(KMSP) - Outdoor retailer REI is once again closing its doors on Black Friday and encouraging everyone to get outside the day after Thanksgiving. REI has been named by Fortune Magazine as one of the top 100 companies to work for.
REI’s Black Friday closure last year inspired the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to offer free admission to all state parks as an alternative to spending the day battling crazy crowds at the shopping mall. The car counter at Fort Snelling State Park last year had already reached 400 by lunchtime. Usually on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the park gets around 150 cars passing through its gates.
REI message to members
Dear members and friends,
For eight decades our co-op has been dedicated to one thing: a life outdoors. That's why last Black Friday we put purpose ahead of profits, closed our doors and paid our employees to head outside. And 1,408,117 of you skipped the stampedes and joined us. Our values haven't changed. This year we're closing again. And together we can create a new tradition—millions and millions of people celebrating in our parks, on the trails, in the mountains and on the water. But we can't do it without you.
So consider this your invitation. On November 25, REI will close our doors and #OptOutside. Will you go out with us?
Yours,
Jerry Stritzke
President and CEO
READ THIS NEXT - Mall of America closed on Thanksgiving
- Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the nation, will be closed on Thanksgiving Day this year. The mall will re-open at 5 a.m. on Black Friday.
“Thanksgiving is about families,” Mall of America senior vice president Jill Renslow said. “And we wanted to allow or employees to spend holiday with their families.”