As more and more stores have extended their hours from early Black Friday into Thanksgiving Day over the past few years, there’s been increasing backlash against the trend.
Here’s a new twist: The outdoor goods purveyor REI has announced all their stores will be closed on Black Friday. Smart marketing move knowing what will appeal to their clientele? Personally, it’s a thumbs up from me but I shop online mainly anyway.
"This Black Friday the co-op is doing something different. We’re closing all 143 of our stores. Instead of reporting to work, we’re paying our employees to do what we love most—be outside.
We want you to be the first to hear—not just what we’re
doing, but why.
We’re passionate about bringing you great gear, but we’re even more passionate about the experiences it unlocks for all of us. Perhaps John Muir said it best back in 1901: “thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home.”
We think Black Friday is the perfect day to remind people of
this essential truth.
And don’t worry, you’ll still enjoy great deals on great gear all holiday season long. But on this one day, we’re going to #OptOutside and we want you to join us.
While the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles, we hope to see you in the great outdoors. Visit optoutside.rei.com and you’ll discover great ways to #OptOutside from
coast to coast.
Let’s get out there,
REI
P.S. If you’re not an REI member, we’d love to have you join the co-op. And if you have friends you want to encourage to #OptOutside, please pass along this invitation. There’s plenty of room out there for all of us."
It either will be a great success or a huge flop .
I guess the latter because there will be so many shoppers in the malls that day who WONT know the reason REI is closed .
Here is why it might work for them. Most REI stores, at least in my area, are not attached to a mall and require a separate trip. People who head to REI for turkey deals are outdoorsy types who plan their REI trips, not typical mall shoppers. I bet they will also have gigantic posters on their store windows starting early November telling shoppers to take a hike. Plus, the online campaigns. And there is almost a guarantee that they will have great online deals…
I’ll know this is really spreading when companies like Best Buy do it. I used to work in an IT role for them, and they have pretty much 24/7 coverage from Wed night thru Saturday night. And I don’t mean on call, but on site. Sucked.
My only black Friday shopping is done in local small businesses. I am real against shopping on Thanksgiving or the wee hours of the morning of black Friday either. There are so few family holidays that aren’t revolving around commercialism…this is why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Food and family. Everything else can wait in my book . I hope REI sets a trend
Love this approach! I just read my email from them. As most REI shoppers have a membership, and thus the store has an email as well as snail mail tie to members, a large number of customers will know about it.
Back to the Best Buy example, it is by a long shot their biggest shopping day of the year. We will all be ice skating in Hades before they close on that day. Until people stop shopping in stores on that day, anyway.
Plus, the online campaigns. And there is almost a guarantee that they will have great online deals…