Summary

REI apologized for endorsing Trump interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum, citing backlash over his support for fossil fuel drilling and deregulation.

CEO Mary Beth Laughton, who took over March 31, called the endorsement “a mistake” and pledged to refocus REI on protecting public lands.

The co-op will lead a new coalition, Brands for Public Lands, to lobby for conservation.

The REI Union, which had criticized the endorsement, praised the retraction. The company also faces legal challenges over alleged anti-union practices and benefits withholding.

    • invno1@lemmy.one
      2·
      1 day ago

      Eastern Mountain Sports maybe? I have no idea how that company is run though.

      from Wikipedia:

      On September 3, 2024, the chain was acquired by British Outdoor retailer Mountain Warehouse for $10 million. Mountain Warehouse plans to expand the company and open as many as 100 new stores over the next few years.

      • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 day ago

        Maybe as part of those 100 new stores they can re-open one of the three around me that they abruptly closed several years ago. One of those was one of their “flagship” stores and had about the same square footage as one of the larger REI locations and seemed to be doing a brisk business right up until the end. So I’m not sure what was up with that. My nearest EMS is now 120+ miles away which is a bit silly if all I need is some chalk or something.

        I did score some mega-clearance stuff back then, though. So that was neat. Like a pair of Gore Tex Ascent pants for $15 or thereabouts.