Why do people like REI? I really don't understand This store has failed to live up to its reputation not once but twice now... with no mitigating positive experiences in between... I went in today to pick up a few quick things I would be needing for my upcoming ski trip... I was low on proper socks, long underwear and a hat... So foolish little me thought REI would have shelves filled with everything I needed... I mean REI is spoused to be the Mecca of all things outdoors right? no... no... no... I found my hat just fine and then went in search of socks.... up stairs I found racks and racks of hiking socks in every form imaginable variation but nothing for skiing... after circling the sock stands again and again in great confusion I finally decided to get help... The first employee I spoke too was not sure if they had any in the store but if they were in the store they would be down stairs... I head back down stairs and start searching... upon approaching another employee I was pointed to an almost empty wall of hooks with 4.... (count them!) 4 pairs of skiing socks in their whole store! (3 were men's XL and one was women's XS) If it was June then I would only be mildly annoyed because I know many stores that sell gear during the off season (in fact I think most of my major purchases of ski gear have been during the summer)... but I don't expect every sporting good store to be perfectly stocked with winter gear in June. The only thing that made this whole experience more frustrating was that it's happened before... I've come to this location before to prep for trips abroad and found selection and stock to be severely lacking... What to do with REI? Maybe this is the place to go if your into hiking and camping but for nothing else.... but I can't get over the fact that they would openly sell out of a type of product during the time of the year when this product is most in demand... No more REI for me... lesson learned. *prepares for the hate* read more

REI is an outdoor gear and sporting goods store heaven! El hubby loves this store. When I tag along, I end up hanging out at the camping section looking at cooking equipment. They have the best customer service. Staff are always friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. El hubby and I were looking for hiking shoes for our trip. We really didn't plan on buying at the time we went, but the staff who helped us was so cool that she kind'a convinced us to buy them. Not pushy but enthusiastic. She was so cool. It was like talking to a friend as she educated us about hiking shoes and just shoes in general lol. She was a pleasant person overall. I can't remember her name. I'm so bad with names O_o. She's a tall Asian girl with long hair. I know that doesn't really help, but I highly recommend her if you need help with shoes ^_^. As far as shoe selection, I thought it was pretty decent. Oh and I was happy because they had my size (5-5/2 in womens) yay! It's difficult to find shoes in my size. #thestruggleisreal. read more

Shopped in at REI this week to prepare for my Yosemite Half Dome Hike this weekend. REI is a great store with plenty of gear for outdoor accessories. Parking: Parking is easy. Located in a large shopping center so they have plenty of spots. Service: All the workers are very helpful and knowledgeable. Great for hiking, camping, running gear. A large selection of merchandise from shoes, clothing, energy bars, etc. They also have a membership program which isn't bad. It has a $20 lifetime fee, but you get 10% credit of all your purchases. So if you spend around $200 it is worth getting. read more

NEVER take your bike to get serviced at the manhattan beach REI. Go to Helen's cycles which is just down the street or performance bikes on redondo beach blvd. The customer service at the bike repair shop was the worst I have ever experienced in my entire life. I dont write Yelp reviews but I made an account to warn people. I went to get my tubes replaced on my bike. They told me it would take 30mins and it took 1 hour and 30 minutes. And they charge you by the hour and take their sweet- ass time. So basically it took 1 1/2 hours and $50 to do something that someone does in 5 minutes in the middle of their triathlon. There is an old dude that works there with grey hair who is a complete ass hole and a kid named Aldo (I think) who needs to be fired he is such a dick. If you charge by the hour for labor, then you should not be walking around in circles and shooting the shit with your co-workers when i am watching you and paying you by the hour. then when I asked them why they were working so slowly they gave me a bunch of bull shit excuses and worked EVEN SLOWER! worst customer service i have every experienced. 1 star and i would give it zero stars if I could. REI: START HIRING PEOPLE WHO ARE GOOD AT THEIR JOB WHO HAVE CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS. I WILL NEVER GIVE MY BUSINESS TO REI EVER AGAIN. read more

If you dont walk in knowing what you want I've never had an issue finding helpful employees to assist in finding the right item. It can get uncomfortably busy at times. read more

Christ on a cracker. Any chance that I'd buy the membership vanished after one store worker berated me - sternly - for NOT buying one. Lady, I told you I'm "indoorsy." In 35 years this was my first (and possibly last) time in store. Going to stick to the TNF store and Marshalls for workout/travel stuff. read more

When I need tree-hugging gear or accessories, I come here. This place is full of equipment for climbing, ski/snowboarding, hiking, camping, kayaking, etc. Almost everything is out on display so you can actually see what you are buying, instead of just looking at the box. They have a fake rock climbing wall in the corner and upstairs is full of shoes and clothing. You won't find any baseball or soccer gear as it's mostly outdoor adventurous activities. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. They also have some pretty good deals if you're a member, and send out fliers in the mail about once a month. The REI brand is actually on of my favorite reasons for shopping here. It's always high quality, and a little bit cheaper than the more popular brands like NorthFace or Columbia. They also has tons of topographic maps for sale and staff that can teach you how to use them. How cool is that? read more

I'd come back for more cliff bars if I wasn't so afraid I would spend so much money here on other outdoor gear. Now, I'm not the out doors type. I don't do anything extreme and I certainly don't consider myself in great shape. But I do like to camp and I do like to get out doors. How could you not in Southern California? They have the best deals for the outdoor needs that you'll be needing with Summer here. An indoor rock climbing wall and two stories of gear to choose from, it's hard to brave the expedition here and walk away without a lot more gear. They also have a commune program that provides you with the side walk sale every couple of months. That will really drain your wallet. But forget all those other sporting goods stores, REI is where it's at. With plenty of parking and a trader joes in the same shopping block, it's like someone up there just wanted me to waste the majority of my money here. Thanks REI, now I have so much equipment and so little money left that I'm going to be forced to live out in the woods once the banks take back their property. At least I'll be prepared for that "outdoor living". I'll be the only person on skid row with Carrot cake cliff bars. read more

I recently came into REI for the first time to take advantage of a 20% "sale" they were having. I purchased a trunk bike rack, bike pump, and adapter tube. I'm sure this place is great for campers and rock climbers but for people like myself, I find more ease in heading into a more local sporting goods store. In the bike department, the selection of accessories and supplies is a tad sparse and the prices here are much more expensive than other stores even after having a membership. Oh and be prepared to have every sales person shove that membership down your throat when they find out you don't have one or want one for that matter. I was also disappointed in how little knowledge the sales associates had for the products they were representing. I've definitely had better experiences elsewhere. Their membership doesn't really have any worthwhile benefits.. you can return an item to them without a receipt, and get money back on some "dividendable" items, which applies to nothing I purchased. I don't necessarily appreciate the rudeness I received after rejecting their membership 18 times. The cashier gave me a condescending attitude after paying and rejecting her membership offer. As I left she said, "Just make sure you keep your receipt since you DON'T want our membership. If you HAD our membership, you wouldn't need a receipt to return anything." Rude much cashier #109751? Because keeping the receipt is SO difficult. read more

We came to REI to shop for some Blindstone shoes for my fiancee for xmas. Most of the staff seemed very busy due to the last minute holiday rush so it was hard to find anyone to get us a shoe to try on. We ended up flagging a staff member down who was actually just finished with his shift by the name of Jong. He was more than willing to help us out even though he was technically off the clock! He was friendly and warm and very hospitable and grabbed us the shoe that we needed. We are very pleased to say the least and he even told us Merry Xmas. Kudos Jong for helping us out! read more

I've been here a couple of times to get rock climbing gear and the service has always been great but this time I went to the hiking boots department and I was treated poorly. It a took while to get help and once I did get help, I asked an employee, short mid aged woman, for a size 9 in two different hiking shoes but they didn't fit well so I asked the same employee for an 8.5 for both shoes. She picked up both boxes then shook them to hear if they were empty. She tossed the empty boxes near my feet and walked away. She came back with only one box that were the right size but not the shoe I asked for. She was not helpful at all. John, a different employee from the same department, came by a bit later and noticed I needed help. He gave me his input on the shoes I was looking at and helped me order the shoes I wanted online because the store didn't have the size I wanted. He was a great team member. read more

After an initial mix-up with dates/times for Redondo Beach session, I drove down from LA to Centennial Park in Fountain Valley for the kids 'learn to ride a bike' class. Ours was a small and enthusiastic group of children - lot's of fun for all. Coach Greg was great; he was patient and encouraging, and very accommodating ... to the parents! The kids were up and peddling virtually on their own in less than an hour. He's a fantastic teacher and "bike whisperer"! Well worth the time and money. -SB read more

thank you REI for making me feel like a badass! i've always wanted to be an outdoorsy person but never really put it into action until recently. after several hikes - yosemite, bridge to nowhere and local trails in palos verdes - i am very motivated and excited to have finally tapped into my inner "bear grylls"!!! ok, i might be going too far there but hey, this is what excitement does to a person :) as per my friend's recommendation, i went to REI searching for a pair of water shoes by keen. i noticed many of the staff members wore keens so that was confirmation of my friend's recommendation and all the positive reviews i read up on the brand. luckily (or unluckily), i'm short and can still get away with wearing kids size clothes and shoes. i found a pair of keens in youth size....$24.99!!!! they fit perfectly and i didn't feel the need to search further because i was very pleased. my shopping was done but my bf was still searching for the perfect pair of shoes. one REI employee came by and asked several good questions in hopes to help find that perfect pair. after my bf told her what the shoes were for - hiking on rocky terrain + river crossings - she showed us some keens and merrells. my bf decided on the merrells. he's very happy with his purchase! i've gone to this particular REI several times and my bf and i can't help but notice that every single one of the employees genuinely enjoys being there and loves their jobs. that kind of positive attitude translates well for customer experience and i am personally looking forward to my next visit! THE GOODS: - huge parking lot - super friendly and knowledgeable staff - full inventory from beef jerky to kayaks and everything in between NOTE: go for the $20 lifetime REI membership! pay just $20 one time and you'll benefit from the REI member dividend (among many other cool stuff). ***Every March, active REI members receive their member refund in the form of an annual dividend notice. The refund is typically 10% back on eligible REI purchases.*** i'm really excited for the monthly used gear sale, a member only event. all returned merchandise, even those returned after just being opened but not used will be sold 50-90% off. sounds like a steal to me! another cool thing about REI are the classes and events they offer -- moonlight kayak tour, intro to road cycling AND a zombie preparedness course to name a few! to read more about the REI membership: http://www.rei.com/membership.html BONUS TIP: go to REI on a tuesday, shop and then walk across the lot to cafe rio mexican grill for taco tuesday! read more

REI - the perfect shoes i was looking for! super comfortable and functional :) - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Even this self-proclaimed girly girl loves the outdoors and REI is the place to go for all my outdoor needs... winter wear, gear, equipment, travel books, little doo-dads and gadgets that you may or may not need (but have to have simply because they are cool) -- REI is THE one stop shop. I never seem to make it out of the store with no fewer than three new items. REI is an ADD's paradise. They even offer classes and travel expeditions. Super friendly, knowledgeable staff in this spacious store covering two floors... you can easily spend forever picking up things for your latest adventure or, at least, dreaming about your next one. read more

It's always exciting to walk around REI, even if you don't need to buy anything. The staff is very knowledgable; you can tell they actually use the equipment they sell. Their membership program should be a model for other retail stores to follow! A one-time fee of $25 gets you 10% back on your purchases every year and also provides a 100% money-back guarantee on all products. For this reason, I don't hesitate to buy from them even though I know I could find the same products for less elsewhere. read more

I am new to hiking. Have gone to REI a few times with lots of questions and have been greeted w/ courtesy, patience and helpful guidance. Bonus $20 lifetime membership (why did I decline before...silly me), garage sales & workshops. Yes it can be pricey (did I mention garage sales), but face it quality fitness equipment/clothing isn't cheap. REI stands by the products they sell and have a fair return policy. I think I am becoming an REI groupie. read more

REI - Garage sale finds. Saved $ 100. Membership paid for itself and then some. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Great selection of women's hiking boots and sales rep Cathy was super helpful, knowledgeable and patient.

This is a great store for those who love exploring Mother Nature. There is a good variety of merchandise for camping, kayaking, running, hiking, and other activities. The selections are high quality and there are many that are hard to find in other stores - such as folding bikes. This explains why a lot of the goods are a bit pricey. Being a hiking enthusiast, I especially like their hiking gear such as trekking poles, hydration packs, and the high-quality, detailed hiking maps. Great customer service every time! read more

I came to return a bag that I purchased in the Northrige store and The manager Donne started making falso statements that they donot sell this product accusing me of stilling the bag., they need to be more professional read more

Convenient location and easy parking. Customer Service is good and they usually have a pretty good sale every quarter. They carry a good line of durable and high quality products. read more

I was helped by Juliette tonight. We found a great pair of Keen hikers (brand is new to me, but I like their ethos), an REI Neo Jacket, some socks, and Juliette also made a great recommendation for Dr. Bronner's soap. Nothing like REI when you get a call the day-before for a 2-week job out in the high desert...in the fall. Not to mention her patience as I literally closed down the store... lights went down, music came up ETC. read more

I haven't written many reviews, but had a particularly great experience a couple weeks ago. I came in to purchase crampons, an employee came over to offer me his advice which was helpful, and he assisted me in trying the crampons on my boots. After making my decision on a pair (I picked the Black Diamond ones that did not come with a travel case). The employee told me the cases were out of stock, said I could order it at checkout, etc. Anyway, upon checkout, a wonderful girl asked me right away if I was looking for the carrying case. I said yes, and she ran into the back where she thought she would find one. Alas, she found one in stock! And then told me more about some of the climbing programs REI has to offer. Turns out, she's one of the rock climbing instructors and hosts a women's climbing night. I have always loved visiting here, since work is close by. There is always a friendly atmosphere. read more

I bought a pair of sunglasses on line from them a few months ago and had them delivered there. Picking them up was very uneventful; I came in and showed them my receipt and got my sunglasses. Fast forward a few months later, one of the screws on the hinges is no longer screwable and keeps falling out. I take the sunglasses back with no box or receipt, no problem. They took a while looking for a pair of the sunglasses I had, but I got a new pair. My experience has been duplicated a few times; I mean the way above average customer service. read more

A huge thanks to Gunner for all of his help! I needed a new Thule ASAP to take my bikes back to Palm Springs. I called him at 10am and he had everything ready by 12pm. There was some going back-and-forth on my end making a decision but he was completely understanding and patient with me. I will be a returning customer because of him and the great products the store carries! Thanks Gunner!!! read more

This store is great even for those of us that are not huge outdoor mountain climbing, white water rafting people. I purchased a bike here as well as some comfy warm boots, socks and shoes. At Christmas time they have an assortment of small unique gifts that are perfect for use as stocking stuffers. If you LOVE the outdoor sports you will be in heaven. read more

The service here is amazing! I don't think I've ever felt so assisted in my life! First off I came here to get some snowboarding equipment and the girl helping me was super friendly and knowledgeable. She gave me the run down on how everything worked...led me to make smart purchases versus expensive purchases. The return policy here is great. If you aren't completely satisfied with a product, you can return it. Which is very important since you don't know if you like something until after you use it. I would definitely spend the extra dollar here to have the option to return and item, and to be treated well. read more

Manhattan Beach location full of very attentive employees but not a knowledgeable staff person insight terrible experience I would not recommend this location to anyone especially if you're needing any online assistance or special stock items. read more

REI - Manhattan beach. I would not recommend this location to anyone especially if you're needing any online assistance or special stock items. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Have a REI sleeping bag good for 20 deg. I thought it was good. Workmanship sticking failed. It 4 years old but only used 5 times. RIE won't warrant it even though it isn't wear and tear but workmanship. I guess it's time to go elsewhere. REI used to be a good store. Not anymore read more

A nice REI store at the South Bay location. If I have the time, I rather drive over to the Arcadia REI store because that's a bigger store. Besides that, you can pretty much expect the same thing from this REI store to the rest of the other REI stores. Happy trail. read more

This is the closest REI to me, even if it's a 20 minute drive, but I love coming here! the employees are really nice and helpful and more than glad to help you choose what you need to buy. The upstairs is the clothing section and the downstairs has everything else- sleeping bags, backpacks, tents, etc. My parents have been coming here for years and they love it. They've returned many items bc of manufacturing issues, but REI is really nice about giving us a refund/exchange. Plenty of parking spots available since its in a huge plaza. Only downside is the prices.. so expensive! but I'd rather pay more and get better quality than bad cheap quality. read more

Havard Business School should write a case study about REI's business or operationing model - I was impressed with REI's business concept on how it operates and its marketing/ pricing strategy. Not to mention, it seems obvious that REI employees are happy with their jobs, much like how Trader Joe's employees are always happy and friendly. REI is obviously a successful company. Why didn't I know that there is an REI in El Segundo/ Manhatten Beach sooner? I have been going to the wrong sporting retailer until now. As with all hetero-man, I rarely enjoy shopping, but when I was at REI today, I was like a kid in a candy store, I spent nearly an hour there, which is a record for me. I don't even spend that much time at Whole Foods. I browsed through each department in the store. And I kept trying to lift different kayaks to see which one is the least heavy, I found out I am too weak to lift any. How does one get his/ her kayak to the sea? The kayak has to be lifted onto a car, and has to be off loaded at the beach, drag it until you are ankle deep in the water...the damn thing is really heavy! I even found a pair of sunglass that fits my flat Asian nose for only $19! I bought it amongst couple of other "toys." Check it out, if you have not been to an REI retail store recently. It may just surprise you. Oh, and for the record, I don't ONLY review food related places. read more

Men, put your hair into a nice man bun, jump in your plug in Prius and find your safe space at REI. They only carry the "top of the line" gear, which translates to overpriced and limited selection. The only time I found REI useful is when looking at Merrell shoes. They had a limited selection, but was able to see them in person before ordering them at half the cost online. read more

REI is a class act, with great brands that they firmly stand behind. when my Thule rack had issues, months after purchase, they swapped it out without a hassle. much like my other favorite store, Costco, they will help you out long after you've had ample opportunity to lose your receipt. and if you really did lose your receipt, they can look it up on your membership--a good reason to join. join the co-op! since it's good for life, it's well worth it, even if you buy stuff only once a year. plus, you'll get about 10% of all your purchases back each February or so. it's only $20. i joined back when it was $10, and it's long since paid for itself. happy Yelping and here's to tasting life! read more

Dear Shoe Department, I know I look younger than the 45 year olds strolling in, but it's BULLSHIT that I'm getting brushed aside and can't get any help from the 3 employees here who are pretending I don't exist to help others who just arrived.. Not cool. read more

Lots of great quality gear. The staff is helpful, but it can be hard to find a staff member sometimes. It's probably because they're always hustling to help other customers or doing other tasks around the store. If you can find an associate, they are usually knowledgeable and friendly. The Manhattan Beach location also has a climbing wall they call the Pinnacle. It's a great tool to try on climbing shoes and harnesses to assess the comfort of the gear before you buy. They also hold events there, like slideshows and other presentations. read more

I came here to buy hiking shoes, and I was helped by the most knowledgeable person on hiking shoes ever. He seriously knew everything about all the different kinds of shoes, how to wear them, how to lace them up, how to adjust them for different conditions, what would be best for mountain hiking, what would be best for leisure hiking, etc. I was super impressed. This was my first experience at REI, and it was a very positive one. I bought a pair of hiking shoes, wore them on a difficult mountain hike, only to find that they weren't perfect for me. I brought them back a few days after my hike (after my shoes had been in snow and dirt, even had a few scratches on them) and they accepted them, with absolutely no hassle. Only question asked was why I was returning them. How awesome is that?!!? I don't know if they allow this for every customer, but my dad has a membership, so it was technically a member's purchase. Speaking of the membership, for a one-time fee of $20, I think it's worth it to become a member if you plan on shopping at REI a lot. There are some really great benefits... which you can look up yourself on the REI website: https://www.rei.com/membership/benefits I highly recommend coming here for all your camping and hiking and any other outdoor activity needs!!! read more

Big store and definitely carries items that the average person who sits at home will not need. I do like this store since it carries a fairly decent amount of women's petite clothes, especially hiking pants. Like all REI, I think it's pricey and tend to order the same items on line for less expensive. read more

Love this place! The customer service and staff is very helpful and knowledgeable when it comes to products that I asked about. read more

REI - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Loved the garage REI right next to the main store! So many great deals and Erick was amazing! He helped to fit me in a nice backpacking backpack and showed me how everything worked. Also found a pair of hiking boots I've been eyeing for half the price! read more

Ooh... this REI is large and also has a climbing wall. I can spend hours in here imagining all the cool camping trips I can take with the equipment. The sales are not to be missed-- I got my Kelty frame backpack for $30, originally priced at $150. I'm not a hardcore backpacker so I was just planning on renting, but with a deal like that how can you resist? The salespeople are also knowledgeable and helpful. read more