REI to Bring Outdoor Expertise to Fort Worth, Texas, in 2016 and Relocate its Rockville, Md., Store in 2017

SEATTLE, Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the next two years, REI, a specialty outdoor retailer and the nation's largest consumer co-op, will open a new store in Fort Worth, Texas, in the spring of 2016 and relocate REI Rockville in the spring of 2017. The moves form part of REI's work to continue to invest in communities that have a passion for living life outdoors.

Both locations will feature the top brands of outdoor gear and apparel for camping, climbing, cycling, fitness, hiking, travel and paddling, and the stores' bike shop will provide cyclists with expert assembly and repair services. The stores will also offer expert advice from in-store guides and expanded classes and programs through REI Outdoor School.

"We are always looking for new ways to help local communities get outside and play," said Greg Medlyn, REI's divisional vice president of Retail. "Whether you're hiking at Eagle Mountain Park or cycling the C&O Canal, we've been engaged in the outdoor communities in Fort Worth and Rockville for years and look forward to continuing to connect these communities to the outdoor places they love."

The trailside, riverfront location of the new Fort Worth store will serve more than 3,000 active REI members in the area and help bring the local outdoor community together. The 24,500 square foot store will be located at Waterside, a development committed to community and sustainability with several outdoor activity areas, including a trailhead with a bicycle repair and air station, chilled filtered water for re-fillable bottles, an internal trail system, paddling activities and an urban garden.

Co-op members and customers can conveniently access the new Fort Worth location between Interstate 30 and Interstate 20 at the intersection of Bryant Irvin Road and Arborlawn Drive. With nearby stores at Southlake, Plano and Dallas, which was recently relocated to the Northwest Highway just east of US 75, the more than 80,000 active members in the region will have four co-op locations to visit.

REI Rockville will relocate to a larger store at Pike & Rose to expand its offerings to more than 52,000 active members in the region. The two-story, 36,000 square foot store will be located less than one mile from the current location and will be situated at a major intersection with nearby access to the White Flint Metro station. The new location will also allow for quick and easy access to outdoor adventures with several trails and parks located within three miles, including the historic Rock Creek Park.

There are currently more than 215,000 co-op members in the greater Washington, D.C. area who visit stores at Tysons, College Park and Bailey's Crossroads, in addition to the current Rockville location. A fifth store will open in the region in the fall of 2016 with the new flagship location at the historic Uline building in Washington, D.C.

Learn a New Activity

As a national leader in outdoor education, REI Outdoor School offers a wide variety of free and low-cost in-store classes, field programs and day outings for cycling, paddling, fitness, hiking and camping, climbing, snow sports, photography and wilderness medicine. The new locations in Fort Worth and Rockville will build on the regions' already robust educational programs taught by expert instructors.

Access to Outdoor Places

In addition to outfitting and inspiring members for a life outdoors, the co-op also partners with nonprofit organizations to invest in the infrastructure that makes life outside more accessible to the community. REI will invest $5.9 million in over 300 nonprofits across the country to increase access to more than 1,000 outdoor places in 2015.

Locally, REI has granted $80,000 to seven organizations in the greater Dallas area this year, including the Dallas County Audubon Society, Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association and Friends of the Trinity Strand Trail. In Rockville, REI has partnered with local nonprofits for over a decade and invested $200,000 in 13 organizations throughout the greater Washington, D.C. area this year.

Join the REI Team

Candidates interested in joining the REI team at any local store can apply online at REI.com. Employees receive a variety of benefits, including generous product and service discounts, competitive pay and retirement contributions. For 18 consecutive years, REI has been recognized as one of FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For."

About REI

REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation's largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of 5.5 million active members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 142 stores in 33 states. If you can't visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI.com/outlet or the free REI shopping app. REI isn't just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 150 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI's Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to–and steward–the outdoor places that inspire us.

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