REI

REI, 31 Schenck Pkwy, Asheville, NC 28803, USA,

Category:	Camping Store
Address:	31 Schenck Pkwy, Asheville, NC 28803, USA
Phone:	+1 828-687-0918
Site:	rei.com
Rating:	4.2
Working:	10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 11AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 11

Andrew Plemmons

I was excited to visit this store. Theres a lot of hype over REI in the outdoor communites online. Im not feeling it though. Most things about the store were great. The curation of what they carry is just lost on me. This place is all about some nylon, polyester synthetic $300 paper thin clothing for frumpy middle class white people, a flashlight section that is almost completely AA and AAA powered in the time of rechargeable high performance L-ion lights and a really limited selection of hiking boots. If you want a pair of $20 socks, theyve got the socks in stock! If youre a more practical and rugged type, you wont like what theyre selling. The prices are at a premium for the brick and mortar store, the service and the return policy. On larger items the markup is less intense percentage wise. On some smaller things an extra $5-10 on a $15 item is overboard. I was in the market for boots, a flashlight dehydrated food and premium socks. Left with nothing.

Jamie Dillingham

I always come here to hang out and talk with the employees and get good ideas, and they are happy to help even if you arent gonna buy something right away. Phenomenal Staff who go above and beyond to deliver the products that you want and need to for the specific type of camping or outdoor activity you are planning. They also give great tips and tricks on what to do depending on the situation. Enos are cool, I bought mine, and I bought a Nalgene Water Bottle with the co-op logo. They even have the water bottle/canteen sanitizer solution for when yours starts smelling like dysentery, or something that dish soap and vinegar just wont help with. They have bear spray that they keep in the back, I just wish they sold a smaller trial or travel size. You guys are great! Keep doing what youre doing and Ill keep coming back.

David Richards

The good: REI is an excellent source of information and quality goods. Great quality, knowledgeable staff, great in-store events. They really are an asset in this regard. The bad: I got burned by them however because they tell you that you get 10% back as a dividend when you are a member. In fact they strongly persuaded me to buy my tent on that basis and now that the dividend has come - oops, tent not eligible. I suspect that they tell the sales staff that everything counts so they will sell you a membership. In fact. they even said "your membership is basically free because of the dividend check youll get from this tent!" So, do not trust in the dividend when you shop there. I spent $280 and got a dividend of $3. Would I go back? Of course. Its a great shop. Just dont trust the membership offer.

Craig Brooks

NOT DOG FRIENDLY ANY MORE. Went into the Asheville NC store today with my Boykin Spaniel, a lady with short gray hair immediately asked me if my dog was a service dog, I said no and she told me we had to leave. She stated that it was a new policy that they were enforcing. There was a non service dog that was much larger 10 feet from us and two other dogs in the store that we could see from the front door. My dog was calm and polite. It was discriminatory, rude and embarrassing for the staff member to treat us that way. I called the manager and he said he was sorry and that was the store policy now. Go to Diamond Brand just down the road, they are dog FRIENDLY. In fact they will hold your dog while you try stuff on.

Parker Peterson

The sleeping bag display is very comforting and a great overall hiding spot. The staff are very warm and helpful, but not superficially nice like you see all too often today. Some things might be a little expensive, but I was grateful to receive a seemingly random gift card in the mail for $100. I"m also glad that it is a co-op and that Im a part of it. Just like at the French Broad Food Co-op, when you are looking for something here, you can ask an employee, "Do WE have ..." instead of "Do you all carry..." It makes a big difference in how it all feels. Something feels a little corporate though, just basing that on a feeling, not a fact. Perhaps it is my own skepticism... Overall cool beans though :D

Christopher Monkaitis

This place is a rip off. $100 for a poncho jacket. $400 for a tent that had three poles bend due to wind on the first use. $90 for a foldable camping chair that broke twice. First time it broke they replaced it, but I had to give them $5 more because the same chair went up in price since I had bought it. When the second chair broke they told me that their incredible policy of replacing broken items was no longer a company policy and Im out $95. If you charge that much for junk then atleast replace it when it breaks. I could go on. There are way better outdoor companies with better quality products for less.

shawn heater

All the REI stores are great but the Asheville store is phenomenal. This is due to the fantastic customer service from everyone I encountered. A special thanks to Chris, who helped my wife and I immensely. He set up backpacking tents so we could see the size and layout differences,showed my wife how to use sleeping pads and was as friendly as could be. What a great experience. I will gladly drive 100 miles to go to this store versus 20 miles to go to one closer to the house. 8/10- Went back today to purchase a tent. A big thanks to Claude. Another very helpful staff member.

Rhonda Egerton

The REI bike shop is by far the best service and value in town! The guys and gals in the shop are super knowledgeable about all kinds of bikes. The turn around time was amazingly short, drop it off Thursday ready on Friday afternoon. The day I picked up my mountain bike I immediately went for a ride and unfortunately crashed my bike and broke the right swifter, I took the bike back to REI bike shop and they fixed it right then in 20 minutes and $13 dollars later I was out the door. I will keep telling all my bike friends about your amazing bike shop.

jennifer wallin

Beware...the Asheville NC store states that mens boots on their website filtered to rei store vs rei outlet...pricing ending with .73 cents is outlet only prices and stock. Dont waste your time... as far as the 100% satisfaction guarantee..better off to google Keens and checking them out...You sure will save on price..and they stand behind their product..just email them a pic.

Victor HD

The spot where you can get the essentials for basically anything you do outdoors. Definitely need to sign up for their membership program! Literally only 20 bucks and it lasts a lifetime. You get to do these garage sales they do. Where they sell you returned items usually like at 50% or more. Pretty dope store to be honest. Oh also its 2 floors VHD

Paul Lemieux

Ive been an REI member for several years and will continue to be for as long as theyre around. REI has a great selection of gear at reasonable prices and a generous 1year no questions asked return policy. Thats hard to beat folks. The bike shop is top notch and is the only place I trust my bike repair and maintenance to.