REI Co-op expands southern stores to the state of Alabama

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Sep 12, 2018

Outdoor goods company REI Co-op will open its first Alabama store in fall of 2019.

The new 20,000 square foot store in Huntsville, Alabama will be located by the city's MidCity Park, a 40-acre recreation area with a trail system, lakeside dock and outdoor amphitheater.

Boosting REI's commitment to preserving the outdoors, the co-op plans to donate to nonprofits that maintain local trails, parks, and other natural areas.

“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.” 

The new Huntsville store joins other Rei stores located in the southern United States, including Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.  

Rei has 152 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Each year, the company gives approximately 70 percent of its profits to programs that benefit outdoor recreation spaces, donating a recorded $8.8 million to American nonprofit organizations in 2018.