REI Co-op Memphis opening sooner than expected

Abigail Warren | Memphis Commercial Appeal

Show Caption Hide Caption The great outdoors could lead to great success for women According to outdoor retailer REI, at least.

Recreational Equipment Inc. Co-op is set to open its doors Aug. 24 in the space once occupied by Sports Authority in Ridgeway Trace Center near Poplar and Interstate 240, company officials confirmed Wednesday.

The company previously said the 23,000-square-foot space west of Target would open Oct. 9.

"Usually, (REI grand openings are) a party in the parking lot – with vendors, free music, food and free REI Outdoor Classes," Caitlin Goettler, REI public affairs associate, said in an email Wednesday.

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The store's logo is on the building despite the company's website not having a Memphis location. A banner is on a fence outside announcing "REI Coming Soon."

The company is currently hiring, and officials hope to have a majority of their employees from the Memphis area, according to Annelise Danielson, the Memphis store's manager.

The company, headquartered in Kent, Washington has 153 locations across 36 states. Brentwood, Knoxville and most recently Chattanooga are the other three Tennessee locations.

The only mention of a Memphis store on the company website is in a press release about Chattanooga's store opening last month. The press release said the Memphis location would open later this year.

According to Danielson, the store targets markets where their members are located, and 86,000 REI members in Tennessee helped the decision to open in Memphis.

Unlike other sporting goods stores in the area, REI is a member-owned co-op. While anyone may shop there, members pay a $20 lifetime membership and share in profits.

Every year, the company donates 70 percent of profits to the outdoor community. When Chattanooga opened its store, REI donated $40,000 to local non-profits committed to the outdoors.

"Our goal is to make meaningful investments in the communities we serve," Danielson said in an email. "Last year, we donated $57,000 to nonprofits in Tennessee. We will announce our Memphis-area nonprofit partners as we get closer to the store opening."

Efforts to reach a representative with Weingarten Realty, which owns Ridgeway Trace were unsuccessful.