I'm going with the rest of the folks who say DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. Staff at the Corte Madera are not all bad, but generally fairly lazy. I asked for help, and if they guy had walked any slower, I think I would have gone backwards in time. Store was empty and my request was small, so I don't understand the problem. He acted put out the entire time. I fully understand REI membership program. I do, because I have to spend an extra 10 minutes with EVERY TRANSACTION saying "No...no thank... no thank you.. I don't want to spend an extra $20 on a membership....no thank you... LET ME GO, PLEASE!" It might be a great program and great deal, but because of the agressive, hostile sales pushers - I will never sign up for it out of sheer spite. Wow... you mean I'll earn 35 cents off my next purchase. Awesome. I'll just hold on to my $20 and spend at the SF Sports Basement. read more

REI is not what it used to be. I've been a member for years and have noticed a significant decline in employees' competency of "product knowledge." Friendly, yes. Product knowledge, NO! This morning, I drove from Napa to Corte Madera specifically to that REI Store for the purpose of purchasing a specific product. I asked an employee working in that particular "department," if they had a product similar to what I had in my possession that had been discontinued. The employee pointed me to a merchandise section and said, "Whatever we have will be back there" and proceeded to follow me to the section and go through the merchandise. I would have preferred the employee to simply say they didn't know or call another staff member to assist. This same scenario occurred in another REI a couple of weeks ago. If they're simply hiring "merchandise babysitters," then I'll opt out of REI membership and shop elsewhere. NOT OKAY! read more

The decent variety of kids gear is what brings us back to this location. Although a bit heavy laden with the Patagucci-esque lines, there's a nice selection of rain gear as well as cold-weather layerables for the pre-K snowbound. If you want more aggressive pricing, however, probably best to buy something similar through LLBean. read more

This is my local REI, so I have gone in with reasonable frequency over the last few years. I bought a bicycle recently, so I have needed bike supplies, tools, and advice. I have been blown away by the service in the bike department. The staff have been uniformly helpful even when it's clear that I'm not a high-dollar customer. They've helped me understand what I need to do repairs on my own, and have been super candid with me about what they think. Great stuff. read more

I took a "How to Ride a Bike" class there this morning. It was fantastic. They were so supportive and helpful, and it was extremely fun. Instead of a scary, intimidating experience, they made learning to ride a bike fun. read more

REI has an excellent bike shop. The employees are all great sources of info about every aspect of cycling, and they're good mechanics, too. But if your bike has some especially puzzling malfunction that can't be cured in the normal course of business, REI has a specialist consultant who's there several nights a week. Wolfgang, the expert who repaired my folding bike, solved a problem that had been a nuisance for five years. I also like REI's shoe shop. Not only have they a broad selection, the staff will leave you alone to walk about in the shoes and think hard about what you're trying on, without pressuring you to making a selection. Shoes are so important for athletics (and for other areas of life, too) that it's critical to make sure you'll be happy with your choice. read more

One of the best REI's I've been to. Good deals on quality clothes. Better than Santa Rosa.

I like this REI. Parking is easy to find, staff are nice, the store feels smaller than other REIs which is nice because its easy to navigate through and find others in your party (maybe it just feels smaller because its 2 stories). HOWEVER, they need more staff! It is really hard to ask questions or get someone to help you. I was looking at the watches, which are behind glass, and needed someone to come over and help me. I waited there for 5 minutes hoping that someone would walk by. No one did. I searched the entire first floor looking for people to help me. There were two people for the whole floor, and they were busy in conversation with other customers. I waited for these conversations to end, but 10 minutes later they were still in deep conversation. I walked upstairs to the women's corner to ask the staff member up there if she could page someone to come downstairs and help me. She did. I waited at the counter another 10 minutes, no one came. I really wanted this watch! Finally I went over to the bike station and found someone who was in the back warehouse area. I let them know that I had been waiting at the watch station for 10 minutes after another staff member had already paged on the loud speaker, and that no one was coming. She stopped what she was doing and helped me. However, on the way, she saw someone looking at items and said "Do you need help finding something?". He said yes, so she told me "hold on, I'll be with you in a second". She left for a minute to page someone to the bike area, and then came back to help me. Their system for helping customers is really inefficient, and if you have areas where items are locked up its important to have staff members around that area to help if anyone wants to buy one of those items. It was a Sunday, but the store didn't seem particularly packed. Overall, the staff members are very nice but there are too few of them which can make getting the items that you want take a lot longer... Also, we stopped by because their system showed that they had the shoe that we wanted in the right size. They did mention on the phone that the system showed only 1 left, and that it can be iffy, thus no promises. When we got there, of course the system had been wrong and there were no shoes. It would nice if their system updated faster, etc. On a side note, the older Asian guy in the shoe section is always there and juggling between customers. You never have to wait long in the shoe section! He is very helpful and friendly. read more

Tryka hooked us up big time at this store. She was patient and answered all of our questions and gave us real advice about products. She knows her stuff and made the experience shopping here wonderful. We bought a ton of stuff here for a friend's bike trip and she ran around the store with us and we ended up with everything we needed in record time. read more

A decent location although I feel as though they could have a lot more inventory. Too many times the layout of the store seemed a bit confused and their selection wasn't as awesome as it should be. With that said, the staff here were fantastic and the overall vibe is A-OK. read more

It isn't the biggest REI I have seen, which definitely means their product selection will be less then what you might find at other REI's... but it is definitely nice having one in Marin and their selection meets my needs. The staff, like at all REI's, is knowledgeable and friendly. REI is a fantastic organization and I am proud to be a member. read more

The staff are friendly. There is plenty to choose from. I have always had an OK experience, but I've never found anything I really needed that I had to have from here that I couldn't find somewhere else for cheaper. read more

My feelings for REI go up and down. I have been a member since my penniless college days, 15+ years ago. I vacillate between stores like REI and local stores. It's not even the price but what it comes down to is the consistency of service, no pressure to buy and 100% guarantee that you can count on from REI. I have friends that own small sporting good shops, so this is hard for me to point out. What they do lack it seems is the knowledge of the staff of local outdoor places to use the products they sell and general lack of knowledge in the products they sell. In particular, I wish this store wasn't so cramped. And also they didn't have free maps or area guides like they do in the Santa Fe store. I bought ski boots from the Santa Fe store last year and took about 2 hours to get fitted. The fitters recommendations were opposite of what I heard from previous ski boot fittings. But I was ready for a change. I paid over $400 for on sale boots and only used them a few times. I even tried to customize them myself per the instruction of my kid's ski coach. It just never worked. Luckily I never got rid of my old ones that were fitted at a local ski shop in Santa Fe. so I took the new ones back to the store in Corte Madera yesterday (1year after purchase) got a full refund on my credit card, no questions asked. I didn't even have my receipt, they just looked up my purchase on my REI number. My husband was surprised, I always tell him to get sporting goods stuff from here because of the warranty. I just wished that they got people who knew what they were selling, especially on the high ticket item stuff. I had a pretty hard time with them last year, when my husband and I decided to replace some of our camping stuff w/ newer items and they weren't that helpful. I had to rely on customer reviews and videos, which are pretty good. I am realizing that if you are really into your sport, you should probably get your stuff from a local store where they know what they are selling you and probably have more of a selection, especially for people who are more advanced in their sport. read more

This review is more for a staff member vs the store itself. I found what I was looking for, with the help of JEREMIAH. He not only helped me find the replacement pieces for a strap I was trying to construct, but he also took the 25 additional minutes to assemble the pieces for me! He totally went above and beyond my expectations and I left with my project completed!! I cannot say thank you enough for the great customer service. Store seems well stocked, wish they'd allowed dogs too. read more

REI is my husband's weakness. The Corte Madera store is no exception. Great service, good selection, and helpful (happy)staff. The tri-fecta of success in my book! read more

A very good sporting goods store, with all the stuff I need to get my outdoors fix. However, I have noticed that the sales staff can be a bit hard to find sometimes, and there don't seem to be many of them. Overall, I love REI, but is go to the sports basement in San Francisco instead if I could. read more

I love popping into the store just to look around on days I have nothing else to do. This last visit Steven was very helpful and knowledgeable when I was asking about hammocks. Prices are a little high but they have a good selection of items. Although, I wish they had a better selection of hunting and camping knives. On the weekends it can be a little difficult trying to find someone that can help you as they all seem to be running here and there. read more

So I popped in to check out their bikes. While selection may vary from store to store, I found the experience most educating as well as fun. A shout out to Conner for his excellent customer service and phenomenal attitude. He would be s welcome addition to anyone's business. He represents REI well! Thanks Conner! read more

I want to thank Matt Shiv for his help with our purchase of roof storage unit. He took time to understand our use, needs and preferences. He helped with selecting the Thule Alpha unit and it was perfect. It was not available at this location but he helped secure it at the REI in Berkeley. read more

Big shout out to Damon who spent an hour of his time with me helping me pick and size the perfect pack. He took extra time to test it with weight, change out the straps, and adjust the sizing so i had a perfect fit. When you're spending that much on a product, it's nice to have someone really take the time to get you excited about it! read more

Very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly staff. However, I find that they are not too competitive with their pricing. They don't do price match. read more

REI is a toy store for adults who love to play outdoors. My experiences at this location have varied from what one would expect from a large store that has lots of people roaming around, to exceptional and full of technical advice. Generally I go in while waiting for a friend or passing time and end up buying this or that. (they have great quantity discounts on energy foods). but occasionally I will find myself looking for something specific. My latest was looking to size myself for a backpacking pack. I went in, knowing I would be purchasing the bag directly from the vendor and I would not be leaving with something from REI. The sales person was still more than willing to size me, and help me try on packs from different vendors and help me decide what bags I would want to look into further. Overall my experiences at this location have been nothing short of pleasant. read more

Well, after the kids I need to get back into shape, and I am now a fan of REI. Decent prices, large selection, but the line can be slow if they aren't staffed. Still liking the LLBean, but I have to admit, I can get lost in there. God I hope there is great snow in Tahoe this year. It will be nice to see how the kids react to the mountain. read more

They are amazing. Every year, my Jansport backpack starts to sort of fall apart and so I take it in to them and get a new one for free! I love these guys. They have a great selection of sporting equipment, ski gear and snowboarding equipment. They are a great place to shop for quality items. read more

Nice people, nice service, yet the selection is not quite as good as other REIs.

Great selection, friendly and helpful staff, varied prices, convenient location, good for kids and families. Saw a dog in the store. Highly recommend. read more

I thought this REI was going to be very interesting considering it is in beautiful Marin- where I love to take my family for outdoor adventures... but this place was in that awful strip mall and it doesn't compare to any other of the REIs I've been to. Not the greatest selection of products either. read more

I normally love REI and have had excellent service at the Concord and Berkeley stores. This Corte Madera store gets 2 stars for customer service. An employee was rude to me when I was asking about the prices of unlabeled snowboard bindings today, so I went to Sports Basement in the Presidio instead. Got awesome Burton bindings and was happy to give Sports Basement my business. read more

REI has everything I need for my outdoor needs. Yes, it is expensive. That being said, if anything I buy there breaks, I can take it back for a replacement. Even if it's 10 years after I bought it. I think that is amazing. And as a tip for those who don't know what to get our SO or spouse - you can't go wrong if it comes from REI. read more

I like this place a lot. The employees are always super helpful and know what their talking about. I've spent way too much money here but always value the products, and if not, take them back for a full refund! Also check out their used gear sales, great deals on typically brand new stuff. read more

Outstanding customer service by the Corte Madera REI bike department this Sunday, by Stacey with assistance from Collin. Stacey took the time to provide knowledgable guidance and advice on the possible choices of bikes along with current trends in road bikes. I took a test ride on a Co-op ADV 3.1, ended up purchasing it, a very nice ride that I plan to use for urban, country side road and trail riding. He also helped with choosing a helmet along with a set of lights. Really appreciated the time taken for this purchase, and to ensure the bike was properly fitted to me and tuned before leaving the store and all my questions answered. Other bike staff were helpful too. A really big thank you!! read more

0 stars. I brought a service animal to the store and was quickly chastised by manager Matt Colbie and cashier Savannah. They were exceedingly rude and inhospitable, and asked me to immediately leave, not even letting me make a return. I'm ashamed to be an REI member and will never return to this store again read more

I am a big fan of REI in general, but I just had the worst experience I have ever had in one of these stores. I was ready to drop over $600 on a snowboard and bindings, do you think I could find someone to help me? I was looking for someone in the store who actually could tell me the difference between one board and another. One well meaning sales lady pretty much wasted my time by telling me that boards have different bends. (duh) and pointed me to a chart on the wall. Some very nice older men said they didn't feel comfortable helping me because they didn't know much about them. This is fine, I appreciate them not wasting my time but they didn't bother to try to find someone who could help me. Some jackass in the bike/board shop (tall, skinny with lighter hair..I am going to find out his name) told me that he didn't work the floor and that the older men better get learned up pretty quickly. What a jerk. He walked past me about ten times, then finally asked if I needed help, then told me he wouldn't and that the old guys needed to learn, then he left. I am so pissed off. The more I think about it the more mad I get. Anyhow, go anywhere else but here to buy your snow equipment. If you have questions before you drop all the money go somewhere where they will take the time to talk to you. read more

I'm a very long time customer and have been getting more and more disappointed with this particular store as the years pass. Service is pretty poor and selection for winter sports gear is low. On my most recent trip to the store (12/10), I needed to get a snowboarding boot repaired. It was a boot I bought from this store. After waiting at the ski shop counter for a bit, a lady finally walked by and asked if I had been helped. I said no and that I needed to get a boa style snowboarding boot repaired as the cable broke. Keep in mind, I bought these boots from this store about the same time last year. She said, "we don't do that". I said I bought them there. She responded, "try contacting the manufacturer". I (wisely responded) "should I be buying my boots from another store"? Her response: "Maybe. Try the manufacturer. You'll likely need to ship them yourself". So I went down the street to Any Mountain and in 5 minutes I had a kid saying he can fix them no problem and asked if I wanted to wait 15 minutes or come back. No that is service! Buh by REI. There's also a pretentious air about the folks who work in this store that always left me feeling a little icky any way. read more

All of their bike shop people are so nice, competent, wonderful. I have to give a special call out to Connor. Connor has helped me multiple times with my bike and he is simply terrific. There could not be a more skilled, friendly, helpful bike guy, Complete A+ experience every time. read more

friendly staff, really great display and it's in my favorite place to go on Sundays - Town Center.

Will in the Bike Dept saved the weekend and my bike. Totally focused on the right solution and very knowledgeable. Give that man a raise!

I really want to write about the fantastic experience I had recently at REI - while I will give the caveat that the salespeople on balance have not been the most eager to help bunch in the past, but this time I came away a happy camper! I purchased a pair of Born shoes specifically for a trip to Disneyland with the kids where I knew I was going to be doing a ton of walking in the heat and wanted to be comfortable with a good walking sandal. After researching online, I decided on exactly the shoe I wanted and headed to REI to purchase them. The salesperson wasn't exactly overflowing with helpfulness, but then again, I made a beeline to exactly what I wanted so there wasn't much for him to do. Cut to nearly 30 days later - I wore the shoes every day during my trip, but had hardly worn them prior to and by the end of the trip, my toes had worn through the understitching on the straps and the top stitching was then coming out. Not what I expected when I purchased these nearly $100 shoes for a good 1-2 years of wear. Not sure what my options were, I took them back to REI. The person at a (closed - that's right, she was officially off duty) customer service counter was very helpful and understanding, told me to go up to the shoe department and pick out a replacement pair and they would just exchange them! Keep in mind that these were clearly worn shoes. So I went to the shoe department and discovered that this particular shoe had gone on clearance (nearly 40% less than I paid) and none were available in my size. The shoe salesman directed me to the checkout and said that they could check other stores for a replacement pair. So when I reached the checkout, the friendly checkout girl asked me to fill out a form, refunded my money and told me that they had several pairs available in other bay area stores and they would send them to me! That's right, I didn't even have to haul myself back to the store to pick them up (and I live in Novato, so that's no small thing) - not to mention that they would charge my card the reduced price for the new pair and no shipping charge! And this all took place just before 5 p.m. on a Monday afternoon - when did I have the new shoes?? Wednesday's mail. Rock on, REI! (and I made sure to clip, file and buff those nails so I don't have to do this again...) read more

Amazing Service! I've been a long time fan/customer of REI but recently they surpassed my expectations significantly when I returned a tent that had broken. Despite having purchased it years ago at a different REI and lacking a receipt they were able to find the purchase in their system and help me get it fixed (they offered a full return as well but we loved the tent by NorthFace and wanted to keep it). The entire process took about 15 minutes. read more

Can't say enough about the conscientious service received @ REI Corte Madera. Wasn't very knowledgeable about mountain bike purchases made there. They voluntarily replaced my son's bike for one better suited for him and have greatly assisted me in putting together a good bike package. Wolf, John and George are generous in sharing the info they've accumulated over the years. read more