Specialty outdoor retailer REI Co-op will open in Ithaca, New York in summer 2024. The store will offer a wide assortment of apparel, gear and expertise for camping, cycling, running, fitness, hiking, paddling, climbing, snowsports and more. In addition, certified mechanics will tune and repair equipment through a full-service bike, ski and snowboard shop.

Specialty outdoor retailer REI Co-op will open in Ithaca, New York in summer 2024. Courtesy of REI Co-op

“We look forward to being a resource to the outdoor community, including 23,600 REI members, and those who are active across the Finger Lakes region. Today, our nearest store is more than 90 miles away from Ithaca in Rochester,” said Sonny Russell, REI regional director. “As we do in every community where we have a presence, REI will also establish partnerships with nonprofits doing incredible work to protect natural places and create belonging in the outdoors.”

Store Facts

• Address: South Meadow Marketplace at 742 South Meadow Street, Suite 200 Ithaca, NY 14850
• Store Size: approximately 17,000 square feet
• Features: Full-service bike shop and ski and snowboard shop, buy online-pick up in store, and curbside pickup
• REI membership: 23,600 co-op members in Ithaca, 708,000 members in New York
• Closest REI store: Rochester, New York (92 miles away, opened 2017)
• REI stores in New York State: Carle Place (250 miles away, opened 2011); Huntington Station (260 miles away, opening fall 2023), Manhattan/SoHo (224 miles away, opened 2011), and Rochester (92 miles away, opened 2017)

As the country’s largest consumer co-op, anyone is welcome to tap into the expertise of REI’s store staff and online resources such as its Expert Advice library to learn or advance skills, plan adventures, and more. Members who join the co-op enjoy a range of benefits, including a used gear trade-in program called Re/Supply, discounts on shop services and experiences, an annual Co-op Member Reward of 10% back on eligible purchases, and more.

REI’s philanthropy efforts are centered on the belief that the outdoors should be a place where everyone can be themselves, access opportunities, and connect with their community. Locally, REI staff identify regional organizations whose missions focus on improving access to outdoor recreation places, as well as those connecting nearby underrepresented communities to time outdoors. More broadly, the co-op partners with state and national nonprofits that advocate for policies to protect the outdoors, for everyone. Last year, these combined efforts equated to $6.9 million invested in 503 nonprofits.

The co-op also runs a publicly supported charity called the REI Cooperative Action Fund. The community supported nonprofit partners with nonprofits to build a more equitable outdoors. REI store teams also can recommend local nonprofits to receive support from the REI Fund. To learn more about recipients in New York visit https://www.reifund.org/grantees/locations.

Join the REI team 
REI expects to hire approximately 50 employees for Ithaca. Candidates interested in joining the team can apply online at REI.com/jobs and learn about the general hiring timeline. Candidates can set a job alert on the co-op’s career site to be notified when positions post. All employees receive a wide variety of benefits, including generous product and service discounts, competitive pay and retirement contributions. REI employees also enjoy unique perks, such as two paid annual “Co-op Way Days” that allow them to enjoy their favorite outdoor activity and an additional paid day off on Black Friday to  #OptOutside. REI is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that enables a life outdoors for everyone. The co-op seeks candidates who demonstrate shared values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism.

About the REI Co-op
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of 23 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 182 locations in 42 states and the District of Columbia. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI’s active adventure travel company that runs more than 100 itineraries across the country. In many communities where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to—and steward—the outdoor places that inspire us all.