REI Co-op set to open new store in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

REI Co-op is celebrating the opening of its new 22,400-square-foot store in Silver Creek Plaza on the pike, offering a wide assortment of top-quality outdoor gear and apparel for camping, hiking, climbing, cycling, paddling and more. Located at 6391 Carlisle Pike, the store will also have a specialty bike, ski and snowboard shop staffed with certified experts to tune or repair equipment.

REI Mechanicsburg opens its doors to the public on Friday, October 1. REI members and the community are invited to join the three-day grand opening celebration. The store will open on Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. and on Sunday at 11 a.m., with giveaways while supplies last. REI will host an outdoor social every afternoon from 2 to 6 p.m. with music, outdoor gear vendors and local partners. Participating nonprofits will include Friends of Michaux State Forest (a chapter of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation) and Susquehanna River Trail Association.

"We are thrilled to join the Mechanicsburg community and support the active lifestyles of local residents as they play and explore in the Cumberland Valley and beyond," said Austen Rose Keller, REI Mechanicsburg store manager. "Whether trying a new activity or heading out on a familiar trail to bike, hike or run, we have the gear and expertise our members and outdoor community need to get outside."

REI is the country's largest consumer co-op, with 20 million lifetime members. While anyone is welcome to shop and tap into the company's resources in support of an active lifestyle, members enjoy a range of benefits. Perks include an online used gear trade-in program in exchange for REI gift cards; discounts on experiences, classes, rentals and shop services; a share of the co-op's annual profits based on qualifying purchases; and more.

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 Mechanicsburg will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 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. Because the CDC has designated Cumberland County as a high transmission risk, customers are asked to wear CDC approved face coverings while in the store.
• 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.

REI has been part of the Pennsylvania outdoor community since opening its first location in Conshohocken in 1991. With more than 400,000 REI lifetime members in the state, REI also has stores in King of Prussia (opened 2016) and Pittsburgh (opened 2005).

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 invested over $490,000 to local outdoor nonprofits in Pennsylvania. This year, $104,000 went to 14 nonprofits, including Let's Go Outdoors, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Pennsylvania Parks and Forest Foundation, Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership and Trail Pittsburgh.

About the REI Co-op