REI racks up record year selling outdoor gear

Tue., March 24, 2015

Two floors of merchandise are featured at the flagship Recreational Equipment, Inc. store in Seattle, March 13, 2006. Started as a basement co-op in 1938 by Seattle climbing buddies, Recreational Equipment Inc. has grown to become the powerhouse in specialty outdoor retailing. In 2005, the co-op cleared $1 billion in sales. In 2014, sales hit $2.2 billion. (Associated Press)

By Rich Landers richl@spokesman.com (509) 459-5508

OUTDOOR RETAILING — The funky economy couldn’t keep outdoors enthusiasts cowering for long.

Recreational Equipment, Inc., says its sales soared to $2.2 billion, up 9.9 percent from 2013 — the biggest annual increase since 2010, when the Kent-based retailer and its customers were bouncing back from the recession.

See the story by the Seattle Times.

The REI Co-Op was founded in 1938. Jim Whittaker, who became the first American to climb Mount Everest in 1963, became REI’s first full-time employee and was CEO in the 1960s.

A more recent REI CEO, Sally Jewell, is U.S. Secretary of Interior.

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Outdoors Blog." Read all stories from this blog