In an effort to be authentic and setting themselves apart from other retailers, outdoor apparel brand REI announced it will be closed on one of the busiest shopping days of the year – Black Friday.
The closure includes all 143 stores and its ecommerce channel. The brand said on its Facebook page it is paying employees to #OptOutside.
REI CEO Jerry Stritzke spoke with CBS This Morning about why the the company made this decision.
According to CBS This Morning, Stritzke said in an email to employees, “While the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles, we hope to see you in the great outdoors.”
“We have a takeover screen that covers up our online site and encourages to opt outside as well,” said Stritzke in the video.