REI Will Close Its Portland Flagship After Being Overwhelmed by Break-Ins and Thefts as Crime Wave Grips City

REI will be closing its only Portland location due to being overwhelmed by break-ins and thefts, and because it says it has outgrown its downtown storefront, becoming the latest big chain to pull out of the city.“Last year, REI Portland had its highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades, despite actions to provide extra security,” the company said in a letter sent to members. “In addition, we have outgrown this location and as a result are not able to provide the level of customer and employee experience we strive for at REI.”The storied outdoor recreation company said it would keep stores open in Tualatin, Hillsboro, and Clackamas in Oregon, but it does not believe a downtown Portland location “will be possible in the near term.”REI says it spent $800,000 on additional security last year in the store at Portland’s Pearl District, to no avail.In November, a car crashed through the store’s glass front doors in what was the third break-in of the week.It’s the latest closure of a major chain to rock ultra-liberal Portland in recent months. Cracker Barrel announced in March that it would be leaving the city as well, citing a failure to recover from the Covid pandemic for closing three Portland-area locations.Walmart also said it would be closing a Portland location alongside other stores across the country, due to poor financial performance in certain stores.Just last week a Portland coffee shop, Coava Coffee, said it’s permanently shutting down because employees “feel unsafe.”REI’s departure is particularly ironic, as Portland is known for its culture celebrating the outdoors, and outdoor recreation in particular.The mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, issued a statement from his office saying that he is “committed to further supporting REI to help ensure we retain their business in Portland and help them succeed.”“Last week, Governor Kotek and Mayor Wheeler announced a shared commitment to advocate that the Oregon legislature increase capacity at DPSST to help get newly hired police officers on the streets more quickly,” the mayor’s office said. “Mayor Wheeler is committed to further supporting REI to help ensure we retain their business in Portland and help them succeed.”According to REI, though, it is planning to vacate the building as soon as the lease in its current location is up in early 2024.“Until that time, we look forward to continuing to serve the outdoor community,” a REI spokeswoman, Megan Behrbaum, said in a statement.

REI Will Close Its Portland Flagship After Being Overwhelmed by Break-Ins and Thefts as Crime Wave Grips City

More from the New York Sun

Moment of Truth Approaches for Trump’s Supreme Court Appeal of $5 Million ‘Sexual Abuse’ and ‘Defamation’ Verdict in E. Jean Carroll Case

Jimmy Lai’s Sentence Bares Threat to Free China

FBI Releases Unsettling Images and Video of Heavily Disguised Suspect in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping

More from the New York Sun

Moment of Truth Approaches for Trump’s Supreme Court Appeal of $5 Million ‘Sexual Abuse’ and ‘Defamation’ Verdict in E. Jean Carroll Case

Jimmy Lai’s Sentence Bares Threat to Free China

FBI Releases Unsettling Images and Video of Heavily Disguised Suspect in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping

‘Simply Unacceptable’: Anti-Israel Mob Clashes With Australian Police During Israeli President’s Visit

U.S. Rejects West Bank Annexation as Israel Expands Control in Territory

Olympic Legend Sees 1968 Again Amid Uproar Over Team USA Athletes Questioning America

Evanston Considers Adding Additional Taxes To Fund Cash-Strapped Reparations Program

Oklahoma Board Rejects Application From a Jewish Charter School, Teeing Up a Possible Supreme Court Do-Over on Religious Charter Schools