REI Co-op grand opening festivities set for new Sunnyvale, California location

REI Co-op invites its members and community to celebrate the opening of its relocated store at 130 East El Camino Real through three days of festivities starting Friday, October 29.

While REI Sunnyvale opens its doors on October 22, the grand opening celebration is slated for Halloween weekend. The store will open Friday and Saturday at 9 a.m. and on Sunday at 10 a.m. Giveaways will be available during the morning hours, while supplies last. The co-op will also host an outdoor social every afternoon from 2 to 6 p.m. with music, outdoor gear vendors and local partners. Participating nonprofits include Latino Outdoors, National Forest Foundation, Outdoor Afro, Santa Clara County Parks, Saved by Nature, Sempervirens Fund, and Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. The Co-op’s Camp Monsters podcast team will also share the eerie history behind its new store and hand out Camp Monsters branded giveaways, while supplies last.

"We are thrilled to join the Sunnyvale community after 15 years in Mountain View," said Katie Lafky, REI Sunnyvale store manager. "Our new store is nearly 7,000 square-feet larger than our previous location, allowing our team to better serve the South Bay’s outdoor community and visitors to the region."

Anyone is welcome to shop at REI and tap into the company’s resources in support of their active lifestyle, but members enjoy a range of benefits. There are more than 1.4 million lifetime members in Northern California. Prior to opening, there were nearly 27,000 members in Sunnyvale and 4 million lifetime members in the state.

The new store features a community room that will host classes and presentations next year and be available to nonprofit partners and community organizations as a meeting space. REI Sunnyvale will also have an expanded bike, ski and snowboard shop staffed with certified mechanics to tune or repair equipment.

The store will have health and safety protocols in place designed to maintain physical distance between customers and employees. This includes:

• Limiting the number of people in store. REI Sunnyvale will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Customers may be asked to wait in line outside the store to ensure proper distancing.
• Employees are required to wear face coverings regardless of vaccination status. Customers also need to wear CDC approved face coverings while in the store, per Santa Clara County public health officials.
• Socially distanced queuing at store entrances, footwear, cash registers and specialty shop counters.
• Plexiglass shields at all registers.
• Enhanced cleaning procedures with thorough, frequent cleanings of high-touch surface areas.

For over 45 years, REI has been a part of the Northern California community, with stores from Santa Rosa to Monterey, including the co-op’s second-ever store, located in Berkeley. For those not able to visit an REI store, online resources are available. Anyone may schedule virtual outfitting appointments to receive personalized, one-on-one fit services and how-to’s for a wide range of activities. REI's Expert Advice library offers numerous resources for customers and members to learn new skills, choose the right gear and prepare for outdoor adventures.

Each year, REI invests millions of dollars in local nonprofit organizations to steward trails, waterways and parks and connect people to the outdoors. Over the last five years, the co-op has shared over $4.5 million with local outdoor nonprofits in California. This year, more than $663,000 went to 65 nonprofits in California, including San Mateo County Parks and Recreation, Saved by Nature, and Sempervirens Fund.

To staff the larger location, REI is expanding its store talent by more than 40 percent by hiring part-and full-time associates. In the past several weeks, more than 30 new employees have joined the team. Candidates interested in joining REI Sunnyvale or any local store can apply online at REI.com/jobs. Employees receive a wide variety of benefits, including generous product and service discounts, competitive pay and retirement contributions. REI employees also enjoy unique perks, such as two paid "Co-op Way Days" each year that allow them to enjoy their favorite outdoor activity and an additional paid day off on Black Friday to encourage all employees to #OptOutside.

About the REI Co-op