REI CEO Eric Artz said the outdoor gear retailer would end its Experiences unit, which offered adventure classes and trips, and lay off 428 workers.

After 40 years of providing adventure travel, day tours and classes, outdoors retail co-op REI will shut down its Experiences business.

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.

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 announced the closure of its Experiences division, affecting over 400 employees, as it shifts focus to core business areas.

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 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.

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.

REI Co-op, the beloved outdoor retailer, announced Wednesday that it would be closing its Experiences division. Known for providing classes, selling group travel excursions, and operating various tours for 40 years,