Two years ago, we started a new tradition.
We opted out of Black Friday, closed our stores and invited the world to #OptOutside with us.
This year we’ll be closing again and paying all of you to spend the day outdoors!
It’s a choice we make to show the outdoor life we love matters more than a day of sales.
And to invite others to share in the experience, providing inspiration and tools to help people, from all backgrounds, enjoy life outside.
#OptOutside 2017 This year we are handing #OptOutside over to the millions of people who choose to #OptOutside, everywhere and every day.
Fueled by the participation of the outdoor community, we will make this information available for free, to all.
We are sharing community-generated images and experiences that inspire all of us to #OptOutside.
For the month leading up to Black Friday, we’ll be sharing new videos created entirely from community #OptOutside experiences.
Thank you for bringing #OptOutside to life for so many people.
Author: Jerry Stritzke / Source: REI Co-op Journal
Editor’s Note: On October 29, REI Co-op CEO and President Jerry Stritzke wrote to employees about #OptOutside 2017.
Two years ago, we started a new tradition. We opted out of Black Friday, closed our stores and invited the world to #OptOutside with us. In 2016, we shifted the focus of #OptOutside to our hundreds of nonprofit partners who build trails, protect public lands and connect people with natural places. Since 2015, seven hundred organizations and seven million people joined in.
What started as a moment, became a movement. This year we’ll be closing again and paying all of you to spend the day outdoors!
As we embark on year three, I want to pause to reflect on why we do this.
Closing our doors on such a huge sales day in the world of retail is a bold decision—but it’s what the co-op is all about. It’s a choice we make to show the outdoor life we love matters more than a day of sales.
We do it so we can take a breath…
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