REI

Twenty-three climbing friends founded Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) in 1938. United by their love for the outdoors, they decided to source quality and affordable gear for their adventures. They came together, imagined new ways to get outside and changed the way people access the outdoors forever.

In 2015, REI Co-op announced in October that it would close its stores on Black Friday, giving its employees the day off to #OptOutside and encouraging others around the country to skip the shopping lines and do the same.
The response was incredible: More than 1.4 million people and 170 outdoor companies, nonprofits and organizations chose to follow suit, shutting their doors and spending that Black Friday outdoors.
Now the company closes its doors every year on Black Friday. It has become a huge movement and annual tradition in the US, to choose nature above shopping.

Nevertheless, over 100 million people in the United States still lack access to quality outdoor space. Over a third of people living in America do not have a public park or space to recreate within a 10-minute walk from home. 
To help close this gap, REI launched the ‘Outside in 5’ initiative in 2023, bringing together its 23-million member community to partner with nonprofits and support legislation to help everyone in America get outside in five minutes, no matter where they live.