Why I love REI

[Brambor]

ems in Maine

blows. REI could just blow right by them. LL Bean now resorted to making lesser quality knockoffs with great warranty. Cabellas is ok but not nearly serious enough for a seasoned backpacker. Patagonia outlet has sales that are great and they always compete well for my attention. So does North Face. In short - There is a chance for REI in New England but stupid people are known to buy crap so beware before you move in and Dicks Sporting goods beats you in sales

 

[mtruman]

Received the below message from Peter Sachs, General Manager of LOWA Boots:

I'm really glad you looked into this Darren. I was going to send a message to Lowa about my experience and then decided it just wasn't worth it. After hearing the explanation from Peter (which pretty much matches what the manager at REI told me) the whole situation with my issue seems more reasonable. If Lowa is selling their boots to REI at a price that includes REI handling any warranty issues then it isn't really reasonable to expect that they are going to make exceptions for cases like mine. In 99.9% of the cases the boots were sold new by REI and they will take them back forever if there are any issues and either give you a new pair of boots or your money back. They don't just do this for the term of the 1 year manufacturer warranty - so on the whole it's way better for the buyer. REI sells all top brands so they haven't yet resorted to the LL Bean approach mentioned. And the bottom line is that in my case Lowa did the right thing by not making an exception and REI went above and beyond to give me my money back on an as-is bargain. Nothing to complain about there.

Now off the the Cranston REI garage sale this morning to see what new bargains await...

 

[bubba]

Received the below message from Peter Sachs, General Manager of LOWA Boots:

My take was that Peter is a reader and responded to the bad press rather than Darren contacting him. Goes to show the clout this website carries through it's exceptional readership!! Nice to know.

 

[una_dogger]

I've been a member since 1970. I hated them when they first opened a store in NY, Nyack I believe, because then I had to pay NYS tax. .

Sure you aren't thinking of the New Rochelle store? (It closed I think in '98 or '99).

 

[mtruman]

My take was that Peter is a reader and responded to the bad press rather than Darren contacting him. Goes to show the clout this website carries through it's exceptional readership!! Nice to know.

Don't know why that didn't occur to me. Clearly a lot of clout in the hiking community through the readership here. Interested in the details in this case now.

BTW - came up empty at the garage sale today for the first time ever. Wasn't quite so much of a zoo either. Perhaps because the last one was only a month ago.

 

[DougPaul]

My take was that Peter is a reader

Not necessarily... Perhaps someone who knows him or someone high enough in the company forwarded it to him. Same effect, even if the cause might be different.

Doug

 

[sardog1]

Does anyone know why REI hasn't opened any stores in NH? Competition with EMS? It would seem that the proximity to the mtns would be a selling point but obviously not. I like the products but would not buy something without trying it on. Traveling to Reading and then paying MA sales tax is not a great option. I emailed the headquarters but never got a reply.

Ahhh:
"Memories
Pressed between the pages of my mind
Memories
Sweetened through the ages just like wine
. . . "

EMS acquired an independent outdoor retailer in a St. Paul suburb, called the "Lob Pine", sometime in the 70s. I worked there after the acquisition for a couple of years. REI came to town (during my tenure) and opened a store -- less than a mile away. This "coincidence" occurred in a metropolitan area that had a population at the time of something like 2.2 million. It took a few years, but the construction of a "flagship" level REI store in a southern suburb sealed the deal. Bye-bye EMS.

And something similar happened earlier, when the Easterners extended their reach beyond their grasp to Colorado. Only I think it was the locals, not the Seattleites, who beat them back there, if memory serves.

EDIT: I've been an REI member since the 80s. It would be very nice to see them hereabouts in the Granite State.