Retailer REI remains closed on Black Friday for mandatory employee holiday

Outdoor retailer REI is choosing to remain closed during the shopping holiday Black Friday to give its employees a vacation.

While the store has been closed to customers since 2015 in an attempt to encourage outdoor activity, the retailer announced Tuesday that the permanent closure will apply to distribution centers, activity centers, call centers, and headquarters every Black Friday. The company touts over 16,000 employees who will now have the opportunity to “Opt Outside,” as the campaign is called, and have a paid day off.

Its website will still take orders on the holiday. However, order processing and fulfillment won’t happen until the next day.

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“Opt Outside has always been about prioritizing the experience of our employees — choosing the benefits of time outside over a day of consumption and sales,” REI President and CEO Eric Artz said. “When we first introduced this movement, it was considered revolutionary for a retail brand, but we felt it was the right thing to do for our members and employees. Making Opt Outside an annual observance will serve as a yearly reminder of this commitment to doing the right thing for the co-op community.”

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The retailer has also started a nonprofit group called the REI Cooperative Action Fund amid its Opt Outside movement, which “partners with and supports organizations creating a more welcoming outdoor culture,” according to its website.