How REI Created a New Black Friday Tradition

A retailer chose values over profits

What are you doing today?

For many people (especially in the US), today – Black Friday – is a day to grab bargains.

As a young girl, I remember going to the large LS Ayres department store in downtown Indianapolis to buy new scarves and gloves on Black Friday.

The stores opened early – at 8 am – back then.

It would be years later that people would camp outside Best Buy at 3 am to nab a limited supply of cheap laptops or HDTVs.

For most US retailers, Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year.

They are constantly coming up with ideas to lure holiday shoppers into stores on the day after Thanksgiving, with doorbuster deals and extended shopping hours.

But when I heard about a company that decided to do something different on Black Friday, I was curious…

In October 2015, outdoor retailer REI announced a brave – and creative – decision about Black Friday.

Rather than chasing sales, they chose to communicate their values – by closing on Black Friday.

They closed their 143 retail locations, their headquarters, their distribution centers, and their call centers.

They still paid their 12,000 employees for the day – but encouraged them to spend Black Friday reconnecting with family and friends and “OptOutside.”

And they invited their co-op members – and the American public – to join them.

Jerry Stritzke, then-president and CEO of REI, said:

“Black Friday is the perfect time to remind ourselves of the essential truth that life is richer, more connected and complete when you choose to spend it outside.”

At the time, no other large retailer had ever shut its doors on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

REI’s decision to close on the busiest retail day of the year shocked the retail world.

But it also did something else – it inspired people.

More than 1.4 million people followed their lead.

Instead of spending the day in a shopping mall, they opted to spent time outdoors with their family and friends.

Other businesses also closed their stores on Black Friday, and hundreds of state parks opened their gates for free.

REI says they believe that a life outdoors is a life well-lived – and they demonstrated that with their actions.

The #OptOutside movement spread as people shared their photos and stories online.

In 2016, #OptOutside quadrupled.

And REI have continued to close their stores on Black Friday every year since¹ and encourage people to OptOutside with them.

They’ve made spending time outdoors a new Black Friday tradition for millions of people.

And while REI doesn’t want to tie the initiative to business results, closing on Black Friday has not hurt them financially.

In fact, this demonstration that they believe in more than just profits has only enhanced their brand and reputation.

After closing on Black Friday in 2015, REI posted its largest-ever membership growth, and increased revenue by 9.3% to $2.4 billion.

In 2019, they reported their membership had increased 31% since 2014.

Their bold decision to OptOutside was a creative way to show what they stand for and connect people.

It strengthened their brand, their community – and their business.

Wherever you live, I hope you get a chance to opt outside today!

One more thing…

Need some outdoor inspiration?

Check out how REI Co-op members and employees celebrate #OptOutside - from running with college friends to teaching others how to snowboard and connecting with nature solo.

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How Can I Help?

I’ll keep saying it: Communication matters.

If you want to improve your communication (and get all the good things that come with that), I’m your gal.

So many companies could reap massive rewards – from performance and culture to retention and engagement – by improving their communication.

So, if you know someone who could benefit from some help (as even the most seasoned leaders do), please get in touch and check out my website for more information.

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And if you see any communication examples (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that you think are worth analyzing or sharing, please send them my way!

Stay Curious!

-Beth

1. While still paying their employees to enjoy time outside