon social will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday — with free food, music and games in the parking lot.
The new business is located next door to Sprouts Farmers Market.
Local members of the consumers’ co-operative have long lobbied for an REI presence in SLO County, said store manager Michael Caponio.
“SLO County members have been asking about it for a long time,” Caponio said. “When we scout locations for a new store, one of our main considerations is looking at areas with high membership but no store nearby.”
The next-closest REI stores are in Santa Barbara, Monterey and Clovis.
Members pay $20 to become invested in the co-op, earning them a vote on REI’s board of directors, coupons, and a share in the company’s profits though annual dividends. But you don’t have to be a member to shop at the store.
“We have a very unique business model,” Caponio said. “We give about 70 percent of our profits, whether it’s redistributing to employees, members or community partners. I can’t think of any corporation that does that.”
Regular SLO store hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The store has 44 employees.
What the new REI has to offer
The store sells a wide range of gear. A sampling of the inventory includes:
▪ Hiking backpacks ranging from about $170 to $350
▪ A large selection of bikes priced from about $400 to $2,300
▪ Clothing items such as a $25 REI T-shirt and a $250 Columbia jacket (Patagonia jackets are available as well).
About 50 percent of the store’s inventory is clothing, including a wide selection of hiking boots.
Customers needing repairs on their bikes or skis can visit the in-house service shop, whether the item was purchased at the store or not, Caponio said.
Equipment rentals are available as well.
Customers can also arrange for personal gear outfittings with a store expert to ensure proper fit and comfort.
“If someone’s torso is longer than usual or they need adjustments on straps, they can set up an appointment to get a fitting,” Caponio said.
REI also offers outdoor education programs. In SLO, those will include a Trailside Bike Repair Workshop, a Map and Compass Navigation Basics Class and a Gourmet Camp Cooking Workshop.
The store also prioritizes investment in outdoors nonprofits, giving more than $900,000 in 2018 to California organizations to “steward local trails and public lands, and connect people to the outdoors.”
Already, the store has invested $20,000 in two local nonprofits, The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo and the Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers (CCMB), donating $10,000 each.
“One of our missions is to grow participation in the outdoor community,” Caponio said. “Most people spend about 95 percent of their time indoors, and the SLO area has so much to offer that’s outdoors close by.”
More hires could come in the spring
REI’s staffing is set for the near future as the store braces for a wave of customers excited to see to its new location.
The store had hundreds of applicants for its hired new positions. Caponio, a 15-year REI employee who came to SLO from a Brooklyn store, called the number of SLO job candidates “a little overwhelming.”
But come springtime, Caponio expects to add more hires, possibly about 10 more positions.
Caponio said REI was founded in 1938 in Seattle by avid climbers who wanted to share in acquiring quality climbing gear at reasonable prices, while helping others do the same.
Today, REI has more than 18 million members, including 4 million in California, and 157 stores nationwide. It also has a travel company that offers more than 250 itineraries across all continents, according to store officials.
“In every community where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to-advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities,” the store said in a statement.
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