Fixing REI Revisited

Back in February, I wrote about REI’s future as someone who wants his kids to grow up in a world where the co‑op still thrives.

And where I can pick up my propane and camping meal, like I just did for my bikepacking trip this weekend.

Now, new CEO Mary Beth Laughton has unveiled her three‑year plan. Reading it, I felt grateful—and yes, a little validated—that her pillars echo the same path I hoped for seven months ago. Her pillars in quotes:

• Culture. “If we don’t get the culture right, the rest… aren’t going to matter.” Back in February I suggested green‑vests could be growth engines, not just clerks. Culture is the multiplier—get it wrong, and no strategy survives.

• Assortment. “Authentic, culturally leading assortment… in stock, priced right, and trend‑right.” I wrote that REI’s house brands needed to become covetable, not clearance‑rack filler. Differentiated product is the only way to avoid becoming just another box retailer.

• Service & Experience. “Elevated service and experiences… that clearly differentiate REI.” I pushed to own showrooming and to reverse course on cutting experiences. This is how REI creates loyalty and memories Amazon can’t replicate.

• Membership. “Update our membership program with highly differentiated offerings.” I suggested reinventing the dividend and bundling perks to make membership irresistible. Membership is the loyalty engine—more engaged members mean more visits, bigger baskets, higher lifetime value.

• Tough Choices. “We’ll have to make tough choices… to allow us to focus on the efforts that set us up to grow and thrive.” That’s the operational fitness I called for: cutting costs, streamlining, and unwinding missteps. Bold strategies die without execution muscle, and this is the muscle.

Execution Is the Climb
The strategy is right. The test is execution—unraveling recent missteps while cutting costs will strain culture even further.

Still, I’m hopeful. Laughton’s vision is clear: “to be the most trusted retailer for people who love the outdoors.”

If REI can stay true to its co‑op roots while getting operationally fit, it won’t just survive the retail shakeout. It will still be there when my kids need a last‑minute propane canister before heading out on their own adventures