Yesterday, my wife and I visited REI in Sunnyvale so that my wife could try on various shoes and purchase what she preferred. Although staff was helpful to her in her search for shoes, what made the entire experience terrible was how hard staff pushed us toward purchasing a membership. One staff member assisting my wife initially had done the sales pitch, and we listened willingly. Later on, another person gave the same sales pitch to my wife, and she kindly told her that she's already been told about the membership. When we went to the check-out counter, the person at the counter started giving the same sales pitch about the membership. I immediately cut her off, my wife told her that she has already been told about it, and I said "no thank you." The person at the counter again tried to give the pitch, and I cut her off again and said "no thank you." For a third time, she tried to resume the sales pitch. I got ticked and gave her a stern response: "NO PLEASE!" She finally stopped. That entire experience left a bad impression on me, and I wasn't sure if this type of thing was specific to just the REI in Sunnyvale (I normally don't shop at REI). So I did some research online and found out that this type of thing happens commonly among various REI stores. I even found an online article from 2015 that talked about this, even citing the CEO of REI who gave a response regarding this matter of pushing memberships. He came across as being understanding of this matter. But that was back in 2015. it's now 2026, and obviously nothing has changed relating to this. I'm not returning to REI after what I experienced yesterday. They've lost any potential future business from me. If they can't accept an initial "no" answer and thus continue to push the sale of a membership, they've lost my respect and my business. And should anyone from REI choose to respond to this post, it's not changing anything from me relating to REI. read more

I use to love REI when the Mountain View store was still open. San Carlos isn't half bad either, although it has deteriorated in service in recent years. But Sunnyvale has offered the worst in-store service of any business in the local vicinity since the day it opened. Right now, as I type this review, two customers have left the checkout queue (so far) because they are fed up waiting. Three cashiers for a mile-long line. One has been on the phone for a half hour. One disappeared for a while and came back finally. Another took her sweet time reassembling returned merchandise and hasn't checked out anyone for 20 minutes. Staff can't call anyone here to help. read more

This was the worst experience I ever had at a outdoor recreation/sporting goods store. I was looking for a specific alpine green pocket blanket which was out of stock on Amazon. Ended up here and found exactly what I had in mind. But not without a challenge and a bit of frustration. If you're new to the store, there are no maps or signs to lead you in the right direction as to what you're looking for. To make matters worse, employees were hard to find on a Wednesday evening, so it took some time and energy before I could ask for help. When I finally received assistance and got to the front counter to pay, the female employee was rude and unprofessional. I was shocked by this, but just wanted to get outta there at that point... so I kept my calm while completing the transaction, then left with the resolve to never return. I'm a fan of REI products in general, they tend to be reliable. But I was surprised to have such a negative experience here, from the difficulty finding items to the staff making me feel unwelcome... even the drive over was unpleasant. The store had its standard offerings from activewear to camping equipment to cycling gear. But my visit was far from stress-free, and reminded me of why I should stick with online shopping, or just not shop at REI in Sunnyvale. read more

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John helped us look for pedals and he was a very nice person and helped us find what we were looking for! Great prices compared to Sports Basement read more

Wow talk about a really poor performance, I have used REI for bike services for some time now. When the Mt. View location closed, I switched to this one. Having broken a spoke on my Scott mountain bike and needing a tune up, I brought it in. The issues: Really crappy communication. Weeks went by silence. Only IF I stopped by or called were there updates. It should not take 3+ weeks to order a wheel period. Got the Call yesterday to pick up the bike. Got it home and wanted to take it out for a ride only to find they had not bothered to inflate the rear tire properly. Just enough air to keep its shape. (see pics) Now I find myself wondering what exactly was done for my $440 dollars???? I have been a REI member going on 3+ decades. You do not shop there for price. You go there for quality and customer service. If they cannot be bothered with that anymore then why bother? I will be looking for a new bike shop. Pity read more

REI - $440 bike repair and they returned it with a tire not inflated - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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I don't understand why this store is rated so low - REI is REI. I feel most REI's have similar layout & there is some sort of order so it is not hard to figure things out. The staff are friendly & helpful, especially in the shoes department. When i come in The 1st place I gravitate to is the resale section, i have found good deals with this formula. read more

ive recently picked up backpacking as a hobby and im glad i live close to this location and that they close somewhat late-ish for all my last minute needs! parking is very spacious, employees here are very kind- they will check in with you once to make sure everything is okay and they really just let you be! read more

I have had the best help ever in this REI store. Everyone is so knowledgeable, it makes such a difference. I'm going to Antarctica in two months and I've started my shopping now as it's a huge process. I have all the documents that outline what you need and its major. Roxsanne helped me find just the right things and explained how they would work together. I'm very happy with my experience there and will certainly be back with more of the list. read more

First time coming to this location and it was great. They have everything for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. They have some pricey items but they also have a clearance section which has some pretty good items. Definitely worth the value you pay for. read more

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This is the worst REI I have been to. Had a flat repaired only for it to go flat 5 minutes later because they didn't close the valve. I was on my way to check out a bike trailer and an employee snatched the 20% discount tag off of it, and I had to ask management to honor it. Bike staff is super unhelpful/unknowledgeable. The Sports Basement on Kern is amazing by comparison - super helpful staff and way better prices. read more

I don't understand why this Rei is rated low either. REI staff are very nice and helpful. They helped my kid and me finding the right bikes. I like their service. read more

A very big REI in a nice space, but perpetually and hopelessly understaffed on the floor and at the registers. It's like being in a Walmart but without the low prices. The lines for the registers is often long, it's usually easier to have stuff sent to your house after deciding what you want. However, when I have been able to get help, I do get very helpful people! read more

I've been a REI member for decades. I would like to recognize and give kudos to an employee in Sunnyvale named Carlos--he really knows his camping stuff and is very customer service-oriented. He helped fit me for backpacks earlier this year and most recently, turned out to be the expert in hammocks that I was referred to by other REI employees. Gracias Carlos! Parcero chevere! read more

I was really happy to see REI open in Sunnyvale last year, taking over the old Toys R Us location. It's so much more convenient for me to come here, than driving over to Mountain View (location now permanently closed) or to San Jose. It feels larger than the Mountain View location. There is ample parking at this new location. Huge bicycle section to the back/left of the store. This is a great stop for much of your adventure needs... camping gear, climbing gear, clothing & shoes, backpacks. There is a wall of sleeping bags to the right (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rei-sunnyvale?select=Mt8vf05yzZb-pevzh6UTSA) and a bike shop to the left (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rei-sunnyvale?select=gWb-ssWUYXBuQsBmpF300w). They have a decent selection of Benchmade knives, and they also have some Swiss Army knives in store. Larger selection of knives on their website. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rei-sunnyvale?select=8LXcX_o3FR4rVlujt4SUnA HUGE selection of water bottles, mostly Hydroflask, Yeti, Nalgene and Camelbak. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rei-sunnyvale?select=s0BrPmK1GNOhX50JN8DCBQ You will even find a 128 ounce Hydroflask for those thirsty days. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rei-sunnyvale?select=cJ02s5B0AdrXIA24P_Pz9Q It's always fun to visit the store to see what's new. Become a member to take advantage of 10% back on full price purchases. Members get free shipping, and also get discounts during the year (last month members got 20% off one regular priced item at REI, and 20% off one REI Outlet item). If you're not in any hurry, wait for the 20% off discount to use on that one big ticket item you've had your eyes on. There are a few other perks for being a member, too. read more

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Rei is one of my favorite sports place to shop at! We love coming here for their biking, snowboarding, and camping gear. Their employees are always nice and attentive towards customers. Lines at the checkout at this location can be very long. But it doesn't bother me. They have a good membership with lots of good benefits! Would recommend their 30$ lifetime membership if you're an outdoorsy person (: read more

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Overall REI is REI , well known name brand and at times a good place to go for that very specific outdoor item you need. However , the prices are very much on the highest end , almost everything , if you have the time can be bought online for less. Specific to this store and the 3 rating , it is well kept , generally has all the items you may be looking for if a hiker , biking , outdoor type. I specifically use this place for the long self life meals , very good selection and generally get what I want Staff if friendly , helpful , last few times the cash registers are under staffed and you wait a bit but not to bad. So would like to give this store a higher rating and if you like REI , this is a good one. The prices just can't make it past 3 stars for me read more

Went on a fishing trip and bought all the stuff I needed from here. They have pretty much everything you need here. A very well stocked outdoor store. What's really interesting this store is where the old haunted toys r us use to be. I wonder if any of the employees ever experienced anything paranormal. Ha! read more

This REI looks brand new, because it is. Very spacious and from the looks of it has a large selection of goods just due to the sheer size of the store. I saw more sleeping bag variety than at their prior location in Mountain View. They also have a larger shoe wall. I didn't buy anything but I did notice the one weird thing about this store is there was an employee that stood near the entrance that kept his eyes on me as I stood near the entrance to wait for the rest of my party. Even as I left I saw him peer through the glass wall. Why? Is that natural behavior? I didn't do anything weird to warrant stares. Other than that I had a really nice time inside, the floors were clean and they were well stocked for the most part with the exception of some jackets had minimal sizes read more

World's slowest customer service/cashiers.There's no reason each person has a mini lunch date when it's their turn with all the talking.

This place is so racist. So we came here to look for a bike to buy then we did not want it, next we went to go look at backpacks and they where like (oh we have 3 min left) with a bad attitude. Then did not even remind the other people that was still shopping or sitting down in one of the chairs on there phone. Like just don't go to work bro if you are coming to work with a bad attitude! No one is going to buy something at your store with bad customer service. NEVER COME HERE!!! read more

The service is not good at all. The prices are very very high. The selection is also not good. read more

REI - Outside - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Came in to buy climbing shoes. The store was mostly empty of customers. I asked for a specialist, was told to wait. No one showed and I left after 15 minutes. read more

This review is solely based on the Sunnyvale REI Bike shop. TL;DR - Don't take your bike here for service, especially nicer bikes. Long time for service, scratched paint off frame, did not bleed correctly and contaminated pads and rotors, not taking responsibility, and the manager has an extremely bad attitude. I brought my canyon aeroad in on 6/15 to swap my integrated handlebars for a longer stem and was promised 3 days. They called me on the 3rd day to tell me the service was more complicated than expected and needed more time/money which I was okay with. They kept providing a promise date and every time I followed up on that promise date, they told me they were backlogged and provided a new promise date. After a week and a half (6/26), they still hadn't started on my bike yet. I was going out of town for 2 weeks and let them know to hold on to it until I got back. They finally called on 7/3 to let me know it was finally done. When I went to pick it up I immediately noticed a scratch/chip on my frame near the handlebars. I showed them and they initially offered me 50% off the service charge. The manager eventually came and said they would take responsibility but did not admit fault since there was no definitive proof. Technicians working on the bikes are supposed to log any incidents that happen during service but I guess he or she never did. Eventually, the manager agreed to waive all service charges (for taking 3 weeks to service) and "make things right" by finding a paint/repair service for my bike within 48 hours. The manager did not really put any effort in helping me find a paint/repair service and commented that if it was his bike, he would just use a sharpie. The "research" he did was a google search. On top of that, after I took my bike back and started riding it, both my brakes/rotor squealed very loudly which has never happened before. I asked the manager about it and he implied that unless I thought it could get like that by sitting in his shop for a month, it didn't happen because of them. I took my bike to another shop for inspection and turns our they did not bleed properly with oil leaking out and contaminating pads and rotors. Had to spend $260+ to solve the issue. I'd also like to include that this really became a "he said, she said" situation but on my end, I will say that if my bike had that scratch on it and my brakes made that squealing sound before I brought it in for repair, I know that I would have noticed it. I rode my bike up until the day I brought it in, and I look at it many times a day. I really lost my trust in the bike service at REI, and maybe I should have known better to bring in my bike for service here, but I believed that if they could not handle the repair, they would have been upfront with me about it and let me know. I believe they were careless with the repair, causing the scratch and dirtying the brake pads. This overall experience was one of the worst I've experienced, a complete nightmare. Everything that could go wrong, did. read more

REI - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

This review is directed towards the customer service at REI Sunnyvale store. I wanted to mention how AWESOME the Store Manager Katie is. I needed some extra help with the returns and Katie went above and beyond to help me. She is a wonderful human being. Treating the customer professionally is a different thing, but it's exceptional to treat the customer as a fellow human being. I am extremely grateful to Katie for all of her help. Employees Iike her enhances the reputation of the store. Happy to go to this location! Another employee Alex was super helpful too. Seems they have got good people here!! read more

Ugh. This is the most head-splittingly badly laid out REI I have ever seen. It makes shopping here excruciating. No signage so all you see is one mass of random stuff and have no idea where to head. Merchandising is facing every direction. Shouldn't the Sale signage draw you in by being seen? Not having to go all the way around the rack to find a sale tag? No rhyme or reason why one brand is here and another brand is over there. Other brands don't seem to have any merchandizing. And all the racks look the same. Mens and Women's clothing intermixed so going from one rack to another I'm looking for mens running shorts then suddenly rifling thru Women's pants. WTF? It actually seems like they have less stuff than at the previous Mountain View location, they just spread it out messily to look like more. Weird! I was here at the grand opening. I thought maybe they were missing signs that would come in later, or they would figure out their scheme and get things tidied up and organized. Nope. And nope. Have now been here 4 times. It really harshes the REI vibe to have to wade thru this mess. If this store were a person I would not trust them as a hiking guide. Nor let them pack my things. What a waste of this super nicely renovated space. read more

This is a newer REI location located where the old (allegedly haunted) Toys R Us used to be in Sunnyvale. It replaced the old Mountain View REI location in October 2021. The store itself is clean and modern as you would expect from a newly renovated location. The store layout leaves a lot to be desired however. There is very little signage inside for the different sections and the shelves and racks are arranged in a way that makes it very difficult to see where anything or anyone is just by looking at the shelves past what's immediately in front of you. The clothing section is especially difficult to navigate with items grouped together almost randomly beyond very broad categories and items haphazardly hung and stacked with no regard for size order or visibility of tags. Even when they're not busy during sales there's a lot just piled up on shelves without folding and overstuffed racks that are almost impossible to pull things off of without risking damage to the clothes or dumping half the rack accidentally in the process. Customer service could use a lot of improvement as well. They're often understaffed to the point where it takes a prohibitively long time to get ahold of someone who can help you and the checkout line is wrapping around the other side of the store. Even when you do finally find someone that can actually help you it's a toss-up if they're actually knowledgeable and helpful. I've had employees here telling me that they don't carry an item that is sitting on the shelf right next to them. That said, you can get some very good deals here if you're even a slightly savvy shopper. They regularly have very good sales if you don't mind braving the Black Friday-esque crowding in the store. Pro tip: Regularly check this store's seconds/as-is sections, especially after holiday weekends to get serious deals financed by all the overpaid yuppies that shop here who don't understand the concept of breaking in new gear and impulse buy half the store for a two-day glamping trip just to return all that primo gear after using the stuff lightly once. read more

I used to hit the Mountain View locale quite a bit back when I did more back country snow and other outdoor activities. Post covid Ive done very little of that. Recently was in the area and found out the MV one shut and they opened in SNV instead. Big bright and chock full of outdoor gear goodnesses. Been meaning to upgrade my trail running shoes after a couple thousand miles on the current ones but looks like the model i wanted no longer exists and the manufacturer only had regular running shoes in inventory currently. Maybe next time but looking at all the gear is making me itch to get back out into nature read more

The service was fantastic! Primarily due to Andy! He is experienced and knowledgeable! A true Shoe expert! If you're looking for shoes that provide your feet with high-quality comfort that also adds to the long-term care of your feet, go to the store and ask for ANDY! read more

Tried exchanging shoes and was treated very poorly by Dimitri at this location. He should not be working on the floor helping customers with his arrogant attitude. Returned the shoes and left the store. read more

My dad and I had a great experience at this REI location last weekend. We actually first went to a different recreation-type store in another part of Sunnyvale, but didn't realize how early they closed. I did a quick search to see what was still open after 6pm on a Saturday, and this REI location came up (open til 9, yay). My dad was in search of a nice pair of walking shoes. He's in his 60's and spends a ton of time on his feet. Until now, he's typically purchased shoes from Costco, Skechers, Walmart, etc. and all under a certain (low) price point. I suggested we go try on some better quality shoes in a store so he could see the difference. The shoe section here was actually really busy when we arrived, but we still got excellent service! The person helping us (I think her name was Stephanie - apologies if that's incorrect) was so informative and kind. She measured my dad's feet to get his accurate shoe size (something he hasn't had done since he was a kid, he said), and asked very thorough questions about his needs and what he was looking for in a new pair of shoes. Based upon that, my dad was presented with a ton of really great options. He was blown away by that level of customer service! He tried on some Hokas, Brooks, and a pair of Altras, but the winners were a fun, colorful pair of New Balance sneakers. He also grabbed a pair of Allbirds from the clearance rack. What a score! Our checkout experience was also great. The person at the register was friendly and polite, and chatted with us a bit about various things as we checked out. I think it's safe to say that my dad (someone who had never stepped foot in an REI prior to this) is now a big fan and will absolutely be a returning customer. read more

Dmitri in the shoe department was really helpful. Ended up purchasing shoes he recommended

Came in to buy some climbing gear. Asked the staff for help and waited 15 minutes for a specialist to come. There were probably a total of 5 other customers, so it wasn't even busy. No one came and all the green vests were just talking to each other. I ended up leaving without buying anything. read more

If you need any assistance at this store make sure to take someone with you or have Google near by. There is never anyone available. If by chance you are able to speak to someone they are not able to provide any knowledge on the products. It's not worth the frustration or gas to drive here!! read more

I was on the hunt for a good pair of walking shoes. After leaving Dick's Sporting Goods across the street becäuse nobody was working their massive shoe section, I realized REI was across the way and made my way over. I was greeted by Steph in the shoe section and I told her what I was looking for. She asked about my arch & width of my feet and recommended 3 pairs. She brought all 3 out and even brought me a shoe horn to help me try them on (I'm pregnant so it's difficult to bend over, haha). She was so kind, knowledgeable and patient. I walked away with a great pair that I felt so good in. I'm so excited to start wearing them! Super thankful for Steph's attentiveness. I always know I'll walk out with a quality product that fits what I need due to REI's employee's knowledge and patience. Will definitely be back!! read more

Visiting this week, unlike some other recent reviews, we found the staff to quite plentiful, decidedly friendly and most helpful. And when we found a tent we liked, after doing much research on site on our phones, was listed on the wall display as being on sale, we were joyful. A staff person helping us noted that the sale ended just two days before and pulled the display price off the wall and told us to take the tent to the register where we should get the sale price. Indeed, the register person was just as nice and helpful, but noted that manager approval was necessary. Manager wouldn't approve it. We departed, no longer joyful and, probably, never to return. read more

The staff that are there are helpful and caring. However, the times we have been there they have been understaffed, seemingly not the fault of anyone actually on the floor. Maybe the sheer physical size of the store contributes to this. Yet, despite the larger footprint than the old Mountain View location off 101, the selection seems worse here than it was there, both for gear and for clothing. For example, fewer choices of bike lights, very few kites, weak selection of men's pants. Add to that REI's clawing back of decades old consumer-friendly policies in recent years and this has become an average big box store drag rather than the convenient and high quality experience I had back in the Mountain View location. Again, none of this is the fault of the very helpful employees. read more

Sigh I can't believe I am having to do this after being a member for years. Walked in ready to throw down money for new gear. Staff 1: ignores me while helping another person even though I was there for a long time looking and choosing items. Did not ask if I need help after he finished w other customer, walked away. Staff 2: ask simple question and about to check out and and to get an item... get snarky answer. Result: walked out. Like big store. Miss old MTV location. Parking not great. read more

beautiful new-ish store in sunnyvale...i believe they opened in october/november last year? i've been here twice, and each time i've been, i feel like i'm in an adult toys r' us or lego-land! this store is massive, but the layout is quite nice, with all the camping gear on one side, women's clothing towards the back, and nutrition in the middle. restrooms are in the rear of the store and well-maintained. i attended a run hosted by rei & barc (bay area run crew) last week and really enjoyed the experience. they had set up a tent outside with water and product samples post-run and even had some raffle prizes. the staff were all so nice and welcoming. i hope they host more events in the future! there's plenty of parking to the front and side of the store, and i've never had a problem, even though I came at peak shopping hours on both visits. located in the heart of sunnyvale, a mile south of downtown, equally convenient to either 280 or 101 freeways. read more

Rude Karen on register( skinny, blonde, hair pulled back, worst attitude). Awful service, awful person. It's such a shame but I would avoid this REI. Never coming back here again even though I've been a member for years and spent hundreds of $$$. read more

Service was a bit lacking on the floor. Hunted around for awhile for help. Gave up and finally found what I was looking for. Value was ok. They had everything I needed for backpacking supplies read more