Rei to open new location at Anchorage's Midtown Mall

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Mar 14, 2019

Rei Co-op is set to open its next location, located at the Midtown Mall in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 22.

The 50,000-square-foot store will offer one of the largest product assortments of any Rei location and will feature a bike, ski and snowboard shop, gear rentals, indoor parking for bikes, a pocket park and a community room for non-profits.

The new Anchorage space also offers direct access to the Seward Highway for outdoor enthusiasts traveling to two of the state's popular nature destinations, Denali National Park and the Kenai Peninsula. According to Rei, the state of Alaska is home to over 218,000 of the co-op's lifetime members. 
 
"Our new location is a space where our members can gather and plan their next big adventure, learn more about our nonprofit partners and get the gear they need quickly and efficiently," said Mike Herzog, Rei Anchorage store manager, in a release. "With an open layout, we can display more product and allow our staff to spend more time helping members and customers get outside."
 
Like many of the co-op's other locations, Rei Anchorage will offer in-store workshops and outdoor experiences, including an upcoming bike chains and derailleurs workshop and an Alaska bear awareness class, among others.

First opening a catalog store in the Spenard neighborhood of Anchorage in 1979, Rei has supported the outdoor adventurer community of Alaska through its Rei stewardship grants, which helped build the Flattop Mountain Trail, expand Anchorage's bike trail system and make Spenard more bike and pedestrian-friendly.

The co-op also has longstanding partnerships with the Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska Singletrack Advocates and Alaska Geographic. 

The Anchorage location will host a grand opening event with free public activities and giveaways from March 22 through 24.