Reserved a sleeping bag well in advance and when I went to pickup they had no record of it. Fortunately this was midweek & they had some on hand but a smaller size. It worked & the bag was nice & clean REI brand mummy. If you rent something, check ahead...if it had been the weekend I would have been up the creek! read more

4 Stars for the Concord REI. Shannon in the footwear section helped me out tremendously with some boots for a last minute trip giving me personalized service and finding exactly what I needed. The Concord location is not as big or well stocked as Berkeley or Dublin but I've received solid service any time I've gone there and customer service and knowledgeable staff is a huge factor in where I choose to shop, especially when in need of quality gear. read more

Best Bay Area REI for customer service! I went in for a pair of waterproof hiking shoes. I've been on a quest for awhile and had tried different models at different stores. I was successful on this trip to find the right shoes, which was great, but the best part of the experience was the friendliness and efficiency and effectiveness of all the staff who help me. The front counter person who helped me with my return was gracious and prompt, the one who helped me in the shoe department, was able to tell me which shoes he had in stock, and which he didn't, and then helped me figure out which brand might be the best for my specific needs, and then checking out was a breeze. Another great thing about the store was it wasn't super busy so the staff weren't completely overwhelmed. Highly recommend this spot over Berkeley 1000 times. read more

Went in for advice on hiking boots. Gary was very knowledgeable and helpful. The website is also a good resource - it had material in how to pick the right product, how to maintain them, etc. There was even a sale I've shopped here several times in the past 3 years, with uniformly good experiences. read more

Update/Edit: Bit of an issue with a binding mount at the ski shop. The shop/store completely took care of the issue despite a good bit of time having passed between the mount and my discovering the issue. read more

I was looking for Hokas running/walking shoes and I visited REI in Concord this afternoon. There was an extremely helpful young man working there. He was very knowledgeable about walking and running shoes and he helped me to find the correct shoes. But unfortunately they were out of Wide shoes for my size. But he really tried to help me. Just wanted to thank Juan for his patience and his customer support skills. I will definitely will go back there next month if they bring back 2Es. read more

Last time I visited all the clothes were chained up so I couldn't try anything on and couldn't find any staff members to help. Very expensive for a store with poor service and selection read more

Recently bought a Velotric E Bike and noticed the manual mode didn't function despite pedaling. Brought it to REI Concord and Sam at the bike repair department got it fixed up in no time. Small adjustments to the derailleur. Great service and experience from friendly and knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend. read more

Might as well be invisible, they have all the clothing locked with wires. I requested a jacket no one assisted me obtaining it so i could make the purchase so I walked out. Awful customer service read more

Manny was very helpful and friendly when we needed help finding the correct harness. He was very informative and had first hand experience when endorsing the product. We need more people like him around! read more

Came here to look for some hiking clothes. They had an adequate selection of their own REI brand, Northface and others. The store is large and spacious with a second level. The store seems to have camping, hiking, and outdoorsy equipment galore. But I can't speak to that since that isn't what I came in for. I had a very good experience as the saleslady who helped me was wonderful, went the extra mile to find things in the back that weren't put out on the racks yet, patiently spent a lot of time with me and gave me very useful pointers on the function of some of the features on the hiking clothes. Seeing that I was somewhat naive, she also gave me relevant suggestions which were very helpful. Now that's great service! read more

I was on my way to Tahoe and needed some new bindings for my snowboard and decided to stop on this store to kill time while traffic died down. The staff was absolutely wonderful and so helpful in meeting all our needs. Bryan at the shop was great and so helpful. He gave us a ton of tips and was an absolute pleasure I've always had a good experience at REI but the staff at this location really stands out. read more

I've never felt so welcomed in a retail chain store! *Only pertains to tools/running sections I'd like to specifically highlight my last few trips during the annual sale event. I rarely shop at REI's because other than the sections I mentioned, I don't do much out-doorsy things, so whenever I visit, I just window shop. I recently visited to get a better feel for a specific knife that I've had my eyes on. They had the model on display, I wasn't expecting them to allow me to go hands on with them, but to my surprise, they gladly let me check it out and let me take my time with it. The associate had some knowledge of the brand I was looking at and I appreciated it, rather than a "I don't know". Just browsing at the time, a red sale sign did catch my eye from the multi tool section. I wasn't sure how the sale detailed, but the associate took her time to figure out for me, and I ended up buying something without prior intent, because of the service and the awesome sale. This time around, I didn't really browse around, as I had something to do. At a later date, I came back to check out the rest of the sale. I did have my eye on that same knife, but didn't intend to buy it, since it wasn't on sale. Another associate inquired with my interest and helped me out. I wanted to figure out if there was a specific model that wasn't on display, and with his help, he checked the backroom and found it for me, and also told me of a coupon that I didn't have knowledge of, for being a member. With this knowledge, I decided to consider the purchase and walk around. After some time, I decided to "pull the trigger", mainly because of the coupon and helpful nature of the associate. TLDR: The helpful/passionate staff helped steer me into some recent purchases and I'm glad that there are people like that here. Would definitely be a future patron for outdoor activity purchases! read more

Man we love this place. We are avid outdoor adventure people and always get the best help from staff at REI Concord. They helped us with our Yeti cooler last week, walked us through everything they learned at their training with Yeti and helped us reconfirm our choice during their last sale. Appreciate everything they do as a company and the staff they have on that takes the time to educate and help customers. We'll miss Gary (always so helpful) but we meet new and amazing people each time we want to talk through a big purchase. Thanks all. read more

Did you drive a VW bus in college? Maybe you were a yuppie who owned a SAAB or a Volvo (or still do?). Do you shop at Whole Foods at least occasionally, when you're not at Trader Joe's? Do you prefer micro brews or foreign beers? Can you appreciate a good Pinot Noir or Cab instead of of just a smooth Merlot? REI is the place for you. In fact, you know this, and you shop here already. You are a middle aged, educated individual who has moved past more physically active sports adventures, and now like to hike, whether in boots around the Bay, or in snowshoes in Tahoe. You bought Timberland boots before it became a Hip Hop shoe icon, or before there was a Rapper selling records with that name, making music videos with Justin Timberlake (not to be confused with a possible new shoe line named Timberlake) It isn't the cheapest. although they have decent sale items. It doesn't have the same selection in golf, workout, team sports, fashion, sports franchise logo gear as you might find in the Big Box or Mall sporting goods stores. It doesn't have huge selections of super cheap copy cat and knock off items. But you are happy here with the quality and selection here, it somehow fits your lifestyle in appreciation of the great outdoors. The staff is knowledgeable, the service better than those Chevy and Ford like places named SportsChalet, SportsMart, SportsAuthority, SportsMumble outlet. More like a Volvo or SAAB, before Ford and GM bought them. read more

REI has a nice deal that you can order on line and pick up your order at any of their stores at no charge. And there are some great deals on their web site. The Concord REI is in the Willows building formally occupied by Whole Earth Access. It's also the branch that is closest to Gayle's house and probably the only store of its kind way out here in Contra Costa County. It's a handsome space with 2 levels, a nice nonlinear layout, and friendly knowledgeable staff. It's also smaller than the Berkeley store and with considerably less energy and local attitude. Unfortunately, I'll have to get used to it as I slowly move out to suburbia and away from my beloved "urban and gritty" East Bay. read more

Perfect for those who love the outdoors. It's a complete one stop covering everything you can thinking of. I particular liked their canine gear and Yeti coolers. I've never seen such a collection elsewhere. The staff are friendly, but a bit too friendly. They have eyes on you like a hawk. Every few minutes they would check on us if any help is needed. Funny thing was the same guy kept asking as if he forgotten I said I was fine just 3 minutes ago. I'm betting that customers complained of getting no attention in past. I get the fact that management is trying improve this. However, there needs to be a balance. read more

If you're outdoorsy and you have money this is the place for you. REI is without a doubt the place to go if you need high end gear for the outdoors. I've been here to buy camping gear as well as accessories for being in cold weather. Be prepared to drop serious cash here. I feel like everything in here that isn't an accessory is at least $100. The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable unlike going to a Big 5 or Sports Authority. If you're a member you get dividends back. This was awesome when I bought $180 worth of stuff and they gave me $25 in dividends back. Wooohooo! Big plus: they have parking. The Concord location doesn't seem to be as big as some of the other locations I have been to but it has all the basics. read more

Staff who love their job. Extremely expensive equipment. No good sales we could afford for our snow adventures, we got a snow pram and snow jumpers at target that work just fine for a steal. We got our emergency and survival kits stuff online...I think REI is high quality options, but I can find the same things online for less. It is fun to go and window shop, though. I wish they offered more options for kids. They don't have much and most of the stuff isn't for fashion but for function. Also, we weren't greeted or ask if we needed assistance. I wouldn't buy snacks from here, I have no idea why they sell them. read more

REI - Bikes Near Me - Concord, California

Me & my husband came in to this store yesterday @ about 2:40-3:00 pm. We went straight to where the Hokas & Swiss Engineering shoes are. We waited for our turn to be helped by the man (curly hair, tall & white)who seem to be in charge of that section. First thing I noticed was his rudeness to the 2 Asian Ladies ; the ladies were asking if there's a discount of 30% because of the sticker on the wall. I don't know how important is customer service to you but this is not what I saw. If he didn't understand what the lady was asking for he can answer nicely but this is unacceptable. His body language & tone of voice was unprofessional. The ladies left but didn't complain. When it was my turn to ask for help, I said do you have those Hoka that the other customer is wearing ? I want that in size 9 please. He said I don't have that & I can't see that because she's wearing it in a very rude way. Hey you need some manners man! I keep my calm but at least your management should open their eyes on this review. And I finally said I can bring my money somewhere where people are treated nicely. read more

When returning online purchase to the store, be prepared of dirty look from staff, on top of questions such as "you have used it right?!", when the package was sealed with tag still on it; "why so many returned items?" so many in a sense where there were five items in total. Great return policy, and it comes along with a poor customer service. read more

Went to this store to buy sneakers. The gentlemen in the shoe department looks at me and said we don't have casual sneaker. He never asks me what kind of sneakers I was looking for. I told him I was looking for New Balance and he said we don't carry New Balance. I was standing next to a table with two pairs of New Balance sneakers. I held up them up and stated these are New Balance. He then stated oh if you are looking for casual New Balance we have those. I think to my self they are too many places I can spend my money and left. REI you can and should do better, stop judging people by the color of their skin. read more

Darion (I hope I'm remembering and spelling his name correctly) is wonderful! I purchased a bike here 6-7 years ago and was interested in upgrading. Darion helped me the first time and it just so happens he was there when I visited most recently (about two weeks ago). While their bike inventory is very low (common of the times), Darion spent a GOOD amount of time educating me, answering any questions, assisting me in helping to identify the best bike for my needs - it was not rooted in making a sale, but rather, providing great customer service and sharing something he's obviously passionate and incredibly knowledgeable about. As always, all other staff was truly wonderful as well! read more

To the earlier reviewer about REI being un-American, I can't speak to your experience from a customer service perspective, but your information about CamelBak is completely inaccurate. REI stopped selling CamelBak because CamelBak's parent company at the time, also sold ammunition and assault rifles and wasn't even willing to discuss responsible gun laws. REI was not the only company to stop carrying CamelBak at that time. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-rei-vista-outdoor-20180302-story.html I have always been extremely impressed with all the non-profit they contribute to. In fact, all the support they give to the national park systems seems pretty darn American to me. Just saying. read more

Went to Rei this morning to exchange some Hokas for a pair I had called to be placed on hold for pick up. Went straight to the line and was helped quit fast. Although the experience went terrible RON THE CASHIER was visibly upset or bothered by the whole ordeal. I could not tell if he was mad at how much the shoes have been worn or what. But Slamming the shoes, the shoe box and even the stapler on to the counter ,come on man . Me and fiancé could not understand what was up with this guy. I've seen shoes in worst condition than the ones being exchanged and he was just giving us a hard time about through the transaction. Won't be back to this particular store . read more

They are finally open! Their signs are very clear with signs and policy since the adjustments. Everything is stated on their website, so no surprises as to customer expectations for entering. I found what I needed and headed to cashiers, apparently a customer didn't understand the "no cash policy" Thankfully all employees remained respectful and another customer even offered to pay with her credit card and she would take the cash! After summoning the manager, he then began to make racial slurs and then threatened that if they didn't take his cash he'll go elsewhere The manager handled everything wonderfully, diffused the situation and stood her ground. Thank you REI for being open to customers and maintaining a professional environment. read more

I live about 30 minutes away, but this is the closest REI to me and is definitely worth the drive. I particularly like this location's bike and bag/backpack section. Speaking of bikes, I recently got back into mountain biking and bought tons of gear from both this location and rei.com. The upstairs is pretty nice as well, and has a good selection of apparel and hiking shoes/boots. The only reason I didn't give this location a 5 is because it can be hard sometimes to get help from sales associates. This happened to me a couple times, but the vast majority of the time the associates are very attentive and helpful. Either way, I will definitely be back in the near future for my outdoor needs. read more

Store workers annoyed to work. First, I try not to leave negative reviews- it feels petty and doesn't allow for both sides of the story - but this was ridiculous. I went in to this REI bright and early to beat any rush to buy ski gear for a family trip. It's a very large investment for us and I planned to try things on, discuss product options with the knowledgeable sales staff, etc. after wandering around confused for 10 minutes unable to identify who actually worked at the store vs who was shopping - due to lack of name tag or other identification (too cool for school culture) I found a woman sorting socks and knew she must work there. I politely explained I needed assistance in the ski department and she looked at me blankly and said "well that's on the first floor". I politely responded that yes I had been down down there but couldn't find anyone to help and I wanted to get some advice on snow gear as well as try on clothes (which also requires an associate to remove the anti-theft cords). She was quite annoyed and said she guessed she'd find someone to send down. The short version is that this scenario played out multiple times. Since I literally couldn't even self-service try anything on without help removing the security cords, and the sheer lack of caring from the staff despite the store not being busy at 9:30am, after 45 minutes I finally walked out ...past the "we welcome everyone" sign...and decided that although it was a long wasted trip, on sheer principle I was taking this significant investment elsewhere. read more

Been coming to REI fiancé the 70's Always for camping stuff but yesterday brought a bike in that I thought just needed tired, turns out it needed a lot more. Chris, Emily and Rob did a great job getting me in and out in a day with a bike that is now safe and fun to ride again, thanks ya'll for making it fun and easy! read more

REI - Bikes Near Me - Concord, California

overall the store is pretty good. people are nice and reasonable and the store is adequately stocked.

Yikes haven't been to REI in years, won't be back!!!! Went in looking for a specific type of bag ... multiple staff where working right by us or wandering about aimlessly and basically ignored us. One even heard me say I can't seem to find it, looked at us and walked away. Good bye REI!!!! read more

Cool store. Feel like I'm headed to the mountains, like when I was young. Best place around to get new shoes. Great staff. Do your feet a favor and get Hoka Ones with stiff soles. Learned that from the podiatrists. read more

This store is a disaster. Worst REI I've ever seen. The place was a mess and the employees were all doing nothing. Not sure who is the regional director, but you wouldn't be proud. That's for sure. read more

So I misplaced the keys to my Thule roof box and had to find a duplicate or replace the core with a new one. Don't ever lose your keys cuz the next step is to try every key Thule has so a duplicate can be ordered. In fact write the key code down as the installed cores no longer have the codes stamped on them. I chose to buy a new core and install it. That presented another problem. Joe was the 2nd person to help me after the original associate begged off after 20 mins of trying about 20 keys due to his foot bothering him. Joe was the man and was able to find the key within 7 attempts. Why? It was a very recent purchase so he was able to narrow down the keys! Smart man. He had me on the road in 20 mins. Thank you, Joe. read more

5 stars for Sam who works in the cycling department. I really appreciate your help and kindness today. REI is so lucky to have you as part of their staff. read more

Bike department chaos! Horrible customer service. The guy was freaking out over the register not working. Another person (Cris) came to help. Zero customer service skills. Please attend a basic customer service class. Unacceptable! read more

Paul at the REI bike department is AWESOME! If you have any bicycle questions go see him. I wanted to fix up an old bike frame that had not been used in over a decade and had belonged to my mother. I had taken it to a local bike shop and was not impressed with the help I was offered. I went into REI looking for tires but Paul blew me away with how much knowledge he had about my bicycle. He informed me that the frame was a limited edition and hand made. I do not know anything about bicycle parts and had a lot of anxiety around being scammed or not getting the appropriate components. Paul walked me through everything I needed and because he educated me about each option I trusted him. He was so informative! Now the bike works great! read more

My partner and I went to REI to buy backpacking gear for a first time weekend trip with friends in August. Neither of us know much about backpacking or how to choose the right backpack (I was accidentally trying on mens packs). Fortunately, Jackie saw we looked a bit lost and asked if we had ever been fitted for a pack. Thank goodness she saved us before we just picked any pack. She spent a solid 45 minutes to an hour filling packs for us, explaining how each one opened/closed, how to pack based on weight, how to adjust for comfort as you hike, etc. She was SUPER educational and supportive of our entry into the backpacking world and definitely got us excited for a potential new hobby. 1000% bought these backpacks before she took the time to find us our perfect fit. We tried on five in total and she was just as enthusiastic and thorough from start to finish. Might just be one a regular at REI so we can snag her as a cool backpacking friend. Thanks Jackie for being awesome! read more

We come here often and are always pleased with the service we get here. Today, Bryan was a wonderful help getting our large pack fitted correctly. He was so polite and patient as we made our decision. Thank you Bryan and thank you REI for great deals. read more

This is usually 1 of my preferred REI locations in the Bay Area but weird recent encounters have made me rethink. Super selection & awesome smattering of cool travel essentials - whether you're going to be a tourist or a trekker, REI can get you outfitted This go-round, the floor was almost covered completely in hiking pants.....gosh, where were these last Spring when I needed it but all you had were winter coats? I digress.....maybe I don't shop here frequently enough to know their "seasons" & I know you can't carry everything all the time Anyway.....depending on who you encounter, you can also find helpful staff. Example on this last visit - I was looking at the water-resistant coats, shells & the like & tried asking about the difference in 2 of them. I was advised the price was the biggest difference which meant 1 was made better & would last longer.....that was all the sage advice I was to be given Um, oh, okay.... But then I went downstairs for bug repellent & the guy was incredibly helpful w/ which brand worked best & how it compared to the other brands he's tried & how he applies it for max protection & I felt really good about my choice Also on this visit, my Mom found $65 cash in a purse someone had obviously used & returned. She handed it to the staff & asked to speak w/ the manager to make sure they were aware but the manager never came to talk w/ mom. Instead, the staff came over & told her they found a piece of paper w/ names & numbers on it so they would try calling the person to give the money back....riiiiiiight Never a word of thanks from *anyone* or an acknowledgment of her honesty Another downer is the constant hawking of their memberships. I'm already a member but now their gig is that they're trying to get me to sign up additional people in my house or family members or even my pets (an I kid-you-not, real-life suggestion) so that I'll get more coupons I couldn't understand what the guy was trying to explain & tried dropping the subject but the guy wouldn't let it go & he made me feel totally stupid Then as Sis was checking out - she just so happened to get the same guy - we checked out separately - he told her I wasn't a happy person WTH!!!! I'm sure not happy now! So overall have to say I'm a fan of the store in general but weird recent experience.... read more