Black Friday is becoming a permanent holiday for the 16,000 employees of outdoor store REI.
The Seattle-based cooperative REI revealed on Thursday that it has been closed on the day after Thanksgiving since 2015, and that the paid day off is now one of its employee benefits.
CEO of REI explains why stores will be closed on Black Friday
REI first closed its doors on the day considered to be the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season to encourage employees and members to spend time outside, presumably while wearing REI goods and equipment.
Every Black Friday, the retailer’s stores, distribution centers, call centers, and headquarters will be closed. Customers can still submit orders on REI’s website, but processing won’t begin until the next day, the company stated in a statement.
REI maintains 178 facilities in 42 states and the District of Columbia that are owned by customers with lifelong memberships. Similar to its competitor Patagonia, it positions itself as a progressive organization.
In a similar fashion, Patagonia has made a public display of withdrawing from the Black Friday shopping frenzy and no longer offers Black Friday bargains, according to the newsletter Blacker Friday. It also suggests that people should spend the long weekend outside, rather than at the mall or in front of a computer screen shopping.