REI

"Lots of staff wandering around but no one offered to help me. Minimal options for good hiking shoes and climbing gear. Seems like they cater to mountain biking and people who want fancy puffies."

"Great REI! So many friendly workers asked if I needed help. Little do they know that I’m the browsing king. Eventually I caved and asked for assistance for an upcoming road trip and the staff member was incredibly helpful."

"I've decided to update my previously bad rating/ review to a 5 star rating. I had decided not to shop at REI anymore after a previously bad experience there, but after being sold on an REI brand product online I decided to venture back into the store just this one time. I was pleased to work with 3 different employees who were all happy to jump in and help me find what I was looking for. In addition to this they seemed to have experience using some of the products I was asking about and in outdoor adventures in general. I'm happy I gave them a second chance and will likely find myself back shopping at REI again."

"Stopped by to purchase hiking books for my wife and I. No associates in shoe area. We found someone... After she helped my wife find some books, she was so busy talking to a co-worker that we could not thank her and move on to my boots. When exiting, we had to walk around two employees talking to get to the check out counter. Employees do not make eye contact, we felt like a distraction. When I shop at Home Depot employees actually ask me if I need help finding anything. Not here. We purchased 1/2 of what we wanted, returned home, logged on and purchased the other pair of boots! Crazy. We went out of our way to support a local store and it was a miserable experience."

"I enjoy shopping at REI. If timed right, you can get some good deals on great products. I normally don’t need staff help but they are always friendly based on my experience. I recently had a very positive interaction with Brooke from REI. She was friendly, helpful, and enjoyable to talk to about gear. She’s the kind of associate that I enjoy interacting with. REI needs to keep hiring more people like her."