REI to the rescue! I came here 7 weeks ago in need of running shoes. I somehow agreed to run 5k charity run and had 7 weeks to prepare. Within 30 mins of signing up for the run, I was at the REI. Based on my previous experience, I knew I can count of them for help. Sure enough, I walked in, looking helpless, staff at the shoes section came over to help right away. I explained I am in need of running shoes. Shoes for middle aged person with knee issues. She asked how often and how much I run, I said, none. I am a hiker. I don't run. So she asked me to stand and bend my knees... To assess what types of shoes fit the best for me. Well thanks to her, I trained for seven weeks running 5k. I reduced my time by 7 mins. I went for the last run before my trip last night and I ever felt this much better running. A quick 3.1 miles, my breathing was easy, my knees didn't hurt... Thanks REI! Couldn't have done this without your knowledgeable staff. read more

REI - #brooksrunning great pair of running shoes, keep me going without knee pains - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Hi, Been to this particular REI a few times over the years as they seem to treat me more like a customer than shoplifter compared to the REI in Chandler. Today, indifference seemed to be their specialty. I needed to find a bag for an extended work trip today & that didn't happen. Normally you need a 10ft pole & bear spray to ward off their associates from you but not today. I got a strained "hello" from the curbside lady & an apparent groan from a male associate as I passed him on my way to the packs/baggage. Looked around for a few minutes-no one came. They also didn't appear to have much of a selection which was unfortunate. More unfortunate was the lack of customer service as evidenced by the apparent forced salutation. Everyone has biases & no one is exempt-curious as to theirs. read more

I am doing the Camino this year, and the staff at REI in Chandler, AZ has been SO amazing! They have given me personalized attention and advice every step of the way. Yesterday Alyssa took about 20 minutes to help me repack my backpack and make all of the adjustments for an excellent fit. She then walked me over to find all of the other accessories I still needed. I can't think of another store where every employee is so dedicated to really helping your every need! read more

Just about everything for the hiking and camping enthusiast. Good selection and a great return policy.

I have shopped at REI for many years and I expect to continue shopping there because REI always takes care of their customers, up to a point. A while back REI changed from US Bank as their credit card issuer to Capital One. After many years of dealing with US Bank, both as an REI credit card holder and with other accounts, my experience with US Bank was always wonderful. When REI switched their credit card to Capital One I was skeptical. My experience with Capital One has only corroborated that opinion. Last October I paid my credit card balance early, as I like to keep up on my obligations. Thirty-three (33) days after that payment posted to my Capital One account, Capital One debited the amount again directly from my bank. That is Capital One collected the money due twice! I called Capital One about this and their representative agreed that this was the case. I asked to have the credit refunded to me. I was told that I should have read the fine print on the credit card paperwork. According to that Capital One would wait for the next billing cycle and then another sixty (60) to ninety (90) days, or more, before the credit balance would be returned to me. The bill was paid in October 2023. It is now March 2024 and Capital One has still not refunded my cash balance that they are holding. Another note in that fine print states that Capital One would be charging me interest at an annual rate of 29%+ if I held their money. So it would seem that Capital One could be using MY MONEY to lend to other consumers who they may be charging 29% interest or more. Because I do not want to do business with a company that treats their customers like this, I asked to have the account closed. Well, the money is still in my account, so the account is not closed (and Capital One continues to solicit my business). But Capital One did rescind all of the accumulated credits for merchandise at REI that I had earned and accumulated through prior purchases at REI with the Capital One REI credit card. I have written about this in past reviews to REI. But no one from REI has ever contacted me or responded to me about this issue. I think that REI is a good, consumer friendly company, but it appears to me that REI has dropped the ball in their failure to respond to this issue and with their continued association with Capital One. Fortunately there are many alternatives available and one does not have to buy from or do business with these people. But they should be aware of what could happen if they do. read more

Kind and helpful staff, and great selection. One of my favorite places to shop because of the consistently excellent customer service.

Not sure why people are writing the store so low. My experience there at this time was pretty good. I went there trying to look for a snowboarding jacket, however I know nothing about snowboarding jackets. The associate that helped me was very patient and show me all the different styles, brands, and selections that they have. She did not immediately show me the most pricey item, but asked about what my budget is and try to stay within my budget. She also show me the "garage sale" area, which are items that other people have returned and are marked down. Although we did not find anything that would suit my needs at the garage sale portion, however I appreciate the effort. Eventually I did find one that I liked and was able to purchase that one. When I was at the checkout counter one thing that was a bit annoying was the very hard push for their co-op club membership which I have to pay $20 for. I told the gentleman at the check account at least three times that I am not interested, and to simply check me out on the item I want but he keep insisting that I open an account. Eventually he let me check out without an open account. Nonetheless, the strong push for the co-op club membership was not something I enjoyed experiencing. read more

This is a well-stocked REI. I come here maybe 2-3 times a month, depending on what I've got lined up. Every other time I'm here, it feels like the displays move, so things are constantly in different places. It'd be more of a hassle, but the thing is, the staff here is solid. They seem to all know their stuff and enjoy working there, which makes the shopping experience that much better. read more

REI is always a great place for quality shoes. It's my "go to" for comfortable, outdoor shoes of all types. The staff is very helpful and if you're like me, you haven't really checked your feet and proper shoe size for a while, ask them to help you. They can help you get a proper fit and you might be surprised that your feet have changed sizes over time, too! FYI- Liz is the best! read more

The items in the store seemed over priced but they do carry quality items. I am an avid outdoorsman and rather visit Bass or Cabelas for my gear. REI seems to cater to the folks that follow trendy items. I probably won't be back to shop. I do give them 4 stars because the employees are great. Very helpful and there when you need them. read more

Intro to Mountain Biking with Tim and Britti was awesome! So much skill and knowledge gained. Great teachers AND they answered each of 1000 questions read more

REI - Intro to Mountain Biking on Pemberton Trail - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Took my bike in this weekend to get new tires. Let me say Spencer and Meg were amazing. From customer service, knowledge, and completion. I highly recommend REI for all your bike needs and service needs. Also, they brought to my attention a new kind of sealant that i wasn't familiar with (as familiar with Slime) Lastly, best thing about REI in my opinion is it's a co-op. Highly recommend getting a membership and being apart of the family. Thank you Spencer and Meg for your expertise. read more

We are from out of town but wanted a few things so we stopped by. As usual everything here is top quality and your going to pay accordingly. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The one thing that stood out to me is it seemed that they had a larger kids section then the REI by my house. Don't let the low one time experience reviews keep you away. read more

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I dealt with Craig at the REI bike shop and I had an awesome experience. Craig has a ton of experience with almost every kind of bike, road bikes, Mountian bikes, etc. He was super helpful and gave me a lot of advice. I'm relatively new to road bikes and he walked me through everything. If you want to have a cycle experience that's more like dealing with your cool uncle, go see Craig at REI!! read more

As I recently became a certified spin instructor, I came into REI this evening looking for SPD cleats for my new cycling shoes. I was in a major hurry due to having an appointment to head to and figured it would take me less than 10 minutes to find the cleats, ring up my purchase, and head out. How wrong I was. First, the ditzy, surly, dazed looking blonde woman behind the Customer Service desk told me they didn't sell cleats and to go to "Action Sports". She was distracted, annoyed, and rude to boot. I walked to the bike section to double check with someone else and whaddya know...a whole slew of cleats as far as the eye could see. I head to the register and there are 8 people in line but only ONE cashier. We waited and waited and finally a new cashier comes to open an additional register. By the time I finished ringing up, I was annoyed enough to go BACK to Customer Service to waive the cleats in Blondie's face and tell her about herself. Of course she had a sarcastic smirk on her face and barely held back the eye roll I know she was dying to give me. Seriously though, if you're going to work in Customer Service, have a pleasant attitude and know what your store sells. This imbecile has the potential to lose substantial business revenue by telling customers to shop elsewhere for items that are literally right under her nose. read more

Love REI ! So much knowledge and support wherever you are. Love shopping here for the best in outdoor equipment and clothing! Thanks REI!!! read more

REI - First one here! 9:45am - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Great selection, but the prices are absolute insanity. The store is decently laid out and well stocked. But on the other hand, there's a complete lack of camo gear. Why? I wanted a medium hiking/hunting pack in camo, but the closest would be some kind of plain tan or green. Weird. Did I mention the prices? Everything seemed really high, so I compared two items to previous purchases elsewhere, and they were 20% and 50% more here. Terrible. Oh yeah, they have someone right inside the front door trying to talk people into joining their rewards membership thing and/or getting a credit card. He was somewhat "off" in a way I can't describe, and acted personally put out that we were not interested in talking to him. I watched him hold a customer there for several minutes while the customer tried to gently break off the conversation and was slowly walking away backwards. Funny but sad. We probably won't be back, there are other good outdoor stores with better prices and good selection. Including camo. read more

Drove 30 minutes to come to REI, haven't shopped here in years and won't be back. My 11 year old found a sleeping bag he liked in clearance and after waiting in line to purchase it I was told to buy it I had to belong to the Co op and pay an extra $20 for that. We left without purchasing it for him. Of course we had to wait I. Line to check out to find this out. read more

Bad an inconsistent customer service The 4 people they have policing the front door didn't stop me from walking in with a face shield and right as I'm about to finish up my shopping an employee told me to leave because I didn't have a cloth face mask.. read more

Camping, Hiking, Climbing, Cycling, Kayaking, Snowshoeing, Skiing, Yoga, and oh so much more... when it comes to the outdoors, REI has it covered! Did you know you can even create a gift registry at REI? Well - you can! I went in the other day to do so and sure enough, it's just as easy as a department store... I registered for beach cruiser bikes after getting an in-depth description of the bikes available from Bill - the Sales Product Expert at the store. He was super knowledgeable and friendly and even eager to help me with the registry too... thanks Bill! I was crunched for time otherwise I would've registered for a lot more - you can get lost in the store if you're into outdoor recreation and fitness - there's something for everyone! I've bought shoes, socks, camping gear, presents, nutrition bars, apparel, and more at REI in the past. I'm sure I'll continue to visit when I'm in need in the future as well... PS - do you know what REI stands for? "Recreation Equipment, Inc." - I didn't know that until I glanced down at Bill's card. I never really thought about it before! read more

Horrible experience. Service from the woman in shoe department was unbelievably bad. I was ignored and skipped over. She was extremely rude. Overall unacceptable customer service. The worst I have experienced in quite some time. Will not return. read more

I had such a wonderful experience today at rei and would like to thank Derek for being so patient with me in helping me to set up my bike for my first time ever bike camping excursion. It saved me so much time since the trip is in 2 days. I've had also good experiences in the past with the employees helping me choose tents, sleeping bags, etc. They have a customer for life! read more

REI - Bike camping - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This is a great store for those who love exploring the great outdoors. There is a good variety of merchandise for camping, kayaking, running, hiking, and other activities. The goods are high quality and there are many that are hard to find in other stores - such as folding bikes, one of which I'm hoping to purchase in the near future. This explains why a lot of the goods are a bit (but not overly) pricey. Being a hiking enthusiast, I especially like their hiking gear such as trekking poles, and the high-quality detailed trail maps of the local and regional hiking areas. read more

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One of the worst shopping encounters of my life today. I'm a longtime REI fan. Always try to buy things here. I have to buy shoes/boots online because I have small feet. I took two recent purchases into this store to get help with fit. Door greeter was super nice. The footwear section was crowded. I am not comfortable being around crowds. An associate finally spoke to me. When I said I bought two pairs of boots and needed help deciding about them, she was not helpful. At all. Rather she seemed out out I wanted help with products purchased. If I am standing there with two shoeboxes saying I need help, I need someone who knows how to fit hiking footwear actually seem eager to help me rather than being inconvenienced and confused. read more

I go on a 3 day horseback riding trip twice a year. When I do, I always stop by REI to pick up supplies for the trip. On my last visit, I found a 10 degree sleeping bag for $70, not bad! It's kept me very warm and comfortable. The employees at this REI are always helpful and answer all of my stupid questions. Since I'm a novice outdoors guy, I ask a lot of basic questions. They're always willing to help me. Return Factor - 93% read more

Came here at 3:30am morning of their latest garage sale. It was my first REI Garage Sale experience so I was quite anxious and excited! There was already a line even at 3:30am which only increased my anticipation. At around 8am, an REI employee comes out and gives everybody the lowdown. The first 20 people get to check out the garage sale selection for 15 minutes before being kicked out, afterwards the next 20 people get their turn, etc. Also, you are only allowed to buy ten items max per person. Unfortunately, even coming at 3:30am meant I was first for the second group. Oh well. I still had a TON of fun. There were discounted kayaks, cooking items, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tons of backpacks, shoes, Yeti coolers, Hydro Flasks, bicycles, roof boxes, etc. The only annoying part was that the people in line behind me kept angrily barking at Group 1 "TEN ITEMS ONLY!!!" over and over again while Group 1 shopped. Holy shit lady, chill - just because you see someone carrying four Osprey backpacks (lol) *doesn't necessarily mean* THAT THEY'RE CARRYING OVER TEN ITEMS. LOL LEARN HOW TO COUNT. But I digress. Anyways. Aside from that annoying group, everyone else was freaking awesome, employees and fellow customers alike. There was even a woman in my group who overheard me wondering how to figure out backpack sizing, and amidst the chaos she stopped to show me where the backpack sizing tag was! (It's on the outside side stitch of the backpack. The more you know.) Thank you, awesome lady! There are going to be a mix of angry grouchy cutthroat salty customers and helpful sweet customers. I guess that's all part of the REI Garage Sale experience. You'll want to read the tags closely to see what the damage or reason for return is on each item. Sometimes it's as simple as "Did not fit properly" and there's nothing wrong with the item! All in all, I scored an Osprey 34L Mira Women's Backpack in XS for $88 (originally $170) and an EVRGRN Folding Picnic Table for $21 (originally $40). Niceeee. Honestly, even if you don't end up finding anything you like, the entire experience is still pretty entertaining. Definitely would go to the next Garage Sale. read more

REI - Can cross "camping outside REI for six hours" off my bucket list. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Where other stores in the same category has closed, REi has remained open and I hope they stay open and survive every cycle cause I just love this place. I love coming here to browse their products. I love buying their products and I love how once I'm a member, their generous return policy. Funny enough. It's their generous return policy that has turned me into a loyal customer and someone who doesn't mind paying a higher price for a similar item I can buy elsewhere. read more

I think REI is a bit overpriced but their generous return policies make up for it. If you do not have a membership, they often have offers online where you can get your membership for $1 (instead of twenty something), or where you can get a $20 coupon if you get the membership with a purchase of $100+. I have respect for what they do, since they are very involved with promoting the outdoors and making improvements that we all can enjoy. They are a co-op, so if you make purchases at regular price you get some $ back every year, and they also have some interesting classes, most of them free for members. I have attended classes for backpacking, camping, hiking, Grand Canyon, etc. This time we stopped by to buy shoes for a young and tall family member that lives outside the county and goes through like one pair of shoes a month. We decided it was worth the investment to try some shoes from REI, since if they get trashed in one month we would have the option to return them. Well, it has been almost 4 months and the shoes are still good. In this particular case we would never hold them to the 1 year return policy, but it is good to know we invested in good shoes. read more

Great staff and great deals at the garage sale! Ok, so I came for a pillow and it was garage sale day... I accidentally spent $860 here today on boots, sandals, camping mats and some other stuff! Everyone working here was super nice. We got some great deals too! Always a great place to get your gear at good prices! read more

REI - REI Garage Sale - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I was totally blown away by this place!! Some of the items can be a little pricey, but they do not have cheaply made products there. The staff was really great and knowledgeable. If you need questions about proper backpacks, they definitely know how to measure you for a proper fitting pack and can guide you to the proper one. That is one thing most people fail to do is get a proper pack when starting out backpacking. I hope they open one near us in Northwest Peoria. read more

Toy store! One of my go-to spots for outdoor equipment or bicycle supplies. Love that all of their employees really know what they're talking about. We stopped in last Friday to see if they had any deals on cycling shoes for the Princess. Got terrific service and advice (and yes a killer deal on some closeout shoes). Prices are pretty good. I've compared nearly everything I purchase with Amazon prices and they are usually right in the ball park. I've also taken advantage of their free classes. I went to a two hour class on bicycle maintenance and learned a ton about how to take care of both my road and Mtn bike. They have one of the largest selections of power gels in the valley, nearly every brand and flavor available. I wish they had a location on the west side. read more

This location could not be less interested in customer service. I ordered online, as their website requests people to do, because of covid. The order was not ready anywhere near the time it was promised, which happens, but calling the store to try to at least get an estimate of when it might be ready, I was treated as though the delay was my own fault and wasn't given any helpful information. In the end, they told me to go into my email and cancel the order, which isn't even possible to do. I would suggest Arizona Hiking Shack as a great local alternative, if you actually want to buy something and not waste a bunch of time. read more

I love this place but this particular experience has been terrible. I ordered a kayak online and received an alert at check out that it would be delivered within 30 days. That was back on July 4th. I called a few weeks ago and was told that after a month if the order is not full filled, it just gets canceled and I get credited back my amount. I hold to contact that warehouse to investigate more. Now I just called the store to see if my shipment has been delivered. It said it is to arrive by August 29th (I called a day early because I have been anxious). The sales associate was terrible. She basically said "We did not receive any boats today." And hung up the phone. I like this store because of the friendliness of the staff and the vast amount of gear. I may have to start taking my business elsewhere.. read more

Great place for all your outdoor needs! They have a great selection of climbing gear and carry most major brands. The staff is very nice and helpful, very clean store and well stocked. Shame there's only 2 in the valley. I would think with all the outdoor activity here in Arizona that there would be more then 2 stores? Oh well maybe someday they will make more here. There is definitely the business for it as Arizona has some of the most outdoor activities available. read more

Not the best location but they have a decent offering. There is quite the selection of bikes, backpacks, and sleeping bags but I feel they are limited in the selection of men's clothing. The help is always friendly and knowledgeable. I have never purchased anything from this location but if it's like the other locations I imagine it's a pleasurable experience. Not too fond of the location, it's a disaster getting in the parking lot from the Main Street. read more

REI - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Store was well organized and staff was very friendly and helpful with answering all my questions!

Great location, excellent selection, and wonderful, knowledgable staff!! It's slightly expensive but there are frequent and excellent sales, especially if you're a member. You can't beat being able to try out your hiking shoes on the mountain and having the option to return them after a few wears if they don't work out - can't get that from cheaper places and websites! My husband and I have purchased tons of stuff here over the years and we've had wonderful luck with the product quality (if it's here, it's probably excellent) and the people who work there actually use the stuff. If you know exactly what you want to buy, shop around online and you can often beat the price. But if you're venturing into unknown territory and in need of expert advice, this is a great place to go. read more

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Don't bother going here unless you have half the day to wait in 2 layers of lines only to find out they don't have what you are looking for. Will be taking my business elsewhere. read more

Staff was supper nice and helpful. Though what I was looking for was not in store, the staff took their time to check the back to ensure that it was not just not set up for display while another member check to see if third website still had the item. Over all they were very knowledgeable and helpful in my location the item. read more

Seldom am I inclined to review a chain (non-restaurant, at that), but after these interactions, here goes: 1) shoe department - I got the whole earful of this employee's upcoming trek. Sure, it's great to mention your personal endeavors, but forgetting that it's the customer who should be doing most of the talking...well, you're obviously not listening in on her needs. Upon the completion of her regaling me with the anticipated hiking grandeur of her life ...she took off! I was still selecting the footwear but she was off telling her story to another customer. I split. Sometimes, just not worth bother. 2.) returns - on-line order and I was informed quite blatantly by the individual working the service desk in the back of the store "if you don't know the card it's on... that's illegal ...it's credit card fraud." Really!? You think I'm trying to commit credit card fraud of $80 by putting MY MONEY back on a different card!? Simply LOL. I wrote this off because, obviously, this "customer service" person doesn't understand common sense. (I was pleased to see that - the first return I'd completed in 2017, REI has updated their system so it knows which card you used; I'm glad I don't have to be addressed by a staff member as a potential criminal. Geez.) 3.) sales - they really did already start losing me a year or so back when they were announcing new REI members over the loudspeaker in the store. So, yes, while browsing, trying on my waterproof togs... "we're glad to welcome Louise as our newest REI member..." Great! Let me pull up my pants and run out and congratulate her. I don't know - this seemed a peculiar development...and a bit pushy on those who aren't members. For a brand that prides itself on quality products and service, I think this store - across departments and over my last few visits - has been missing the mark. Sad to hear that the Tempe store has closed....off to Chandler! read more