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Education is in retailer REI's mission, officials sayOutdoors co-op opens Chattanooga store in East Brainerd
REI CO-OP
The Seattle-based company posted 2017 sales of $2.62 billion, up 2.55 percent over the prior year. It returned $196.3 million to members through dividends and credit card rebates, according to REI.
REI's new Chattanooga store is more than just another retail location for the company, but a place where people can learn about their next outdoors adventure, officials said Friday.
"Education is in our mission," said Jacqueline Harp, store manager of the 25,000-square-foot REI Co-op site located in the Waterside development off Shallowford Road.
Harp said that REI, which opened for the first time Friday morning, has dedicated space inside the store where it offers classes and shows outdoor films.
REI spokeswoman Caitlin Goettler said employees offer a lot of expertise to shoppers. The classes it provides on topics ranging from biking to backpacking to camping differentiates it from competitors, she said.
Goettler said the corporate structure of REI, which stands for Recreational Equipment Inc., is different as the company is a member-owned co-op. People may pay for $20 lifetime memberships and own a small piece of the business, she said, receiving dividends based on their purchases.
New to the Chattanooga market, Seattle-based REI has eyed the Scenic City for years, Harp says.
"It has been a desired location for us for a long time," she said, estimating that it costs about $2 million to open a new store.
Employing 62 people, nearly all from the Chattanooga area, Harp said REI officials like the new store's location amid all the other shopping opportunities in the Hamilton Place mall area.
In addition, she said, the store is located next to Interstate-75 and has easy on and off access to serve people who are traveling to hike the Great Smoky Mountains, for example.
The store at 2507 Lifestyle Way has an assortment of gear as well as a full-service bike shop. The retailer, which will have its grand opening next Friday, provides a custom-fit station to fit a backpack to a customer's body, Harp said. The store also offers a variety of hiking and trail-running footwear, and it has full lines of men's and women's clothing along with some children's gear.
The company is donating $40,000 to four area nonprofits. The groups are the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, Wild Trails, Lookout Mountain Conservancy and Southeastern Climbers Coalition.
Nationwide, REI has about 147 stores in 36 states. It calls itself the country's largest consumer co-op and it employs about 12,000 people.
The company's new store joins grocer Publix and retailer Burlington as part of $40 million in new commercial and other space that ultimately will come to the Waterside project, according to developer Branch Properties.
The Embassy Suites hotel and Mellow Mushroom restaurant are located at the Shallowford Road entrance to Waterside.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.