LYNNWOOD — REI is closing its Alderwood mall location after 21 years in favor of a new, larger space in an outdoor shopping center in Lynnwood.
The move is part of REI’s plan to expand retail operations nationwide as it aims to improve its financial footing. The current store at the mall will close 3 p.m. Sunday, vacating the location it has occupied since 2004.
Officials of Brookfield Properties, which manages the mall, did not respond to requests for comment.
The new 39,480-square-foot store — almost double the footprint of the current location — will open 10 a.m. March 28 in the Alderwood Parkway Plaza Shopping Center, 3000 184th St. SW, Lynnwood. The location used to house a Dick’s Sporting Goods outlet.
The new REI will employ 71 workers — 12 more than work in the current mall store, REI spokesperson Megan Behrbaum said.
The larger floor plan will mean more variety for customers, she said. “Every department will increase in size, which means more gear and apparel options for customers.” The store will have a larger bike and ski shop, as well as a community room.
Behrbaum said the new store will have a grand opening April 4-5. She said the two-day celebration will include 25 outdoor vendors.
The REI store in Lynnwood is the first of six new stores the company plans to open in 2025, including three in California and one each in upstate New York and in Colorado. Two more stores are planned to open in 2026 so far.
In a letter to employees on Jan. 6, company CEO Eric Artz said the company needed to focus on its core business selling outdoor merchandise in stores and online.
“Our roots are in the gear and apparel we sell and the outdoor moments they enable,” he said. “This has been the core of our business for 86 years, and I believe when we stay focused on what we do best, we can and will succeed.”
The letter came as Artz announced the layoff of all 180 full-time employees and 248 part-time employees in REI’s Experience division. The layoffs included 67 employees in Washington.
The Experience division focused on multi-day nature trips, day hikes and various classes focusing on outdoor skills.
REI was near making a pre-tax operating profit in 2024, Artz said in the letter but did not release any figures. In 2023, the company reported $311 million in losses.
Artz blamed the 2023 loss in part on REI’s s co-op structure. Members receive 10% back on eligible purchases after paying a $30 lifetime membership. The company paid $200 million in rebates to members in 2023.
REI is the largest retail co-op in the U.S. with 25 million members.
Randy Diamond: 425-339-3097; randy.diamond@heraldnet.com
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