I hate Black Friday. Being at a store in a sea of sleep-deprived shoppers to find bargains would likely make me lose a little faith in humanity. REI, the outdoor retailer, decided to stand behind its core value:
“We believe a life outdoors is a life well-lived.”
While the rest of the world is fighting it out in store aisles, REI hopes to see you in the great outdoors.
REI is closing all of its stores on Black Friday and paying its employees to be outside.
We’re passionate about bringing you great gear, but we’re even more passionate about the experiences it unlocks for all of us. Perhaps John Muir said it best back in 1901: “thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home.”
We think Black Friday is the perfect day to remind people of this essential truth.
Is this a move about ethics and corporate value? It sure seems that way.
OptOutside will not be cheap for REI.
It will forego sales. Black Friday is one of its top ten days for sales.
REI will pay nearly all of its 12,000+ employees for the day off. I assume there be some employees still working to keep operations running.
It may even have to pay fines or breach its leases to its landlords at shopping malls. Many retail leases in shopping centers requires stores to be open with the rest of the stores.
Other big retailers taking an ethical stance against Black Friday are merely stopping short of opening on Thanksgiving. REI is standing behind its core values.
I think I will join the stance. I’m already planning a Black Friday bike ride, far away from shopping malls.
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