REI

Reviews 7

ED

Eduviges Lopez

Obviously REI has high quality merchandise. What they dont have is a conveniently located fitting room, or a way to divide those fitting rooms. Or, come to think of it, a way to indicate if a fitting room is in use or not. I was waiting for twenty minutes for a fitting room to open up so I could try on sports bras (which obviously I couldnt try on just out in the open), and had a room rudely stolen from right in front of me when I asked a sales associate if she knew if a room was occupied or not. The sales associate was worse, telling me that "obviously" none of the rooms were available, before turning her attention to another customer who had previously asked for her assistance. I was also prevented from getting to the aforementioned open room because the space between the fitting rooms was so small, a woman blocked the path because she was paused in the middle of the space checking her phone and waiting for her son (...again, in the most inconvenient place possible). After I finally got a room, I was in line to check out. I was already low on patience and when I started to get the spiel about the REI membership (which costs $20) I interrupted and said I wasnt interested today, thank you. I was in the middle of spending $350+, so it wasnt like I was wasting the stores time. I tried to swipe my card twice. Told the cashier that it wasnt registering, to which she replied sarcastically, "Apparently." Then she actually paid attention as I swiped the card again and it wasnt registering. She had to manually enter it in, but didnt apologize for her rudeness or obvious assumption I didnt know how to operate a debit pad. I was so angry, but my purchase was one of necessity (before the fitting room madness), so I had to bite my tongue. But on Saturday, 28 April 2013, whatever staff they had on the ground floor was miserable, sarcastic, and unreasonable. As a caveat, Cliff, on the second floor was very nice and had a good sense of humor.

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ST

steve singer

I have been a co-op member since 1976. A lot has changed. There are several constants that have remained unchanged over the years. The quality of the gear. You can buy a set of trekking poles for short hikes for a reasonable price. However if you are going to be crossing glaciers, they have the poles and the crampons to keep you safe. I have heard people complain that REIs prices are high. REI is an outfitter not a sporting goods store. You really need to understand the difference. Many people go in there and buy $300.00 trekking poles for trail hiking. If youre not climbing up the side of a glacier of taking a trip to Iceland in the winter....well you get the idea. I have been advised more than once that I was "overbuying." They are more about fitting you with what you need than selling you the top of the line gear that youll never fully need. The staff: The faces have changed. The level of knowledge has not. I cannot speak for other stores, but I love the synergy of the staff at the Pineville store. Everyone there has some outdoor knowledge but when you have a niche kind of question it always seems that there is "that guy," or "that woman," who has been there and done that. The staff get to know who you are, what you need and find the right person to help you. I can go on...but where to stop. The store is well equipped for a store its size. They are happy to spend as much time with you as you need so that when you walk out the door you are a happy customer. And if that takes more than one trip, they are more than happy to start anew with you the next time you are in.

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WI

William Satterfield

I went to the store because I had gift cards to spend. First of all the hours online are wrong and they actually open at 10 on Saturdays, not 8. Im a high schooler so I guess that is what did it but there were two employees who were certain I was going to steal something. I walked upstairs to look for a headlight and asked an old guy with a grey pony tail who pointed me in the right direction and then stood about 8 feet away from me watching me the entire time. I then walked back down stairs and saw him follow me and stand at the balcony staring at me the whole way. I was then looking at clothing downstairs and a girl employee named Catra began following me. I was walking around in the clothing section- which by the way has terrible selection- and she followed me the entire time about 10 feet behind me. I took a pair of shorts into the dressing room and came out to put them back and she was standing was standing right in front of the door. I was pretty angry at this point and if I hadnt had the REI cards to spend, I wouldve just left the store. I didnt really think I looked like I wanted to steal something but they were being ridiculous and it was very frustrating.

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AS

Ashe Lockhart

I love REI, and this is a good store. Its a big store and carries products that arent available in some of the smaller stores. But it seems like they are inconsistent about keeping stock out and displayed on the sales floor. For example, if I check online to confirm availability of an item at this location, its about a 50/50 chance that it will on the sales floor where its supposed to be. If I am able to get a store associate to check inventory in the stock room, its about a 50/50 chance that they will be able to find the item. So its frustrating to find things online and confirm availability at the store only to find that its not in stock. And sometimes the organization of inventory on the sales floor is so sloppy that its hard to find. Good store but needs better control of inventory and display/organization of products.

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PA

Paul Steiger

I have only visited this store for the bicycle department and I Prefer shopping at local stores but I think REI does a great job for a big chain. Their staff seems like it is committed to the outdoors and the environment. I applaud their practice of having local activities and they have a very good selection of merchandise that keeps me coming back. My only complaint is lack of product information in the Cycling department.

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Steven Singer

The customer service is above and beyond what I am used to at REI stores. That says a whole lot about the folks who work here. Knowledgeable staff. Good selection for a store its size. I have heard folks complain about prices here, but 1)The price matches the quality of the merchandise and 2)The merchandise they sell is meant to serve people in extreme situations. REI is an outfitter, not a sporting goods store.

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LU

Luther Ray

I bought a bicycle helmet from them. It was black. It was cool. I wrecked my bike and broke my collar bone and hit my head but the doctor said I had no brain damage. The helmet was black. I really love this helmet. It saved my life. It was black. I am going to get another one. The one I had was black. REI is great! I am going to get another helmet like the one I had. It was black.

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