Helpful friendly Staff who gave product and birding information. I'm glad I found this spot.

Great service, friendly, no issues like some have complained about. Have been back 3 times while in the area, same service. Also want to note, the store is clean, good selection & nicely organized. All in all: Good service, friendly, clean! read more

Had trouble returning bike tires and had issues with REI's policy on sleeping pad warranty. Was ultimately resolved directly through vendor. Staff was helpful in spite of store/REI's intended procedure. read more

5 Stars for REI SLO - Gear Heaven + Top-Tier Service Dropped into REI in San Luis Obispo today on a mission to find a bar bag for my gravel bike... and while I didn't find the bag, I still walked out like a kid on Christmas morning with a haul I'm way too stoked about. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted warmly--and basically every employee asked if I needed help (in a genuine way, not the "corporate obligation" kind). Shoutout to Emma at checkout who was super friendly and made the whole process quick and easy. You can tell the team here actually cares and knows their stuff. While the bar bag eluded me, I somehow left with 3 new pairs of socks (because you can never have too many), gaiters for my upcoming ultramarathon, and enough Tailwind to fuel me through the Cool Breeze Century ride next month. I'm not mad about it. REI SLO always delivers with solid inventory, helpful staff, and that clean, organized layout that makes you want to wander and touch everything like a caffeinated squirrel with a credit card. Highly recommend stopping in--even if you don't find what you're looking for, you'll probably leave with something better. ‍ read more

Front register worker was rude and made very little effort to communicate and very hard to work with, I'd suggest not shopping here at all

Terrible customer service. Made it extremely difficult to return something. Also, Birkenstock's are $40 more expensive here than anywhere else! read more

Imagine going to a store like Rei on a Friday, mid-morning, thinking it 'll take you a few minutes to run in and return shoes that were too tight (ordered online). Yay! There's only two people in line, you think, so you'll be able to get to your next errand on time. The first customer quickly leaves, and the second customer walks to the counter. The exchange between her and the clerk begins. They're speaking in low tones, but seem to be very friendly with other and very engaged in their topic of conversation - and perhaps they even know each other, you think. You pull out your phone and start to catch up on the news because their droning conversation just continues and turns into friendly banter, as they smile and laugh with other. He seems to be explaining some type of deal or membership to her, and BOY does she have a lot of questions, that he EVER SO SLOWLY AND PATIENTLY enumerates the answers to like a benevolent father. I start to get restless and begin pacing because he's the only clerk, and the minutes just keep ticking away. I start examining merchandise near the checkout area and their exchange just DRAGS ON! Now, I'm getting ticked. Clearly, these two couldn't give a rat's behind that another customer has been waiting well over 5 minutes for service. The clerk never once bothers to acknowledge my presence or bother to call for help. Then the explosion comes as I call out, "Have you two solved the world's problems, yet?" They briefly turn to me, look SURPRISED - which just shows how rude and clueless they are - BUT THEY QUICKLY TURN BACK TO EACH OTHER AND KEEP CONVERSING SLOWLY AND QUIETLY. Is this really happening, I think to myself? Am I being punked? Finally I say to the woman, " You know, you've been there for ten minutes, and my time is valuable, too." They exchange meaningful looks and he rolls his eyes and THEN DECIDES TO CALL FOR BACKUP, WHICH NEVER COMES. Finally they finish, and she just brushes past me with no apology. The selfishness of this interaction with these two was just jaw- dropping, as I could never imagine myself doing that to another customer. And what's with the sanctimonious, unprofessional clerk? He must surely know that he's lost a customer for good, but no apology is ever forthcoming - just snarky imperiousness coming from him. Good riddance to this place! read more

Ok, I am shooting for a (2) Star review, but really almost a (1). Let me better explain. I LOVE REI! I use them a lot, and find them when I travel for work. Makes the problems I run into when training on the road my go to solution. Why (2)? Let's start with the positive. This location is beautiful, the store is organized for the most part, but a little cramped, but clean. The employees spent the day I was there cleaning and organizing to a T.....but that leads to the problem.... Problem: I walked in the store, let me share my dress this day, work boots, dirty jeans, polo and hat....this will be helpful later. I walked in, and as I normally do, tend to walk around and gander at all the new items, or things I would probably be in trouble for buying! In fact, Garmin was a landing spot. At this time standing there along with another person about 5' from me, an employee walked past me to them and asked to help, then looked at me and turned and walked away...WTF?! No biggie, I am not looking at what I wanted, but, a simple "Sir can I show you the new Inreach mini 2?" Would have probably generated a sale! I need one....loss (1) After, I walked to the climbing section, again standing next to the this employee along with another, they both looked at me, and said not a work. Move on.....I make a full lap of the store, and not ONE employee asked to help, note I counted (9) on this lap. Now that I have made my fun lap it's time to get what I need and off to the trails....BUT....I couldn't get recognized for help in any way! Now typically you would say, "Jay just ask for help!" and at times I do, specially when the place is packed and employees are working hard to help everyone. BUT this day....not an ounce of help. I made 3 laps and 27 minutes of shopping time. Lap 3 I finally found what I needed, but because of the the zero help I decided to purchase my items elsewhere. I can tell you that night my order was well over 3k in items, I have a big even soon, REI lost this sale..... But why the review, well I think the place is so worried to help any one who's hard working and looks like they cant afford the place, sad. Also being judged is lame, and to be honest can ruin someone's day, made my afternoon kinda suck....till I hopped on my laptop and started shopping...I maybe stuck on the couch, but the new sleeping bag will be great! I can tell you if you drive a Subaru and wear Tom's shoes, this location will be happy to help. If you work hard with your hands and figure it's a smart stop on the way home.....Dont expect any help from this staff! REI CORP.....get your hands on this location they need help! Side note, place had (7) people as customers in the location for 27 min....yes I count as I am a numbers nerd! read more

I bought a sleeping bag and was told no problem if I wanna return it. I bought it because I thought I might need it last weekend. I never used it. I took it out of the package. Rolled it up tightly, put it back in. The tags were still on the package. I brought it back to the San Luis Obispo REI on May 1st at about 7pm and I was met by a short little bitch that asked me 4 times what was wrong with it. And I told her nothing, I didn't use it. She opens the top and smells it right in front of me and ask me again and I said, I thought this was a no hassle return policy. And then she rattled off a bunch of nonsense, so I won't be buying anything else there ever and I will not recommend rei to anybody. I see how low the ratings are, so sombody needs to teach these idiots some customer service skills. Nobody wants to hear about their stupid policies and be interrogated. You either refund it and be nice to people or you don't refund it. But don't tell me, you're gonna refund it and then give me a bunch of shit when I just wanted my money back. I was gonna buy some more stuff there tonight, and I decided that's it, I'm done with this stupid ass store and the dumbass girl that work there. She ruined it. She cost her company money and upset a good customer that's never coming back. read more

Today an employee named Bri spent over 20 minutes helping me figure out what size tennis shoe I was... give this girl a raise. She was amazing, and helped me figure out exactly what I needed! read more

As with most vendors, REI [or even Northface] has not "aged" well, as the quality, has gone way down, over the past few decades. Many of the clearance items were super thin, poorly made, made in China, and still over-priced. Obviously, if you are old enough to remember buying and using thick quality down/ Gortex jackets from eons ago [when I braved Skiing on the Expert level on cold Vermont slopes], these jackets are pathetic jokes. Simply junk that one would expect at bargain stores. While we did see the long line during their grand opening weeks ago when we shopped at the wonderful Saturday morning Madonna Plaza Farmers Market, we had no urge to stand in line. REI is highly overrated and appears to have almost a "cult" following. Since we are not into camping, nor have most of the stuff that we need, we are rather biased. That being said, if the lack of quality that is evident in the jackets is also reflected in climbing and/or camping equipment, I think one may be in trouble, or discomfort. I would not trust Chinese [& Indian] made climbing equipment for climbing anything...especially since they already sell us contaminated carcinogen or rat feces laced drugs/Rx. Superficially the store looks great and the products look great, but once up close, you can see that many items are of either poor quality or pricey, or often both. The jackets and hiking shoes are generally rather pathetic. When we went on a Monday afternoon, the once packed store with a long line was almost totally devoid of customers. At the prices & quality offered here, I really have doubts about this business, in this plaza where many stores have already bitten the dust, or are close to {BB&B}. On the other hand, it is right next to Sprouts and one can see it from the popular Farmers Market, so maybe that demographic could be more interested. While it is worth a look, nothing appealed to us at this visit. It does have a pleasant decor and atmosphere. read more

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I have belonged to REI since it existed in an old brick factory building in a bombed out (looking) section of downtown Washington, DC. At that time I was doing 2-pound camping and rock climbing, which means that all your equipment has to weigh 2 pounds or under. REI was and still is the name of the game in high quality outdoor equipment. I still have my feather weight down sleeping bag and thinsulate mat that enabled me to sleep on rocks. I hiked all over the US and Europe in my steel shank hiking boots (for poising on your toes on a rock ledge), delighted that I could also stand enpoint on them while waiting for a subway or train. So all these goods at REI not only point toward future fun, but recall great memories of using their super rugged dependable products in the past. We have been going to the Monterey or Arcadia stores, but hopped in to see our new local REI the other night to preshop it for upcoming holidays. Our store has a spacious feel, and the amenities like changing rooms, bathrooms, and checkout stations are amped up. The staff was super friendly, even though we were just dithering over future purchases, they were very informative and knowledgeable. We were fascinated by the solar powered lanterns and lights on display. The designer colored back packs and carabiners were also tempting. High quality hiking boots also caught my eye, and called out for a return visit. The location and parking are both more accessible than either Arcadia or Monterey, and the location just off 101 should bring in travelers. Happy to have a local REI! read more

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Good selection of shoes and Nicholas was so patient and helpful, despite his many trips to the back room to check on sizes and colors. Excellent team member! read more

I'm not a fan of negative reviews, but sometimes they simple are warranted. This is all about customer service. Its never been great in this store, but today I spent 15 minutes trying to locate someone to help me out with a jacket selection. I did find someone at the register in the bike area but he was so intently using his phone (texting I presume) that he simply would not look up at the two of us waiting at the counter. I'm sure it means nothing to a company the size of REI, but I was prepared to spend $290 on a jacket and instead left empty-handed. read more

Love having a local REI, full of super helpful and well informed employees!! The store has a great selection of items and I can always get help finding something online if I can't get it in store. The restore rack always has great items too!! read more

Erich, Erich, Erich. This guy Erich, who works in the cycling department, or at least was stationed there the other day, was AWESOME. I have worked in 5 Star hotels and Erich's customer service exceeded what you would expect in that kind of setting. I was taking my son to look at bikes, which he would potentially ask Santa for. Erich was always one-step ahead and asked us the questions we didn't even know to ask. He was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly in a real way that we definitely consider him a friend now. On the way out my son said, "dad, he was a really nice guy." Thank you Erich for making what could've been a stressful outing so smooth and fun experience for my son and I. read more

Great fun! We were a little late in the day getting there because of work but it was still poppin. They had some awesome tents of great brands in the parking lot. Amazing stuff for sale inside. I think this is the first time we have been in here. My dad used to be a member and he was surprised a new one opened but he liked it when he lived close to one. Great bike repair shop inside, books for sale about hikes or trips to take and many other subjects. Shoes galore for climbing, hiking, walking, sitting etc.. It is a lot of pricey stuff but great quality. Will def go back to pick some stuff up. read more

Excellent customer service from Liddy. She was hooking me up with good insoles and other tips to avoid blisters while hiking. Also had a lot of good information on sleeping bags. I appreciate all the staff in there and the personalized help they give. read more

Super impressed with the customer service we received today!! we were looking for snowboard boots, and although they did not carry them at the store, they spend a lot of time with us on the computer!! A big thank you to Liddy for spending so much time with us to find just the correct boots!!! Such a beautiful store !! read more

John at the bike shop was the best. He helped me with a bike rack problem and really went above & beyond. 10/10

No matter what REI I go to the customer service is always top notch. Walking in the lady informing us about the new Covid rules was super nice and informative. I came in looking for a cooler and sandals and the employees in each department were super helpful. I can't remember his name but he was taller with curly hair. He was very informative and even took the time to talk with is about the different coolers and different activities in the area since I am from LA county. I ended up just getting a pair of Ecco Yucatán's and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. read more

REI - Outdoor Gear Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

This is an amazing place. They have everything! I've been a member for over 25 years and they've never let me down. The store is spacious and even smells like an REI. I love it. You have to check it out. read more

Awesome REI!! The store is huge and clean. The staff are super friendly. There are so many amenities to try out their gear on such as a rock climbing wall to try out rock climbing shoes as well as a rocky ramp to try hiking boots on. There are a lot of dressing rooms as well as a lot of merchandise from camping to Yeti gear to rock climbing to North face and Patagonia gear. Definetly recommen this store. It has a huge parking lot as well. read more

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Usually, REI are helpful and friendly. but Thursday July 1st I ran into a female employee in the footwear department that was rude and unhelpful. If REI continues to hire these type of employees, I will not be back! read more

We have been coming here for a long time now. Even though it may be a little pricey, REI always has what I need and in nice quality! We were here on their opening day on late 2019. It was amazing! They handed out free buffs and all the shelves were filled to the brim! Now, they still have lots of stuff and if you are going camping this is this place to go! :) read more

My husband and I walked into this store clueless not knowing what to purchase for our up coming trip to NYC! Remy helped us out! Pointed ya in the direction of the thermals to get and helped my husband get some warm boots! He was very knowledgeable and thank god cu like I said we were clueless ! At the register spencer helped us. We became members! And he was very friendly. Our first experience at this store was really good it was clean! Staff was friendly and knowledgeable! The store was stocked with great things we will return here! And I recommend this store to anyone looking for warm clothes ! read more

We came in knowing what we wanted to purchase and weren't helped until the last minute. The representative told me to come back tomorrow. I felt rushed and disrespected. The representative was assisting someone before me and seemed so helpful, she was not at all helpful with me. She looked and spoke to me as though she was annoyed. I didn't take up her time, I just needed something out of a case to purchase and was out before closing. I definitely hope not all your employees are as rude as she was. read more

Rei is freat pkace to shop everyone is so friendly and welcomes you very knowledgeable i recommend this place to others i love coming here to look at the neatest thibgs. Great selection there the best nice people read more

No better place to frantically go before a 7 day no-shower roadie. The guy there was not only helpful, but also sexy. He got all of us to buy sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and beanies. We would have been lost without him. We propose a name change for the company - put it in REIverse, TERRY! read more

Limited items. Santa Barbara REI is MUCH better! Never find anything interesting there and if I do, it's way overpriced. Too bad, as I've been an REI customer for years. But they have seemed to just go downhill, raising their prices too high and not providing excellent sales. read more

Just another cheap corporate big box store selling camping gear made from China. Mountain Gear has been around longer and has better quality products. read more

Just had a twilight zone experience. 7:30pm on a Monday. I literally had to run away after constant harassment by the multitude of sales people. Granted there were more employees than customers so I expected to fend off a couple staff, but the "Just Browsing" line common in American consumer culture didn't work here. One guy approached me three different times in different departments explaining to me how shopping works and telling me what I was looking at right in front of me. Multiple paragraphs worth of sales pitch. Felt like Truman honestly in the Truman Show. After reading other reviews here though, it seems people like to be approached so maybe I am an outlier. I can understand 1 or 2 sales people asking if you need help. Not 8. And not the same ones multiple times. The questions spanned the gamut from your typical "are you a member", "what trips do you have planned" to unsolicited dry monologues about the types of clothing I was currently gazing at. Thanks guy. I know how shopping works. Leave me alone. I got so tired of being approached every 30 seconds I left without buying anything. The Fresno store is a LOT more chill. read more

My wife and I just stop by the REI in SLO for some boots and we were helped by her young lady by name of Hannah. Hannah was very efficient and helpful and we both walked out of the store with new boots. This is our first trip to the store although we are REI members. read more

I'm admittedly an infrequent customer of REI, however I purchased a pair of Keen hiking boots less than a year ago. Best hiking boots I've ever owned. I went into the the San Luis Obispo store today to get another pair because the soles are wearing out. I'm told by an associates that they have a return or exchange and he looks up my purchase, they find me a comparable pair and I take my goods to the front counter. Daniel at the front counter totally made me feel as if I'm trying to rip the store off by exchanging a pair of boots that are "misused". I explain my goal of just getting a new pair of boots and how I was told about the exchange by an associate in his store. I felt embarrassed and harassed and ultimately left the store without my new boots because of his poor behavior. I've never returned an item I purchased from REI and I may never have a reason to do so In the future. Shame on you for treating your customers and members like thieves versus training your staff to handle situations with grace. read more

Great service by door greater. Horrible service in the shoe department. Chastised by a female clerk when looking for help. She did get the shoes I wanted. She then slid the shoes about 25 feet on the floor to me. I mean come on. She should be counseled for her poor service. I called corporate this AM. I've shopped at numerous REI locations with stellar service. I guess Santa Barbara is not that far after all. read more

Quite possibly the worst layout of any REI store I've been in. The store has no flow and feels like it's 50% bigger than it's supposed to be. read more

It's REI - great fun outdoor store and we've been members at other locations forever. BUT they have no kids gear at all here! :( Very disappointing. Especially since SLO is full of families and I know a lot of people who were looking forward to find - and try on - reasonably priced kids clothing and gear... read more

Walked in not expecting much. Patrick at the bike center was very helpful and knowledgeable! Definitely got returning customers from him. Thanks again Patrick!! read more

This is a great location. I've been to a large number of REIs and I loved the layout of this one. All the staff were great especially Emily.

My boyfriend and I had such an awkward experience at REI that we are hesitant to return. We entered looking for hiking wares and Shelayne began to help us. She was brazenly flirtatious with my boyfriend, so much so that he became uncomfortable and put his arm around me. When he returned to the store a week or so later to return one of the items we purchased, Shelayne said that she'd hoped he would be back and then GAVE HIM HER PHONE NUMBER. He was stunned by this (as was I) and I have to wonder what sort of training (or lack thereof) these employees are receiving. read more