The Fourth of July is a great day for Americans. Generally no matter your religion, background, or politics, just about all Americans enjoy Independence Day, especially given it’s a Federal holiday and most people have the day off. Because of this, though, some businesses and stores are closed. For instance, is REI open on 4th of July?
REI is open on July 4th for regular hours. They are closed for major US holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Some days like New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve, they have special holiday store hours. To be certain, always check with your local store specifically.
So if you’re here to learn about whether or not you can shop at REI on July 4th or to find out about related info, I got you covered!
REI- A Brief Overview
REI is a US based company that stands for ‘Recreation Equipment, Inc.’. It majors in selling recreational gear like tents, kayaks, and backpacks, but with a couple of twists.
REI, according to their website, was founded in 1938 by 23 like-minded, outdoorsy friends who wanted to have good equipment for adventures, so they decided to retail it themselves. Now they market to others like them who enjoy adventure but also being so-called environmentally responsible.
Today REI boasts 20 million ‘members’ in their Co-Op program, which essentially gives regular people the opportunity to own part of REI (albeit this is a somewhat debatable claim!). With a paid membership, members get dividends yearly that equates to merchandise discounts. They also have some other perks. If interested, you should definitely check out REI directly!
Some things I noticed though that sets them apart from other ‘adventure equipment retail stores’ are their environmental focus and their experiences options, those ‘twists’ I was referring to earlier.
REI AND the Environment: This means that REI gives back to the community as part of their retail mission. As taken from their site, “we believe in putting purpose before profits.”
Some of their claims to back up their ‘purpose’:
- REI has already reached its goal of carbon emission neutrality-based on their assumptions.
- They’ve set a new 2030 goal to halve its carbon emissions.
- REI says they use 100% renewable energy to power its stores.
- And they only partner with organizations that are similarly committed to the planet.
- They also contributed over 6 million to nonprofits and provided over 112 million dollars back to members in ‘rewards’ just during 2020.
REI AND Community Involvement: Besides the already mentioned charitable and rewards giving from REI, they also foster a community relationship between members and support independent adventurers.
What does this actually look like?
It’s all part of REI’s experience feature. This means people can attend adventures facilitated by REI members. Groups together can hike; climb; sail and so on.
Other articles about holiday store hours like this one:
- Are There Any Gas Stations Open Thanksgiving Day?
- Is Costco Gas Open On Labor Day? (Surprising Answer)
- Can You Get Alcohol On Good Friday? Everywhere?
REI has many price points but the idea is you have reliable and experienced leaders taking small groups on outdoor excursions. Your fee covers all the expenses for the event from equipment to the leader. And while it’s not so hard to find equipment online (here’s an example of an outdoor tent from Amazon), there’s something to be said about someone putting it altogether for you, too.
And you don’t have to wonder what to take when you go on an REI event, because the experts have it all figured out and selected for you.
It’s a great idea for newbies looking to get into outdoor hobbies, but works for busy ‘experts’ too who maybe just don’t have time to do all the prep and legwork beforehand. It’s also good for individuals who don’t have others who enjoy the same thing. This way you don’t have to hike etc. on your own, which could be a risk.
To be perfectly upfront, I have not attended any of these experiences nor do I recommend them, or REI for that matter. I’m just sharing what I’ve learned. However, if this is something you’re interested in, certainly look into what REI has to offer. I think it might be worth your while!
REI AND Taking Action: Now beyond REI’s claims for taking care of the environment, REI also is quite active in politics and issues. On their website, you can learn more, but some of their supports include instant messaging/emails to congress about park access; electric transportation supports; and alternative lifestyle promotions.
So keep that in mind as you consider shopping at REI on July 4th or any day of the year!
Is REI Open On 4th Of July Like Normal?
So getting back to REI and holidays? What are the 4th of July hours for REI?
REI operates as normal on the 4th of July, which means in most places it’s open 9 AM to 8 PM. Sunday hours are 10 AM to 6 PM in most places. This means July 4th REI hours depend on which day of the week it falls. REI follows Sunday hours for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve typically, too.
Of course, keep in mind the above mentioned hours are ‘typical’ but each REI location has some autonomy that coincides with its location. This is particularly true as it aligns with pandemic/CDC related impact.
However, most REI locations, on the other hand, open and close within the given hours said. The majority of REI retail stores open between 9 and 10 AM and close around 8-9 PM Monday through Saturday.
Sunday hours are slightly different, and this is aligned with most all stores on Sunday. Some stores like Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby are known for being closed on Sundays, and of course, many companies are closed on Sunday (like lawyer’s offices; doctors’ offices; and so on).
Even malls are known for having reduced/restricted Sunday hours. Our local mall actually opens only six hours on Sundays, from noon to 6 PM, so REI isn’t alone in having different Sunday operating hours.
But back to our July 4th focus! REI tends to be open as usual on July 4th.
This is because many people are off work on July 4, and children are not required to attend school. As a result, it provides an excellent opportunity for individuals to visit entertainment venues, shop, and and have fun. So REI maximizes on this opportunity and stays open to be available to people.
What Holidays Is REI Closed?
So you may be thinking that if REI is opened July 4th, then may be they’re open on other major holidays. While this seems like a good assumption, it’s not accurate.
REI is closed on major holidays, including Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. They’re also surprisingly closed on an ‘unofficial’ holiday: Black Friday. REI says they ‘opt out’ of the busiest retail day of the year, so employees can enjoy the day outside with family and friends.
So like competitors like Target and Walmart, REI is closed on the main US holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. This makes sense because these holidays see people traveling to be with family and friends and thus, there isn’t much demand for retail. Even most grocery stores close on these days.
However, unlike Target and Walmart, REI chooses to remain closed the day after Thanksgiving too. This is an unusual business practice since it’s a huge retail shopping day for most people. In fact, it’s a tradition for many families to get up super early the day after Thanksgiving (aka ‘Black Friday’) and shop together.
With REI remaining closed, it seems they certainly miss out on some potential sales and also inconvenience their customer base. However, if you really enjoy REI, it could be that you don’t mind the inconvenience, and are fine with saving your ‘adventure purchases’ for the following weekend.
To reiterate: REI is closed Easter Sunday; Thanksgiving Day; and Christmas Day. However, REI operates as usual on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day. Special Note: On New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve most REI stores operate on a ‘Sunday Schedule’ of reduced hours.
Wrapping Up REI Open On 4th Of July
To wrap up this topic, REI stores are generally open as usual on the 4th of July. This means they’ll keep normal weekday hours (typically 8-9AM to 9-10PM) and normal Sunday hours (commonly 10AM-6PM). The main thing to remember though is that it can vary from location to location, so to be sure, you should call ahead at your local REI store to check holiday hours.
On another note, REI closes on major holidays completely, like Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas. Unusual for a retail store, REI also gives its employees Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) off, too.
And New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve usually has REI operating on Sunday hours, reduced from its weekday operation.
For further reading about holiday store hours, try these next:
- Are There Any Gas Stations Open Thanksgiving Day?
- Is Costco Gas Open On Labor Day? (Surprising Answer)
- Can You Get Alcohol On Good Friday? Everywhere?
Sources: Wikipedia; Business Insider
