Best online store for quality outdoor and travel gear. Annual patronage rebate!
Written: Aug 10 '04 (Updated Aug 11 '04)
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If you're looking for serious outdoor equipment and clothing, REI, Recreational Equipment, Inc., is one of the retailing world's great treasures. I "joined up" more than 30 years ago when loyal members still called it "The Co-op." And it was originally set up as a cooperative by Seattle area climbers who wanted to pool their resources to buy equipment at lower prices.
In a world of huge, impersonal corporations, REI has struck a balance between running an efficient business and retaining the cooperative structure. Anyone can shop at REI, but you will save money and get other benefits by becoming a member. Lifetime membership costs only $15, a real bargain, especially compared to the $50 annual fee charged by some "membership" stores.
A benefit of the co-op structure is that REI annually rebates about 10% of the amount of your purchases to you as a "patronage dividend."
REI has always had a relatively small number of stores, so it's always done a lot of catalog business. I still look forward to receiving each of its seasonal catalogs. With a loyal catalog customer base, REI ventured into the online world with its web site www.rei.com .
The Web Store
The web site is very well organized into major categories including camping/backpacking/hiking, climbing, cycling, paddling, snow sports, cross training, fishing, travel, men's clothing, women's clothing, kids' clothing, footwear, books/maps, tools, optics, and other specialized equipment like GPS.
If you know exactly what you want, it's easy to home in on it fast through subcategories (such as the tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, etc. subcategories of the camping/hiking category) or through a keyword or catalog number search.
If you have only a vague idea of what you want, for example a family camping tent, REI.com will help you choose by giving you a table of side-by-side comparisons of all the choices. You can also sort the alternatives by brand and price.
Once you decide on a particular item, you'll usually find a very complete description and list of specifications, a good sized picture, and a list of color choices including color swatches.
Beyond that, the shopping experience is fairly typical. You add and remove things to/from your shopping cart and eventually check out using a credit card. Several shipping alternatives are available at pretty reasonable prices, and orders usually ship within 24 hours. You can print out the final order page to keep as a record, and REI also sends you an email documenting the order. REI also provides online status and shippers' tracking numbers. A new service allows you to pick up your order at the nearest REI store with no shipping cost.
Unlike many online stores, REI never calls you to apply pressure to buy other items or to switch you to more expensive items. Backorders aren't often a problem, but when an item isn't immediately available, REI is careful to inform you of the fact and to offer you alternatives. They've always delivered my backorders at the time they promised. Each catalog item also has suggestions for other items you might find useful, for example, a fitted ground cover when you buy an expensive tent.
Shortcomings of the Web Store
Although the presentation and decision support offered by the web store are top notch, there are no customer reviews a la amazon.com . And the suggestions of related items, all of which appear to be useful, don’t seem to be based on actual customer purchasing behavior.
Balanced against the quality of presentation and amount of information, these problems are minor.
Why Join REI
The main benefit of becoming an REI member is the patronage refund. Every year, REI refunds roughly 10% of their purchase amounts to members: if you spent $100, you get $10 back. You can immediately use the refund for purchases at REI or get cash after a few months.
As a member, you can also apply for a US Bank REI credit card, a no fee card that pays 1% cash back on all purchases. REI reduces your patronage dividend a bit if you pay with any other credit card, but it gives a full refund if you use the REI card.
Members also get discounts on various REI in-store services and travel programs.
Bottom Line
If you're in the market for outdoor equipment or clothing, REI.com is my number one recommendation because of its well organized and presented web shopping experience, very large selection, competitive prices, patronage refunds for members, and quick shipping.
Related Links
The REI Visa card carries no annual fee and pays 1% cash back. For my review, click: REI Visa card.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? All my outdoor gear: tent, backpack, bicycle, skis, clothing, etc.
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Member: Jim J
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Reviews written: 190
Trusted by: 78 members
About Me:
#7 in Personal Finance, #14 in Travel. My goal? Saving you money.
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