REI Co-op has revealed its expansion plans for 2025 and early 2026, which includes stores in six states.
New York, California and Washington will be the outdoor retailer’s brick-and-mortar expansion focus for spring 2025. As for New York, REI will open a 25,300-square-foot store in Amherst at The Boulevard, which is located at 1701 Niagara Falls Blvd. The retailer currently has six stores in New York, and the Amherst will serve the greater Buffalo area.
In California, REI is relocating its Encinitas store to Carlsbad. The new store, which will be located in the La Costa Town Square at 3415 Via Montebello, spans 28,000 square feet. REI stated all interested REI Encinitas employees will move to the new Carlsbad store. Also, REI will open a 25,002-square-foot store in Chico at Chico Crossroads, located at 2101 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.
Currently, REI has 11 stores in Southern California and 10 in Northern California.
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The remaining store for spring 2025 will be located in Lynnwood, Wash., which is a relocation of its Alderwood store. REI — which has 11 locations in the state — said the store will span 39,480 square feet and will be located at Alderwood Parkway Plaza Shopping Center at 19500 Alderwood Mall Parkway.
As with its California store relocation, REI stated all interested employees at the current store will move to its Lynnwood location.
In summer 2025, REI stated it will open a store in Durango, Colo., a 22,000-square-foot location south of the downtown corridor at 40 Turner Dr. The other for the season will be located in Elk Grove, Calif., a space that spans 22,127 square feet in the Laguna Gateway Shopping Center at Laguna Boulevard and West Stockton Boulevard.
REI also announced two stores for 2026. One will be located in Prosper, Texas, a 23,848-square-foot store at The Gates of Prosper. The other will be located in St. George, Utah, a 22,800-square-foot space at St. George Place on 855 South Bluff St.
“Our store employees are the heart of the co-op, and they welcome everyone to experience our product expertise, resources and inspiration in support of an active lifestyle,” REI vice president of stores Mary-Farrell Tarbox said in a statement. “Cities that will have new stores represent communities that serve as a gateway to some of the country’s most incredible natural places and where our members currently live or destinations where they love to play outside.”
REI stated each store will offer apparel and gear for camping, hiking, cycling, run and fitness, climbing and more, and will feature a full-service bike shop staffed by certified mechanics to work on mountain, road, hybrid or e-bikes.
The Amherst, Durango and Lynnwood stores, according to REI, will also operate seasonal ski and snowboard shops manned by technicians to work on downhill skis, cross-country skis, backcountry skis, snowboards or splitboards. And the St. George store, the retailer said, will offer Nordic ski hand tuning and snowboard mounting.
REI confirmed it will have 10 stores opened by the end of 2024, as well as the expansion of its San Diego location. There are three more store openings scheduled for November, the retailer stated, including College Station, Texas; Louisville, Ky.; and Tulsa, Okla.
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
