REI opens third Montana store, donates $20,000 to local outdoor community

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Nov 8, 2018

REI will open its newest store in Kalispell, Montana at the Spring Prairie Commons shopping center on November 9. 

Similar to REI's other flagships, this 20,000-square-foot store will be located near a popular outdoor destination; in this case, Glacier National Park. The new flagship will carry a range of hiking, mountain biking, and specialty ski and snowboard gear for outdoor enthusiast shoppers. 

In honor of the new opening, REI will invest $20,000 in four local outdoor nonprofits: the Glacier National Park Conservancy, Whitefish Legacy Partners, Montana Conservation Corps and Montana Wilderness Association. The donated funds will go toward supporting volunteer and stewardship programs in the area. 

REI Kalispell will also offer workshops and demos in an effort to encourage customers to enjoy the outdoors. 
 
The store will host a series of grand opening events, including an outdoor social event during its opening weekend and a gift card giveaway to the first 250 visitors to the store.

REI will also partner with local Flathead Lake Brewing on a limited-edition Saison named “Piste de Resistance." The two companies will donate 10 percent of beer sales to Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center, a non-profit providing avalanche education to the public. 
 
With more than 125,000 REI members in the state, REI Kalispell marks the co-op’s third location in Montana, joining other stores in Missoula and Bozeman.