REI opens here next Friday in the Ridgeway Trace Center at Poplar and I-240.
The 23,000 square-foot store has taken shape in the space that once housed Sports Authority. The shopping center is also home to a Target, Best Buy, and more.
REI is a specialty outdoors store, headquartered in Seattle, Wash. It claims to be the largest consumer co-op in the country with a dedicated following of more then 17 million members.
The store offers outdoor gear, expertise, classes, and trips. It has 152 stores in 35 states and Washington, D.C. The Memphis store, REI’s first in the city, will employ 50 and include a full-service bike shop.
“People in Memphis love the outdoors, whether it’s biking, paddling or camping,” said Annelise Danielson, REI Memphis store manager. “We are excited to join this community and help connect people in Memphis to a life outdoors. We’ll offer the best gear for the activities they already love, and in-store workshops for those who want to try something new.”
Starting in September, REI Memphis will offer in-store workshops including camping basics, backpacking basics and women’s kayaking basics.
To celebrate the new store, REI Memphis will host a party next weekend with free breakfast, music, games, giveaways, and REI Outdoor School programs. The activities begin at 8 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Events end at noon on all three days.
The first 250 people (age 18 and up) through the door on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will receive a water bottle with a $10, $50, or $100 REI gift card inside. Doors open at 10 a.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
REI has partnered with Ghost River Brewing on a limited-edition India Pale Ale, Happy Herd IPA. REI and Ghost River Brewing will donate 10 percent of beer sales to Shelby Farms Park Conservancy.
The company has also donated $20,000 to three Memphis nonprofits: the Wolf River Conservancy, Overton Park Conservancy, and Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. Funds will support trail restoration and other improvements.
