REI Co-op Shutters Its Experiences Business

REI Lays Off 438 Employees, Shuts Down Experiences Division
More than 400 employees will lose their jobs as REI closes its Experiences program, ending the adventure travel and outdoor education programs that have been part of the retailer’s identity for 40 years.
REI shutters experiences business, eliminating hundreds of jobs
More than 400 employees will be let go as part of the decision. CEO Eric Artz said the 40-year-old experiences division was unprofitable.
REI Shutters Experience Division Known for Excursions, Tours, and More after 40 Years
REI Co-op, the beloved outdoor retailer, announced Wednesday that it would be closing its Experiences division.
REI to lay off over 400 employees in elimination of business division
Any customers who have Experience trips or programs booked will receive a full refund of costs paid to REI. These aren't the first layoffs REI has enacted in recent years. In January 2024, the company laid off over 300 employees. In early 2023, the company also laid off 167 people.
REI Co-op Shutters Its Experiences Business After Nearly 40 Years, Lays Off 428 Employees
After nearly 40 years, REI Co-op is shuttering its Experiences business, effective this week. Biden blocked US Steel's $14 billion sale to Japanese giant Nippon Steel, creating new uncertainty for an iconic American steelmaker. With this move, 428 employees — including 180 people in full-time roles and 248 part-time guides — will be laid off.
REI Exits the Adventure Tourism Business
REI Experiences was launched in 1987, then branded as REI Adventures. In 2022 the company rebranded this to REI Experiences, stating that it hoped that the new name would be less intimidating and encourage growth. It discontinued tours outside the United States in early 2020, citing costs even before the pandemic.
Struggling REI cuts hundreds of employees, axes tour and events business
Affected full-time employees will receive their full salary and benefits through March 9. Workers who split time between the stores and the events, classes and tours business — known collectively at REI as Experiences — may be able to stay with the company, depending on the store. REI has more than 16,000 employees.
Oregon employees laid off as REI announces elimination of Experiences division
President and CEO Eric Artz said the division served less than 0.4% of the company’s 40,000 customers in 2024.
REI exits 'Experiences' businesses, laying off hundreds
REI is cutting hundreds of jobs as the Issaquah-based co-op eliminates its "Experiences" division.
REI closes tours and events division amid latest round of layoffs
The latest cuts mark the fourth round of layoffs for REI since October 2023, as the business struggles to return to profitability. Previous layoffs affected corporate employees and some retail positions,
REI cutting 438 jobs as it closes travel, tours division
Seattle-based REI announced on Wednesday it was closing the company’s Experiences division and eliminating the jobs of 438 employees.
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REI's Layoffs Sized Up by Outdoor Industry Authorities
REI Co-op's decision to shut down its Experiences business and lay off 428 employees caught many in the outdoor industry off ...