REI Co-op opens its doors of its new Tallahassee store on Friday, November 11 and invites the community to a three-day celebration filled with outdoor brands, nonprofit partners, afternoon social and more.
Located at 1415 Timberlane Road at Market Square and just off I-10 & Thomasville Road, the 22,000 square-foot store features a wide assortment of top-quality outdoor gear and apparel for camping, hiking, cycling, running, fitness, climbing and more. A specialty bike shop is staffed with certified mechanics to tune or repair equipment.
“Our Tallahassee team is the first store in the Panhandle and seventh in the state,” said Chelsea Vensel, REI store manager. “Whether someone is interested in learning a new activity or a well-seasoned adventurer, we aspire to be at the center of people’s active lifestyles and look forward to supporting the local outdoor community.”
Doors open at 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. on Sunday during the celebration. Giveaways will be available each day while supplies last. An outdoor social is scheduled every afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. with music, nonprofits and outdoor brands including Altra, Black Diamond, Brooks Running, Cascade Designs, ENO, Gerber, Küat, NEMO, Nikwax, Oboz Footwear, Osprey, PROBAR, Sea to Summit, Snow Peak, and Subaru.
REI is the country’s largest consumer co-op with 21.5 million lifetime members. Anyone is welcome to shop at REI and tap into the company’s resources in support of an active lifestyle, but members enjoy a range of benefits. There are more than 13,000 members in the Tallahassee-Thomasville DMA and more than 483,000 members in Florida. The new store joins six other locations in the state – Boca Raton (opened 2020), Gainesville (opened 2020), Jacksonville (opened 2013), Palm Beach Gardens (opened 2022), Tampa (opened 2021), and Winter Park (opened 2017).
REI believes deeply in supporting the long-term health of the outdoors in the communities where it has a presence. The co-op annually invests millions of dollars in local nonprofit organizations to steward trails, waterways and parks and connect people to the outdoors. To celebrate the Tallahassee store opening, REI is investing a total of $20,000 in nonprofits in the region.
Over the last five years, the co-op has invested more than $430,000 in Florida land agencies and nonprofit partners. This year, $82,000 was distributed to 17 nonprofits across the state, including Florida State Parks Association and Florida Trail Association. In addition, REI’s new public charity, the REI Cooperative Action Fund, invests in nonprofits to build a more equitable and inclusive outdoor community. Florida nonprofits included in the initial grant investments were Adaptive Adventures (Tampa and Miami) and Black Girls RUN! Foundation chapters throughout the state including Tallahassee.
About the REI Co-op
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of 21.5 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 178 locations in 42 states and the District of Columbia. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI’s active adventure travel company that runs more than 100 itineraries across the country. In many communities where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops 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 all.
