REI Joins Retail Exodus in Portland

REI (Sumner, Wash.) has become the latest retailer to announce plans to exit Portland, Ore., Willamette Week reports. The consumer co-op attributed the decision to close its store in the Pearl District early next year mainly to a rise in break-ins and thefts.

“Last year, REI Portland had its highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades, despite actions to provide extra security,” REI said in an email to its members. “The safety of our employees, members and customers is always our No. 1 priority. In recent years, Portland has been dealing with increased crime in our neighborhood and beyond.”

Another factor in the decision to close the 20-year-old store was a disagreement with its landlord, REI spokesperson Megan Behrbaum told WW.

“In addition, we have outgrown our current space, and the building requires significant investment to address issues that we have been unable to reach agreement on with the landlord,” Behrbaum said in an email to the news outlet. “As a result, we are not able to provide the level of customer and employee experience we strive for at REI.”

“While we do not believe a downtown Portland location will be possible in the near term, our stores in [nearby] Tualatin, Hillsboro and Clackamas remain open and ready to outfit you,” REI told its members.

REI joins Walmart, Nike and local convenience-store chain Green Zebra in abandoning Portland, citing crime and/or poor performance as reasons.