REI will solely close its Portland location, alleging theft and break-ins.

REI : Outdoor retail behemoth REI said on Monday that it intends to close its location in Portland’s Pearl District early in the next year due to an increase in theft and crime.

Despite steps taken to increase security, REI’s Portland shop “had the highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades,” according to an email sent to customers on Monday.

Prior to the lease’s expiration in February, it intends to shutter the site.

The most well-known big retailer to openly attribute theft as the cause of shop closings in Portland is REI. Nike told municipal officials that stealing was the reason one of its Portland locations was closed to the public. Walmart recently shuttered its only two locations in Portland due to poor sales.

REI will solely close its Portland location

Meanwhile, both major and small retailers in Portland claim that theft is an increasing issue and that municipal officials have been hesitant to act.

In 2004, REI relocated its Jantzen Beach shop, which it had first established in 1976, and inaugurated the Pearl District site the following year.

The business hinted on Monday that it was “evaluating opportunities” in Portland but refrained from declaring that it was actively considering opening a new facility there.

While REI doesn’t think a downtown Portland presence would be feasible in the near future, its stores in Tualatin, Hillsboro, and Clackamas are still open and prepared to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to enjoy life outside, the company said in an email to its customers.

The business said that on Black Friday of last year, a vehicle ploughed through the glass front doors of REI’s Pearl District shop, bringing the company’s theft issue to a climax. It was the third break-in at the business in a week.

The chief commercial officer and store manager of REI met with Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office and the Portland Police Bureau following the Black Friday incident, according to business spokeswoman Megan Behrbaum, to discuss their “concerns for the safety of our employees, members, and customers.”

According to Cody Bowman, a spokesman for Wheeler’s office, the mayor’s administration and PPB worked closely with REI to identify strategies for reducing crime in the Pearl District, including increased police patrols and concentrated operations on certain days to catch shoplifters.

According to Behrbaum, REI has undertaken expensive security-related investments, such as upgrading the store’s windows with protection glass, hiring 24-hour private security and setting up a camera trailer at the loading dock. She stated that the firm is installing additional security sensors for its final months of operation despite its plans to shut the store.

But according to Behrbaum in an email, the amount of burglaries, shoplifting, and other crimes “overwhelms systems in place.” According to her, REI spent more than $800,000 on extra security in 2022.

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Yet, according to Behrbaum, “we still had 10 burglaries, one of which resulted in the closure of our 14th street entrance for more than two months.” She said that REI had made considerable efforts in safeguarding their Portland shop during the last two years.

The business claimed that it had “outgrown” the Pearl District location and that “significant investment” was required to fix “issues” with the structure.

Behrman said that REI has also failed to resolve safety concerns at the store and execute other modifications by working with its landlord.

According to Behrbaum, the additional security procedures needed to protect both consumers and staff are not financially viable. We will continue to invest in these areas for the duration of our lease, but a lease extension through early 2024 is not financially feasible.

An email requesting feedback from the landlord, Brolin Co., received no response.

In the meanwhile, a representative for the mayor stated that Wheeler is “committed to further supporting REI to help ensure we retain their business in Portland and help them succeed.”

Over 150 people work at the REI shop in the Pearl District. The business stated that its staff members are free to look for jobs at other REI locations. They will earn quarterly retention incentives in the interim for delaying their departure, according to Behrbaum.

She said that in addition to providing severance compensation to its full-time employees who leave REI when the shop closes, the business will.