US-based speciality outdoor retailer REI Co-op is relaunching its membership programme, including new lifetime benefits that “make it easier for members to engage with the organisation”.
In the first major update to membership in its 84-year history, the co-operative says it is making it easier for members to “make the most of every experience outside and be part of a community that supports a new outdoor culture”.
“REI was founded in 1938 by 23 friends who shared the belief that a co-operative enabled a more rewarding outdoor life,” says Vivienne Long, REI senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
“That love for the outdoors continues to drive our interest to strengthen our connection with members. We have the opportunity to provide our members with so much more. Our relaunch is the beginning of a new chapter for the co-op and represents the first step of many toward a member experience overhaul that has community engagement at its core.”
Some of the new benefits for members include free shipping within the US, a 20% discount for bike and snow gear servicing (tire repairs and ski/snowboarding machine wax service are free), member-only used gear offerings and new collections that will include a “curated set of products just for members that will launch each month, such as brand collaborations, limited editions, early access and special offers”.
Alongside this, members receive an annual return through Co-op Member Rewards (typically 10% of eligible purchases each calendar year) and discounts on equipment and activities. Members can also participate in REI Conversations, an online community.
For each member joining the co-op, REI plans to donate US$5 to the REI Cooperative Action Fund, a community-supported public charity introduced in 2021 “to harness the collective power of the co-op’s members and employees to build a more equitable and inclusive outdoor community”.
The Fund supports organisations that are focused on connecting people outside, creating space outside and centring health outside. REI expects to donate more than $7 million (£5.2) to the Fund over the next 12 months through the membership program. In 2021, the Fund invested $1 million (£750,000) in 19 organizations across the country.
“REI’s membership relaunch comes after more than a year of planning and research,” says Ms Long. “We heard from a diverse group of potential members who shared that the new program has broad appeal to be part of a broader community and creates the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
“Membership is the best way to experience REI Co-op because it provides a lifetime of boundless discovery.”
Today, REI has 20 million lifetime members, with plans to grow to a 50-million-member community by 2030. It has 174 locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia.
