Consumers Looking to Avoid Trump Have One Fewer Option in REI

[cbabe]

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/rei-goes-trump

Consumers Looking to Avoid Trump Have One Fewer Option in REI

REI’s leadership has endorsed leaders who gutted public lands, greenwashed their use of AI, deployed a union-busting law firm, and rigged their governance structure to shut out different perspectives.

JULES GERITZ
Apr 26, 2026Common Dreams

In the Trump 2.0 era, many Americans have begun to engage in a new “conscious consumerism”—avoiding the companies that have bent the knee to the president. Data firm Numerator found that 38% of US consumers have participated in some form of a boycott over the last year, and 48% said they would stop buying from a company that had differing political views. Some may have felt that outdoor retailer REI would be an ideal place to shop during this time, a home for like-minded, outdoorsy people who care about the environment.

As an REI worker, I’m still expected to evangelize about REI‘s mission—the outdoors, sustainability, and community. But ever since we started unionizing at REI in 2022, it’s now become a facade. REI‘s leadership has endorsed leaders who gutted public lands, greenwashed their use of AI, deployed a union-busting law firm, and rigged their governance structure to shut out different perspectives. REI, a favorite of outdoor-loving liberals, has gone Trump.

The first public sign came when REI endorsed the Trump administration directly. The executives of the “co-op,” without any direct feedback from the members whose values and opinions they claim to base their decisions on, signed a letter of support for then-nominee for Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, who ended up being confirmed in a vote of 79-18. In the year since his confirmation, Burgum has spent much of his time opening federal lands up to oil and gas drilling and trying to make the “Gulf of America” name stick. While REI’s new CEO has issued an apology since, the damage is already being done.

But throughout our union effort, from organizing to now bargaining, we’ve seen up close how the co-op has aligned itself with President Donald Trump. REI has met our unionization campaign by hiring a law firm with deep ties to pro-business, anti-worker cases, Morgan Lewis. This firm has been contracted to bust unions in everything from Amazon to professional baseball.

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[City Lights]

1. Wow! I had no idea! I will cross REI off of my list!

Thanks for posting this!

[CrispyQ]

2. Pretty sure this is the chain that closed their stores on Black Friday, several years ago,

saying people should get outdoors instead of going to a mall. ???

Maybe not, but wow, I'm sad to hear of this, & even more glad to have a locally owned outdoor gear place to shop.

[Klarkashton]

3. I used to get a kick out of newly minted hikers

That were all kitted up with was walking polls, special hats, fancy sunglass and technical clothing.
REI sells dreams.

[GenThePerservering]

6. OK, some of us have been hiking for years

and still use that stuff?

[Sanity Claws]

4. REI has really changed

I'll never shop there again.

[kimbutgar]

5. I only still have a Amazon prime account because my husband likes to stream movies since he retired

But I have only brought 1 thing from Amazon since Bezos bent the knee to the 🍊🐖💩. I try to buy from blue state sellers on eBay only.

[GenThePerservering]

7. This is tough for me since I've shopped at REI

since it was just one store in Seattle, with employees modeling in the catalog and their once a year sale prompting people to camp overnight on the sidewalk.

I hike up to 50 miles a week along with trail running and this is where I get my hiking gear, and has always been a go-to. Friends of mine work there.

Guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[miyazaki]

8. Saw the prices in an REI store and then promptly walked

the fuck out.

[haele]

9. I remember when REI started going big, they were endorsed by the Sierra Club...

They really pushed the "we're a Co -Op, we care about everything" - one of those places in the late 70's where employees had some serious benefits (including health care and company shares), and were treated as a.valued asset- a job at REI out of HS or while at the University as considered a score! a living wage with management advancement.
But again, that was my (and my fellow HS graduate's) experience from almost 50 years ago.
Corporate Management practices - even liberal co-op and employee ownership business management - and an increased focus on profit has changed a lot of businesses since then.