REI to relocate Redmond store back to Bellevue in fall 2016

Published 2:21 pm Tuesday, September 8, 2015

In about a year, REI will be relocating its Redmond Town Center (RTC) store back to Bellevue, the speciality outdoor retailer announced this week on its website.

In fall of 2016, the Seattle-based company and consumer cooperative will move its Redmond location “to better inspire, educate and outfit over 126,000 active REI members in the Bellevue area,” according to the press release.

REI Bellevue will occupy the second level of the Bellevue Central Shopping Center at the northeast corner of 116th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 4th Street and will feature more than 40,000 square feet of space, including bike and snow shops.

Although REI is part of RTC, Courtney Klein, property manager for RTC, said the town center does not own the property.

“As far as their location here in Redmond, the land/building that REI is on is owned by REI – not RTC,” she said.

Mike Ferris, a spokesperson for REI, said the current Redmond location is slightly smaller than 35,000 square feet.

“The new store in Bellevue will be better equipped to serve co-op members and customers for their outdoor adventures,” said Doug Schmidt, REI divisional vice president of retail. “The larger space will allow us to offer a broader selection of products and programs, and the location will provide more convenient access for outdoor lovers on the Eastside to explore the parks and forests throughout the region.”

Ferris said with the move still a year away, they are not sure exactly what the Bellevue REI will look like in terms of in-store offerings. However, he did say REI is always trying to do more for their members and be innovative with their offerings.

Ferris said one of the reasons for the move is because the Bellevue area has about 50,000 more REI members than the Redmond area. In addition, the Bellevue location is also closer to public transportation, Interstate 405 and a future trail — providing easy access to the store from multiple means of transportation.

“These were the main factors,” Ferris said about the company moving store locations, adding that REI always wants to act in the best way for their members.

Founded in Seattle in 1938, REI originally opened a store in Bellevue in 1984 and moved it to Redmond in 1998.

Ferris said they haven’t had a store in Bellevue since they relocated to Redmond.

And as with any relocation at REI, he said all of the store’s employees will have the opportunity to relocate and transfer to the new location when the time comes if that is what they want. However, it is currently too early for them to know the transfer rate as there is still a year to go before they move.