REI Co-op’s first Alabama store will open in Huntsville in fall 2019

SEATTLE – REI Co-op is opening its first location in the state of Alabama, bringing a wide assortment of quality gear and expertise for the region’s most popular outdoor activities to Huntsville in fall 2019. The new 20,000 square foot store will be located in MidCity Huntsville, a new experiential, midtown district at the intersection of University Drive and Research Park Boulevard. Similar to other communities REI serves, the co-op plans to invest in Alabama’s outdoor community, working with local nonprofits to steward and maintain local trails, parks, and more.

“Huntsville is a growing outdoor community with proximity to areas like Blevins Gap, Rainbow Mountain, the Tennessee River and Guntersville Lake,” said Gail Kirkland, REI retail director for the Southeast district. “With more than 11,000 active REI members in the state of Alabama, we are excited to continue to grow in the South and invest in this community.”

REI Huntsville will be located just off U.S. Highway 72, at the north end of MidCity Huntsville. The new store will also have direct access to MidCity Park, a 40-acre public space with a trail system, lakeside dock and outdoor amphitheater. The park and accompanying retail space is currently being developed by Huntsville-based RCP Companies, and is expected to be complete in 2019. REI Huntsville joins 12 other REI stores in the South, with existing locations in Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

REI Huntsville will offer workshops to connect people to a life outdoors. A national leader in outdoor experiences, REI helped more than 375,000 people across the country to get outside through classes and events last year.

REI is a member-owned co-op, offering top quality gear, expertise and experiences to connect people to a life outdoors. While anyone may shop at REI, members pay a lifetime $20 membership and share in the company’s profits through an annual dividend. In addition, REI actively works with nonprofits across the country to protect wild places and invest in spaces for outdoor recreation. The co-op annually gives back nearly 70 percent of its profits back to the outdoor community, and in 2018 is investing $8.8 million in more than 400 nonprofit organizations across the country.

Join the REI team

Candidates interested in joining the REI team at any local store can apply online at REI.com/jobs. In 2019, REI expects to hire nearly 50 employees at the new store in Huntsville. New employees will receive a variety of benefits, including generous product and service discounts, competitive pay and retirement contributions. For 21 consecutive years, REI has been recognized as one of Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

Store facts

• Address: 5903 University Drive Northwest (approximate)
• Square footage: 20,000 square feet
• Open date: Fall 2019
• Active members: 3,500 in Huntsville; 11,400 in Alabama

About the REI Co-op