REI to close NYC flagship, two other locations
REI Co-op plans to shutter three of its locations in the Northeast.
The outdoor clothing and gear retailer said it has made the “difficult decision” to close its store in Bergen Town Center, Paramus, N.J. in the first quarter of 2026. It will shutter its store in Boston and flagship in New York City’s SoHo in late 2026.
The news comes a week after REI CEO Mary Beth Laughton, who took the reins earlier this year, laid out a strategic plan to guide the company during the next three years as it looks to return to growth.
“We’ll have to make tough choices as we do so, to allow us to focus on the efforts that set us up to grow and thrive,” she said in a note to employees.
REI’s net sales in 2024 fell 6.2% to $3.53 billion, with a net loss of $156.4 million, compared with $214.6 million in 2023.
In a statement regarding the store closings, REI said it was deeply grateful to its teams, members and customers, and the stores’ communities for their support over the years
“As markets and customer needs evolve, we must adapt to position the co-op for long-term success,” the retailer stated. “We will continue serving members and customers at these locations until closing, and at our other stores across the New York and Boston regions.”
NYC
REI’s 35,000-sq.-ft., three-story SoHo outpost is the retailer’s sole location in New York City. Located in the landmarked Puck Building, it opened amid wide fanfare in 2011. The company was praised for its refurbishment of the iconic building, which honored its more-than-century-old history. In March 2022, the store was again in the headlines when it became the first REI to unionize.
[READ MORE: REI takes on Manhattan]
The Boston closing will leave REI with no location in the immediate Boston area. (Earlier this year, in April, REI closed its store in Cambridge Crossing, in Cambridge, Mass.) The company does have stores in the state, in Framingham, Hingham and Reading.
REI is the nation’s largest consumer co-op. As of the end of August, it had approximately 197 stores nationwide.
