For those who are already a member of REI, I apologize for pointing out the horridly obvious. For those who aren’t, read on for a great sale and chance to save some big bucks on outdoor stuff.
I’ve been a member of Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) for close to 20 years now and have always really liked shopping at the store. Starting out as a small co-op type operation in Seattle, they now have stores all across the US. Selection is a big part of why I go there as well as their ironclad return policy; if you’re not satisfied with anything you buy, you may return it. Period. I’ve taken advantage of this many times even after having equipment in the field on three or four trips.
As the company is run like a co-op, each member gets a dividend back at the end of the year (actually in March) based on purchases. Typically the amount is 10% of non-sale items purchased during the previous year. If you use a credit card other than the REI card though, it’s reduced a bit. And right now is dividend time! It’s always fun and a bit sad.
Fun, because, well, you get some ‘free’ money to spend. Plus you can choose to take 20% any one full priced item (with some exceptions, like kayaks). I often save up my bigger purchases just for this time of year. This year, I bought a SteriPEN Journey Water Purifier
which I’ll write up in a separate post (preview: it’s really cool!), for free. I know, it’s not really free as it was my money in the first place, but it’s still fun. Not many other stores will give you 10% back, a lifetime guarantee and also be competitive on price. They also have a great outlet store called REI-outlet.com where you can get even deeper discounts on select items. Then there’s the annual garage sale at most stores, where returned items can be had at a fraction of their original price. And on and on and on.
The sad part for me, is usually seeing how much I spent the year before! While it won’t be the case this year, it’s sometimes shocking to see just how much I spent in one store. But most of the time it’s camping gear or something to get me out exploring life and the world around me. Yes, that’s obviously my justification and it works for me. :)
So if you haven’t checked out REI (REI.com) or REI-outlet.com and are into the outdoors or travel, take a look today. I think you’ll be pleased with the selection, information and confidence that comes with shopping at this co-op.
