REI to Set up Camp in Dallas at Half Price Books’ New Retail Space

Half Price Books, the nation's largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain, announces REI as the first retailer to lease space at its new shopping center development. The center will be located at 5929 East Northwest Highway.

The leading outdoor retailer will move its Dallas store, currently located at 4515 LBJ Freeway, to the new 34,000 square-foot space in the spring of 2015. REI sells the top brands of outdoor gear and apparel for camping, climbing, cycling, fitness, hiking, paddling and travel. The new store will also feature a bike shop to offer expert assembly and repair services, and expand the company's classes and programming through REI Outdoor School later this year.

"The new Dallas store will allow REI customers and members to more easily access our products and expert staff, including better public transit options," said Janet Hopkins, REI retail director for the Southwest district. "Combined with a new store in Southlake this fall, we look forward to being an expanded resource for the many outdoor activities enjoyed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area."

"When we decided to develop this shopping center, we wanted a tenant that our Half Price Books customers would love and we feel like we've gotten that with REI," said Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Half Price Books. "REI is a great addition to the Vickery Meadow area and we are excited to bring more great retailers to our neighborhood."

Near Half Price Books' Dallas Flagship store and corporate headquarters, the new shopping center will have an additional 13,000 square feet of space available for other retailers or restaurants. David Lewis of Lincoln Properties and Jack Breard of UCR Urban brokered the deal, while Cunningham Architects of Dallas designed the center.

"We've worked with Cunningham Architects on a number of projects with great success," said Ken Wright, president of Bookmark, a development subsidiary of Half Price Books. "We are excited to partner with them on the design of this new venture."

In addition to the new Dallas store, REI will open a new 22,050 square-foot location in Southlake at Park Village this fall and hire approximately 50 employees for the new store. Interested job applicants can sign up online to be notified when the new location begins accepting applications. The retailer first opened an REI store in Dallas in 1993.

About Half Price Books

Half Price Books is the largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain with 120 retail locations in 16 states. Stores are open seven days a week and buy and sell new and used books, magazines, comics, records, CDs, DVDs and collectible items. Half Price Books has been dedicated to environmental and literacy efforts for more than 40 years and supports hundreds of local, national and international programs. Each year the company sponsors the Half Pint Library Book Drive at each of its stores, donating thousands of books to hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. Half Price Books is a founding contributor to Laura Bush's National Book Festival, a continuing supporter of the National Center for Family Literacy and Feed the Children, and the founder of the environmental website BecomeGreen.org. For more information about Half Price Books, its store locations and corporate initiatives, please visit www.hpb.com.

About the REI Co-op