REI reported sales reached a record $2.4 billion in 2015 after a second consecutive year of nearly double-digit growth.
Sales increased 9.3 percent from $2.2 billion in 2014, or 11 percent when adjusting for an extra 53-week of sales including in 2014 results. Comparable store sales grew seven percent, including a 23 percent increase in online sales.
As a co-op, more than 72 percent of REI's profits from 2015 will go back to members, employees and nonprofit partners. A record $185.3 million will be shared with more than 6 million REI members through annual dividends and credit card rebates. Members have the option of donating their dividend to The REI Foundation, if they choose.
In 2015, REI invested record amounts in more than 1,000 outdoor places. More than $8.5 million went back to nonprofits, including large grants for the National Parks' centennial and to increase women's leadership in the outdoor industry, both of which are priorities for the co-op.
"We have made good progress this year, but there is much more to do," said REI president and CEO Jerry Stritzke. "Stewardship is a mindset that helps us to imagine the positive, lasting impact we can have together. It helps us look to the future and to think about our legacy."
Highlights from the 2015 Stewardship Report include:
Creating Access to Nature: Last year, over $8.5 million was invested in more than 1,000 outdoor places through nonprofits partnerships, including signature investments from The REI Foundation to the National Parks Foundation. As part of this investment, $500,000 was distributed to 10 trails across the country in just 37 hours through 100,000 votes by trail enthusiasts.Catalyzing Outdoor Experiences: The outdoor community rallied on behalf of the outdoors in 2015. More than 1.4 million people and 175 organizations supported #OptOutside on Black Friday, and hundreds of state parks provided incentives or free entry. REI members joined together to generously donate more than $850,000 to Mercy Corps for relief efforts in response to the Nepalearthquake. Additionally, nearly 254,000 people learned a new activity or brushed up on their skills through REI Outdoor School's store classes or local outings, an increase of more than 40 percent from 2014, and REI Adventures led 9,800 members on trips in more than 40 countries across all seven continents, representing a 9.7 percent increase from 2014.Curating Sustainable Product: REI's private brands division shifted to 100 percent Responsible Down Standard (RDS) for its products to ensure that the down used will come from ethically treated ducks and geese, and continued its commitment to transition to bluesign certified materials, a system for sustainable textile production. In 2015, the co-op established a sourcing relationship with the first Fair Trade certified apparel factory in the U.S., which will produce the t-shirts for REI's National Parks' centennial product assortment available to members this spring.Operating Sustainably: Absolute energy use was down slightly from 2014, while REI added five new stores and increased its operational footprint. Since 2008, the co-op's energy use has grown only 4.2 percent while its sales have grown 68.4 percent during that time. Committed to remaining a top employee of choice, the company gave back over $70 million to more than 12,000 employees through incentive and retirement programs.In his President's Message, Stritzke reflects on the co-op's opportunity to think about long-term impact, sharing that he plans to invite REI members to take part in a conversation beginning this May at REI's annual member meeting. Members will be invited to discuss the positive impact the REI community could have on the outdoors and society, 100 years from now and beyond.
REI's board of directors is selected by the co-op's membership and oversees the company. Members can exercise their rights to vote for the board now through April 25.
Headquartered near Seattle, REI is the nation's largest consumer co-op and among its largest outdoor specialty retailers. More than 1 million new members joined the co-op in 2015, bringing its total active membership to 6 million. In addition to 145 stores in 35 states, REI sells online via REI.com, REI.com/outlet or the free REI shopping app. The company also owns REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 150 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI also offers beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of outdoor activities through its Outdoor School.
