We have been REI members for years. Today I was treated so rudely that I'm not sure I would ever shop the Tacoma store ever again. I was returning an item with the tag still on it and was treated horribly. I ended up keeping the item and will donate it to somebody rather than dealing with Kevin. I was ready to purchase a $350 piece of luggage that I will now buy online not through REI.I'm read more

Amazing experience here! I love browsing REI but recently had the need for some help with a roof rack. I purchased the wrong kind online and had to return it, and Brandon walked me through everything and since they didn't have what I needed in store, he wrote down all the models and skus needed for me to get the correct parts. It was so nice to get such customized service! Love that there's still employees who know their stuff. There's also nice clearance and last-one deals here. Haven't had a bad experience! read more

I stopped in looking for a new packable sleeping bag to take to on the WA BDR and various other camping adventures where weight and space are limited. I was perplexed on which item to go with when #SleepingBagSavior, Michael, came over to offer advice and assist with guidance. He was very helpful as were several other associates. I enjoyed our shared discussion over the love of great quality gear and the outdoors. While the bag cost was on the higher end, it's a very high quality bag that will be versatile for many years to come. Thank you sales manager Michael! read more

This business is known for being expensive, but having what you need for the outdoors or your not so average sports. Membership is free and there are perks. We use their free machine board waxing, one per member per day. Snow arrived early this year and the waitlist, I never knew existed, grew. I showed up and the pro shop took all of my boards, waxed them, and sent me on my way! They had every intention of making sure I was getting on the slopes that weekend! I cannot express how impressed I was with their service. I was getting ready to drive all over just to wax these boards so my son could enjoy the weekend. Thank you REI Team! read more

My first REI store ever!!!!! You should have seen me giggling and gasping on every products displayed that my eyes lead to. I feel like I'm in Disneyland for adults who love hiking & dealing with nature. First of all bandit said that this location is smaller compare to others. They don't have plenty of selections in here too. But personally this one is already huge! And that it has all the essentials that I need when I wanna immerse the wilderness out there. We were welcomed with happy faces. The staffs are pleased and happy to help you and they were also friendly. I love the fact that the store itself is cleaned and organized. Love their selections in here too. I spend hours and thousands of $$$$ in here to the point that on our second visit I decided to open up a lifetime membership account with them and I am so delighted I did! I will surely not forget my 1st ever experienced on this store. Now I'm one of the million avid customers they got! Cheers to more spending here!!!! read more

See all

It's been a while since I've been to REI store. Contrary in Hawaii, mainland US has multiple stores of REI almost everywhere and this is what I missed the most - the smell of the newly freshened store filled with great goodies to choose. I introduced my wifey in this store and I'm elated that she love it just like how much I love it too! Bought lots of stuffs for her and for myself. Spend thousands but all worth. Shopping spree here is once in a while so I made sure that this trip is worth the spend. The staff in here are so helpful & they were acquaint on the store products. Kudos to them. See yah later... read more

See all

Wow! Long on the days when REI was king. Once you can get some very cool specialized gear. Now it's just a clothing store. The breakdown is as follows: 50% Women's clothing 25% Cheap camping stuff you can get half price at the Walmart 25% Everything else 100% Pretentious! No wonder REI is on the list of chain stores expected to close soon. read more

After many days of delayed shipping, calling direct to REI (as opposed to contacting the shipping company) resolved all issues. Service rep Tammy went above and beyond to make things right again. If you ever have shipping issues for anything ordered through REI, do not reach out to shipping company and instead call REI. read more

I went in several other shops to see if they had hardware for my nice old pair of bindings but got nothing. Mentioned it to one of the guys here and they brought me back to the repair shop I Didn't know they had which is awesome, and they guys were great, got my bindings up and running and saved me a headache looking for T bolts for an old expensive pair of ride bindings. Decent pricing and got me riding again. read more

I had such lovely experience here last tues, we were looking for duffle backpacks for a trip coming up. Matt helped us check out all the duffles and was incredibly in tune w what bags were best for where we were traveling aaand how to utilize them in the best way. Over all a super rewarding experience because the guys that rang us helped my friend w some questions and were very welcoming as well. I will undoubtedly be back:) read more

REI - Duffel backpack, super efficient for airports :)) - Bikes Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Alright. Wonderful store, solid inventory, decent prices. Bathroom was serviceable and clean as well. But I had, and I'm not being hyperbolic, the best check out experience of my life. Zach was hilarious and courteous. Zach was efficient. Zach absolutely killed it. If there's some manager reading this review, Zach deserves a raise. Or at least some job security/peace of mind. Y'all have a gem. read more

I wish I was sure who our sales person was (Megan?) - My daughter got a new back pack (long day hikes) for Christmas. As she lives in near Tacoma, we went to that store to get her "fitted". I was so impressed by the time and knowledge shown by our sales person, ensuring she had a comfortable and quality pack fit; one that would carry her many, many miles. We did not know, for example, that a woman's pack it cut dufferently than a man's pack We paid quite a bit more than her previous pack, no question. It was purchased off the rack at a sporting goods store. Our daughter often came back from her hikes with sore shoulders and a back. So what we paid at REI (hopefully) for will be worth the "bit more" in a happy wanderer with a well-fitted pack. read more

First time here at this location. I came in with shoes that had gotten a hole in them and that were less than a year old. Being a member, they were able to verify my purchase with my phone number and refund my money with no hassle. The lady helping me was able to suggest a different pair of shoes because she could relate to the issue I was having. The lady upstairs in the shoe department was so nice and accommodating! Great experience read more

Not your usual friendly REI. Workers here don't ask if you need help which is good if you want to be left alone to wander. They also don't have a good, full inventory of certain items that I can find in the Bellevue and Issaquah REI stores. Feel sorry for those who have to shop here where supplies are scarce!! Example: Slim choices on shoe inserts. Lack of sizes. No women's clothing? Could not find any as I looked around. No plastic, foldable water bottles. read more

What an outstanding store! Justin met me as I was coming in and made himself available to show me walking sticks, backpacks and sleeping bag liners, then he gave me information about ponchos and other similar options. Super nice guy and very knowledgeable. Then Rod gave me information about trail runners and the pros and cons of getting waterproof ones or not waterproof that breathe better. Both guys were so friendly and available and knowledgeable. Really outstanding. And then Jeanie was very friendly at the register. As my daughter and I get ready to go on a major adventure this coming spring, I know I'll be back to this particular store many times to consult with these guys and buy the items we'll need. It's rare to get this kind of knowledgeable customer care these days. I was very pleased with REI today. read more

Unfriendly staff. Did not have a good shopping experience upon my last visit. Wish more company's would respect their customers right to breath Oxygen and not feel Entitled to tell other people what to do. This was not one of those places. Very liberal views on the mask mandate. Would recommend Amazon. Or any other sporting wear house store. They have lost my permanent support. read more

REI sucks. I have recently had to do two returns at REI. The first return was after we bought an expensive pair of shorts for my husband online after he tried them on in the store and they didn't have his size in stock. While still shopping we asked if there were any member discounts available, sales upcoming, etc. We were told no. Literally about 12 hours after making my online purchase a member coupon for 20% off was announced that would be active in a few days. Totally would have waited if we had known but fine. We decided to see if we could get the discount on this purchase or return them and repurchase the shorts with the member discount. Evidently if they had gone on sale and we came back within two weeks we could have received the difference but we couldn't apply the discount to this current purchase. Okay what about return and repurchase? You would have thought we asked to do an illegal drug deal behind the store! While we eventually were able to do this - me returning them, the sales person putting them back on a hanger and my husband then purchasing them with a different bank account and member number it wasn't without a whole heap of return shaming. We got an earful from the cashier on how wrong and reprehensible it was that we were doing this, that we were asking her to evidently break an REI policy and her personal REI cashier vow of ethics. I went in thinking that maybe I would just have to return them and we might have to purchase them later that day online. Honestly that might have been less stressful than the lecture we received on our poor ethics and how we were gaming or defrauding the system. We were dumbfounded. Fast forward a week and I bought my husband a fleece online for Father's Day. Evidently I didn't learn anything. Didn't like the feel or weight (especially for the cost) so came into the store to exchange it with a different fleece which was the same price. Same price, same discount, same tax. No shipping costs having to be paid by REI for the exchange since I came in person. The cashier does the exchange and then lets me know I owe a penny. Yes, one cent. One cent that I had to put on my debit card. Somehow the company that reported making $3.85 BILLION last year has a glitch in its system that required me to pay a penny despite the fact that I purchased something of the same cost and was asking to exchange it in store. The cashier said that this had come up before but there wasn't really any explanation. For whatever reason REI doesn't allow their cashiers any discretion to say "hey, seems like a problem on our end so I'm going to discount your purchase the 1 cent" although it is evidently okay to do unethical returns. Strange. Both situations were ridiculous and a huge turnoff. For a store that supposedly highlights their awesome return policy and customer forward position, both these experiences pissed me off. (I did apologize to the 1 penny cashier for expressing my frustration at her). Being lectured on ethics during a return? Really? Yep, one penny isn't a big deal on an over $100 purchase but are you kidding me? I honestly hate doing business with places that don't train/trust staff well, don't give staff any wiggle room to make reasonable decisions on behalf of the customer or quite honestly operate what feel like greedy practices and policies. With the exception of their REI branded goods everything else can be purchased elsewhere. These experiences remind me why, despite the member dividends and occasional discounts, I rarely shop at REI these days and would prefer to take my business elsewhere read more

I bought a backpack today and some clothes totaling $450. My satisfaction with my purchases is good. My dissatisfaction is with the fact that I tried to get fitted for my backpack and asked an associate for help, who used her radio to call someone over. They never came. I waited around and finally moved on. Second, I let an associate upstairs in the women's section know that the tape that was placed over the camera (directly above the women's changing room!) was peeled off and essentially the women's room was visible to be monitored via camera. Sadly, I realized this after I had already tried on all my clothes. The male associate was more occupied with his girlfriend who was there shopping, and was giggling about my statement about the camera. Lastly, when can I come in to be fit for my pack?? Will there be someone available? read more

I visited this location to try out a pack for an upcoming moutaineering trip. I was fortunate to be helped out by Robert who has extensive first-hand knowledge about outdoor gear. He loaded up the pack with weights for me to try out and helped me with the adjustments, offering advice on ideal fit. Ultimately I didn't purchase the pack I came to check out but I did leave with some trekking poles which Robert was very helpful in selecting. The cashier who rang me up was also friendly though I didn't catch their name. I wish the ladies' clothing section was larger, but otherwise this store had a pretty good selection and good customer service. read more

Came in looking for a coat, and found one. The staff were very helpful, nothing less than I've come to rely on from REI. So far I've had more experiences in California than Washington but certainly had a great experience at this store, highly reccomend for sure. read more

Love REI and the Tacoma location is located off of I-5. I appreciate the parking lot pick up option and staff have always brought orders out to the car in less than 3 minutes. You can't go wrong with this NW staple and everyone is helpful and attentive. read more

We went here looking for a tent, but they didnt had the model we wanted and told us Seattle did, so since that was on our way on this trip- we left to head up to Seattle REI. This location, while smaller then their flagship store does seem to have lot of outdoor things and if your in the Tacoma area looking for quality stuff you cant go wrong going here. read more

REI - Bikes Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Went to the REI Tacoma location to get a proper fitting on my bag pack. The worker that was on the bag section was helping out another customer so I took the Initiative to get a different size bag and try to compare the differences before he got to me. When the guy finally got done, I asked him for help and told him what the issue was. He mumbled a few things almost angrily and with an attitude and as he walked away he said "you got this". I just got picked up my bag and left. That was my first time encountering an issue with a worker at REI. read more

We've been REI members for years, my husband and I both joining at the original store in Berkeley. Unfortunately, shopping at the Tacoma location has been a disappointment. Why? Because there have been two consecutive occasions where we have been made to feel like second-class citizens by both staff and other customers. There have been obvious instances of implicit racial bias. It doesn't matter that we are decked out in gear (all purchased from REI, by the way), or that we are simply paying customers. We've been made to feel like we are not welcome. We have received comments that were passive micro-aggressions. REI may claim to promote diversity, but this store does not live up to that mission. People of color, tread cautiously here. They will be surprised to see you and it will not be pleasant. read more

I have been shopping at REI since they were in the gas station and then the new shop on Capital Hill, back in the day. I recently purchased a $1500 bike at full cost from Tacoma REI. I wanted to get out of the house and get some exercise. Problem: Because I work a lot, I have very little time. When received my email that my bike was ready, I called Tacoma REI to purchase pedals to have they put on so that when I picked the bike up it would be ready to go. After being transferred to a couple different staff, I talked to someone about pedals and told them what I was attempting to do (and that I needed to pick up the bike quickly and hoped I could get pedals). Their response was, "we don't have many pedals, only the expensive ones." I said ok, let's put the expensive ones on. Go ahead and pick some out out! They said "you will just have to come in and look" - mind you the long line outside, the pandemic and my need to be in and out. I then told them ok, I'll buy pedals elsewhere. They had no response, not to mention their tone throughout the conversation. And here comes the kicker, when I showed up to get the bike, they wheeled out a bike that was really small by sight. I said, that's a large. Oh no, it's a small. All my paper work said large, the packet they handed to me said large, the tag on the bike said large. Someone was a sleep at the wheel and didn't even notice the difference between a small and a large bike, one that their selling. Luckily they had the large in stock but I had to wait longer for that bike to be ready and was late for the appointment that I told them when I was looking for pedals that I couldn't miss. With all the people out of work these days, you would think that Tacoma REI could hire people who really want to work and provide quality customer service. Please look at previous reviews Tacoma REI, there is a theme and it's not good. read more

I went to the Olympia store looking for some running shoes. While I have always had great luck with the help I've received there, the lady that was working clearly didn't want to help me. I asked to see two different shoes, and she seemed annoyed that I asked for more than one pair and rolled her eyes at me. So I decided to try out the Tacoma store. Roni was working the shoe department and was amazing! She was knowledgeable and helped me with trying so many different pairs to make sure I got the perfect ones. I really appreciate it. read more

Okay..I officially love REI. I joined the lifetime membership program for $20. You can't beat it with the discounts they give you throughout the year. The return policy can't beaten either. They store the info of what youve purchased in their system, and you can bring any item back even a year later..no receipt and either get your money back or exchange for a similar one around the same price. I went to get some hiking gear info..not that the folks here on YELP haven't been stellar, because they've been awesome. The guy who helped me hikes alot..more of the novice type. I let him what I was looking for with regard to collapsing hiking poles and that I was an amateur hiker. He was informative..showed me how the Z series poles worked..told me how to find the right fit by bending elbow at 90 degrees straight out and that's where you want your grip. Perfect fit with the pair I bought. Will fit inside my pack since they're so light and collapse up to a small size. I thank my yelp friend IAN for the Black Diamond Pole info. Great brand...the best there is. I can't wait for that big sale they have on the 23rd of July 2011..it's coming you guys. Get ready for some good deals. read more

REI - Black Diamond Z Pole Series..nothing but the best for me - Bikes Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

See all

I'm done with REI...Just purchased a North Face down jacket for about $200...if there is a single feather in that POS I would be truly amazed...North Face has gone to shit...No free returns..100% Satisfaction Guarantee my rosy fat ass...Just blew my entire "annual dividend" on return shipping and insurance to get a refund. Won't be shopping at REI anymore...too bad their customer service blows. read more

I'm disappointed. I'm a loyal Altra shoe wearer and a loyal REI member and shopper. I went to the Tacoma REI and found that the last pair of Altra Lone Peak's were used (there was wear on the bottoms and around the soft padding) and the manger refused to lower the price even though it was the last pair and I was paying full retail ($130). I've decided that this is pretty crappy and therefore I'm done shopping here. They should and could do better and they took advantage of the fact that I was injured and needed these shoes. Shame shame. read more

REI has the adventure style outdoors park game on lock down. I started deep in the heart of DT Seattle looking for the bag I want to travel with to and from Denver and LA mostly. They had a medium The North Face duffel that matched my mood so it was a deal. Even better yet, I did a little more business with them and received a heavy discount toward a must have for Swiss militants. I'm not Swiss I still have it, so can you shopping here. read more

REI - Bikes Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Don't trust REI. Yes, it pains me to say that as a 10+ year member, but just sharing as a PSA. I've purchased numerous things on their returned/garage sale format through the years to no issue, but yesterday I purchased a bike trainer that was clearly marked "Used Works Fine." Well.... I get home, take it out of the box and ummm, I can't attest to if it works fine, because it is incomplete, lacking a main carriage bolt and parts to even connect the flywheel to the base.... After calling the local store (Tacoma) and talking to the manager (John) and explaining the situation (who, by the way, never offered an apology, just basically an "Oh, well... we sold it at a discount"), there wasn't even the slightest concession. I recognize it says "All sales final," however it also says "Used, works fine...." (which is clearly doesn't since it can't even be put together). So, apparently REI will opt for profits over customer service. Pathetically, when I first explained the issue to the manager, he clearly wasn't listening when I explained because I said I purchased it last night, tried to set it up this morning and his first/only response was: "well, did you try getting the part from Saris?" Ummm, yeah. Between last night and this Sunday/Easter morning, sure, that's possible. Anyway, do yourself a favor as I said, Do Not Trust REI on labels for their closeout return gear. Learn from my mistake: stuck with a $300 bike trainer that either I throw out or spend the next few days wasting time calling around for replacement parts. What a great deal! Better had I just tried to buy one used on Craigslist or Offerup, because at least there, the seller has to look me in the eye and can't hide the fact that they're taking advantage of a buyer. REI Buyer Beware, indeed. 0 Comments Write a comment... REI ApnrtieSl tSn2p atro unSm2nsioardred:n00 PriSMei · read more

My wife called there and spoke with Brandon about some snowboarding pants, he set them aside and held them till we got there. Unfortunately when my wife tried them on they didn't fit right.Brandon made it a mission to help her find the right pants. Very polite and extremely helpful, I didn't even go there for anything myself, but he actually put me in the mood to by and I did. I found gear of my own, great service! read more

Placed an order for a pair of hoka one one clifton 5 running shoes with REI on March 18. 2020. Approximately 1 week later I recieved the shoes I was pretty excited as it had been about 3 years since I've ran in a hoka shoe, I always had good running times and splits with that brand. My first run a few days later was a 6 mile run and after 4 miles I started to get blisters on both feet, at tte end of 6 miles I had a major blister under each arch on both feet. I thought perhaps it was just the 2st time I've worn them, give them another chance. 1 week later I ran another 6 mile run, this time the blisters were even more painful. I knew I had to return these back to REI. I Called REI and she stated I would have to pay return shipping, I was honestly shocked. It cost me $20 dollars to shop the shoes back to REI, I was not happy at all. The shoes made it back (delivered) to REI on April 17th at 11:58 am. Today April 22nd, I called REI to check on my refund and see when I'd actually get the refund? The 1st time I called I was on hold for 1 hour 1 minute and some seconds, then all of a sudden someone picked up the phone, I said hello and they hung up immediately. I instantly called back but this is going down as the worst company and experience ever. I'm currently on hold with REI and it's been an additional 46 minutes. Honestly who has all this time to waste? REI simply doesnt value or care about its customers at all. I've attached pics of this incredibly bad experience I've had with REI. read more

See all

Hey, newsflash REI most of your customers are returning customers thanks to your wonderful incentive program. With that being said, don't do a double take at my marmot jacket when I'm walking around with it under my arm when it just so happened to still be on your shelves. Chances are I probably purchased it at some point. One more thing when I'm waiting in line for a fitting room and I have a jacket which is considered outerwear with me... there's a reason why I want to take it in the fitting room with me. Since you are so smart and part-time detectives why don't you do the smart thing and count my items if once again you are having such a hard time with theft. I am a walking/talking REI advertisement. Treat me better especially when I spend as much money as I do in your store. Your staff needs to find better things to do with their time. I'm not that interesting. read more

REI smothers you with attention! The moment you walk into this place you are first greeted by the REI associate stationed at the nearest cash register next to the front entrance. After that is when it starts to get repetitive! You are then asked if you need help over & over thru out the store by the other REI associates. Once or twice to be asked if I need help is okay but to be asked a kajilion times if I need help starts to get really annoying. I wouldn't doubt it if you ever had to use the restroom here they'll ask if you need help to hold it or shake it for you. Okay I get it. Assisting the customer is top priority here at REI but it is a known fact in retail that when the store associates are more attentive to the customers the less likely chances of retail theft/shoplifting. I wanna know who is stealing from REI because these associates are on a serious mission to prevent theft! What are ya'll doing? Dropping those five finger discounts and stealing kayaks and sleeping bags as if they were Butterball turkeys? I mean c'mon son! Overall, the REI associates are friendly but over the top attentive. They should tone it down. They are also very knowledgeable so no doubt that REI hires associates who have experience in outdoor activities. So if you are Mr. Grumpy Pants with years of experience in mountain climbing & bird watching. Trying to apply at REI you may not get hired because your too sour and it probably hurts when you smile while asking the customer if they need help. They only hire happy associates that isn't going to get tired asking customers if he/she needs help +20 times. The prices here are on the high end. Expect MSRP prices and rarely you'll find items discounted. Price matching at REI is not available. They do have a yearly sale which is pretty darn good & a yearly member's reward program but you gotta be a big time spender at REI to really reap the benefits of being a member. Excellent & hassle free return policy! A lot of cool gear! If you need to shop at places that requires someone to hold your hand then this is your place! Hi. Can help you? read more

Not going to REI anymore :( They treated me like a thief today and wouldn't trust me to try on an outerwear jacket in a dressing room. Told me it was store policy. I mentioned I was uncomfortable taking off my sweatshirt (only tank top underneath) in a busy retail store. Clerk girl said sorry it's store policy. Not her fault at all, but the policy seems redundant with security cameras, jacket had a giant security tag, and the store was filled with employees who I'm sure are a big part of their security. If they don't trust me; I don't trust them. read more

Just had the absolutely most helpful sales associate experience at REI Tacoma. Kaitlin in the snowboard dept helped me find the right screws for my older Burton EST channel board. Apparently the channel inserts have been superseded and I was freaking out since I have plans to hit the slopes the next day. Kaitlin was reassuring and dug through bins for the right size fit (we went through quite a few)! Afterwards she helped me mount the bindings for the correct angles and width. Then she gave me a free wax on the board which I wasn't expecting. I later learned that she was actually supposed to be off work but stayed on later just to help me (this is on Saturday night). Exceptional stellar customer service hands down. I just can't say thank you enough for her friendliness and awesome customer service. I hope the managers at this location recognizes her for her outstanding service!!! read more

Reason I am rating three stars is because of the poor service I recieved. After a day of not feeling well I decided I wanted to go look for some hiking gear and shoes. As I was sick I didn't feel like dealing with getting completely ready, so I bummed it. Oh and did it play a difference in the quality of service. I went in, they welcomed other people, but not I, has I stayed long enough to watch them basically profile almost everyone dressed down. But the killer was when when I went ro try on shoes. As I sat down, the gentleman did not help me at all. I even had the shoe in hand as I watched other people come in after me and recieve service right away. So as a membership holder that receives a nice dividend and the beginning of the year, I may take my business elsewhere. This is not the first time I have dressed down and recieved no service. Moral of REI, if you want service I would recommend dressing in your Merrell s and you Patagonia clothes. read more

Large REI near Tacoma Mall - since my REI closed many, many years ago (in Federal Way) this is the closest one. I usually go to Seattle but I had a return on a mail order. I was in and out in 5 minutes. Staff was friendly and efficient. read more

I'm a bit biased as I shop quite frequently at various REI locations in CA as well as take advantage of any sales via their REI garage site online. And while I sometimes find better deals elsewhere, I still return to REI due to proximity and diversity of retail items. This time, our visit to WA took us to their Tacoma location. The layout of these stores are typical so I rarely get lost in them. They have areas cordoned out according to activity: women/men's clothing, running/yoga, outerwear depending on the seasons, underwear/base layers, shoes/socks, camping, hiking, backpacks, kayaking, cycling, mountain climbing, and snowsports (I may have left out something, I'm sure of it). In addition, they have a good selection of technical items to assist with GPS and camping materials, such as padding to water pills. While the SO was off attending his conference, I signed up for one of the snowshoe sessions to Mount Rainier National Park. Since we departed from here, I arrived early to take advantage of their expansive parking lot. Transportation was provided by REI and it was led by two knowledgeable guides. There was a group of ten of us and everyone was so friendly and it was a great time out exploring the backcountry. REI supplied the snowshoes, poles, gaiters (if you need them) as well as entry into the park and a yummy bag lunch so all we had to bring was a backpack and a camera. If you have never taken advantage of their classes, I highly recommend them. After returning to the parking lot, I went inside to look around at their snowboarding coats and hiking shoes. I'm a big fan of the Marmot, Mammut, Patagonia clothing brands and shoes, I stick with Merrells because of my big elephant pads. Staff here were friendly and asked if I required any assistance. While REI is a bit more on the pricey side, I always know that they are selling a trustworthy product. I'm also the kind of consumer that does research beforehand so I pretty much know what I'm looking for when I visit any REI retail store. The few times I've had returns also went without any issues since I always hang on to my receipt and keep the tags either on the item or tucked away, just in case. I ended up purchasing the MSR revo snowshoes since they are lightweight and help me with basic walking through the snow. I left happy knowing that the stores are pretty consistent when it came to product, service, and layout. read more