REI confirmed plans to close its store in downtown Santa Monica, CA, due, in part, to higher costs of doing business. The two-story, 32,000-square-foot location will close February 29, 2024.
“The decision to close was not made lightly, but after consideration of the positive impact of the store, our market presence, and external factors,” REI said in a media statement.
“While Santa Monica remains a destination for locals and visitors alike, the needs of our customers and business have shifted over the nearly two decades that we’ve served this community. The overall operating environment has also changed, and the cost to do business,” REI continued.
As the Santa Monica Daily Press reported, the store was among those looted during the riots in 2020. In addition, the nearby parking garage was demolished in 2022 for a housing project.
REI opened the store in 2006, making it its seventh in Los Angeles at the time.
REI has 14 stores in Los Angeles, including its Marina Del Rey, which opened in September.
Photo courtesy REI
