REI Co-op to hold grand opening celebration in Albany, New York on August 23-25

SEATTLE – REI Co-op officially opens its new Albany store on Friday, August 23 and invites the community to a three-day celebration filled with giveaways, outdoor brand activations, an afternoon social, music, and more. 

The new store is in Crossgates Mall, just off the Adirondack Northway. The 25,000 square foot space will offer a wide assortment of apparel and gear for camping, cycling, hiking, running, fitness, paddling, snow sports, and more. For those that love cycling and snow sports, certified mechanics will be available to help tune and repair gear at the full-service bike, ski, and snowboard shop. 

“It is very exciting for REI to be opening in Albany. The co-op is a great fit for the capital region, especially with so many existing members already here,” says Albany store manager Richard Byrne. “The store’s proximity to local and state parks, natural resources, and the Adirondacks provides great access to the outdoors. My team and I look forward to fostering community relationships through stewardship and volunteerism. We can't wait to meet the community at our grand opening weekend.” 

For the grand opening celebration, REI’s doors open at 9 a.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. An outdoor social is scheduled for each afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. featuring music, nonprofit and vendor activations, and more. There will be free coffee for members who join for the morning activities. Exclusive camp mugs will also be available with a donation to a local nonprofit being announced soon. Nonprofits and brands attending the weekend’s events include Parks & Trails New York, Altra, Hydro Flask, Saucony, Nikwax, Smartwool, Black Diamond, Snow Peak, Osprey, Darn Tough, Brooks Running, Kuat, HOKA and more. Daily giveaways will be available, while supplies last. 

REI is the country’s largest consumer co-op. Everyone is welcome to shop, participate in classes, and learn from REI’s expertise. Co-op members enjoy an even wider range of benefits, including free U.S. standard shipping, member coupons and discounts, free machine ski wax services, a used gear trade-in program, an annual member reward of 10% back on eligible purchases, and more.  

The Albany-Schenectady-Troy area already has over 42,000 co-op members, with approximately 743,000 in New York. The Albany store is REI’s sixth in the state. The closest store is REI West Hartford, Connecticut (122 miles away). Additional New York stores include Manhattan/SoHo (159 miles away), Rochester, New York (222 miles away), Carle Place (173 miles away), and Huntington Station (184 miles away). REI Ithaca opened earlier this summer and is 160 miles away. 

New members join a growing community that fights for a life outside. With each new membership purchased, the co-op donates $5 to support the REI Cooperative Action Fund. Launched in 2021, the community-supported nonprofit is fueled by donations from REI members, customers, employees, foundations, and corporate partners – including REI Co-op. The REI Fund provides support to nonprofit organizations across the country doing essential work to create a more equitable outdoors for everyone. As part of the grand opening, the REI Cooperative Action Fund in partnership with the REI Albany store team will award $10,000 to local nonprofits working to create a more equitable outdoors. Beyond local investments made for the grand opening, REI Co-op has invested $605,000 in New York nonprofits since 2019. 

About the REI Co-op