REI Connects with Outdoor Community in Milford, Conn. through New Store this Fall
New store to offer gear and expertise, and partner with local nonprofits to help more people get outside
Jul 21, 2016
SEATTLE – Opening this fall, a new REI store in Milford, Conn. will help the outdoor community enjoy life outside and support local nonprofits who steward nearby recreational places. Located between the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound, the new store will carry gear and apparel for the region’s most popular outdoor activities, and will include a bike shop, watersports shop and REI Outdoor School classes.
"We are thrilled to be joining the Milford community. For me personally it's an honor to be combining two things that I am so 
passionate about: REI, where I've worked for almost nine years, and my home state of Connecticut, where I first fell in love with the outdoors,” said Andrew Hoskins, REI Milford store manager. “I'm looking forward to helping REI deepen its support of our local nonprofit partners and helping local adventurers find new ways to connect with the outdoors."
REI Milford will occupy 25,000 square feet on the lower level of a new shopping center on Boston Post Road, across from the Milford Marketplace. More than 8,000 REI members live within 15 miles of the new location. With nearby stores at REI Norwalk and REI West Hartford, the more than 30,000 active co-op members in the region will now have three locations to find gear and inspiration for their outdoor adventures.
The new store will feature the top brands of outdoor gear and apparel for camping, climbing, cycling, fitness, hiking, travel and paddling. The store will also offer expert advice from in-store guides and classes through REI Outdoor School—a national leader in outdoor education that taught over 250,000 people across the country last year. Throughout Connecticut, REI Outdoor School taught more than 1,400 people this year. REI is also holding its first-ever national free weekend of Outdoor School on July 30-31 to bring people together outside, offering over 400 classes and events nationwide at no cost.
With each new store, the co-op invests in local nonprofit partners who steward local outdoor places. This year, REI has invested $20,000 in four nonprofits throughout Connecticut to support trail repair and park maintenance. In total, REI will invest more than $8 million in hundreds of nonprofits throughout the country this year.
Join the REI Team
Candidates interested in joining the REI team at any local store can apply online at rei.jobs. The co-op expects to hire 50 employees for each of the new stores who receive a variety of benefits, including generous product and service discounts, competitive pay and retirement contributions. For 19 consecutive years, REI has been recognized as one of FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”
About the REI Co-op
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of 23 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 181 locations in 42 states and the District of Columbia. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI’s active adventure travel company that runs more than 100 itineraries across the country. In many communities where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to—and steward—the outdoor places that inspire us all.