North Texas Update: REI and Timberland

* Specialty outdoor retailer REI Co-op (Kent, Wash.) has opened a store at the Gates of Prosper shopping center in Prosper, Texas. Located about 40 miles north of downtown Dallas, it joins four other REIs in that metropolitan market, in Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano and Southlake. The largest consumer co-op in the U.S., REI has 25 million members served by a network of just under 200 stores.

* Outdoor boots/apparel/equipment seller Timberland (Stratham, N.H.) plans to open its first three stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex later this year, reports The Dallas Morning-News. The stores are slated at Allen Premium Outlets, about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas; at Galleria Dallas in that city’s downtown; and at Grapevine Mills, about 20 miles equidistant north of Dallas and Fort Worth. “As one of the fastest‑growing and most diverse regions in the country, DFW brings together consumers who value durability and function alongside style and self‑expression, making it a natural fit for Timberland’s footwear, apparel and workwear roots,” a Timberland spokesperson told newspaper. “Texas has consistently been an important market for Timberland across wholesale and digital channels.”