Mary Anderson, a Founder of the Outdoor Cooperative REI, Dies at 107

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/business/mary-anderson-died-co-founder-of-rei-cooperative.html

by BobbyVsTheDevil • 9 years ago

267 112 9 years ago

nytimes.com

arkis22• 9 years ago

107. Holy cow. Dude did something right.

zzalpha• 9 years ago

Yes, she did...

helthanatos2• 9 years ago

Why italicize she?

oh_sigh3• 9 years ago

Fun fact: 'Dude' is has no implied gender in many parts of the world that use the word. Same with 'guys'.

ohblahitsme• 9 years ago

In California, dude is not gendered.

coldpie2• 9 years ago

It's a shame your otherwise interesting point got sidetracked by a regional disagreement of definitions. Let's get back on track.

That was my first thought too. Just think about living to 107. That would mean she was born in (or around) 1910. A child during WW1, before cars were commonplace; a young adult during the great depression; an adult during WW2; the expansion of suburbs; through Vietnam, the computer revolution of the 80s, the Internet in the 90s... it must be amazing to observe that kind of time span first hand. A lot happens in a century.

macNchz• 9 years ago

I have a lot of appreciation for the fact that, despite how large the company has become, it's very clear that outdoorsiness is still a big part of the REI's DNA, especially with so many companies these days owned by private equity firms that seem to be most interested in milking their brands for all they're worth.

mbesto2• 9 years ago

It's worth noting that REI is a co-op, which means it's owners are actually it's customers.

freshyill2• 9 years ago

I've got annual checks sitting here somewhere for both me and my wife. They're never huge, since REI sells such expensive stuff, we never spend much. I think both of our checks add up to around $50. Still, it's nothing to sneeze at.

Bartweiss8• 9 years ago

I'd never actually dealt with a co-op before REI. The profits shared aren't huge, but combined with the membership discount it's often cheaper than shopping online resellers. I'm impressed.

oh_sigh3• 9 years ago

Yeah...REI is definitely doing it right. The amount of love and loyalty the company gets from it's customers is awe inspiring.

knz3• 9 years ago

They had some drama a few years ago with how staff were treated.

http://gizmodo.com/rei-ceo-goes-on-reddit-employees-reveal-h... (first Google link)

Tiktaalik2• 9 years ago

I especially appreciate this when I visit REI as a Canadian. Our REI 'knock off' MEC (Mountain Equipment Coop) was inspired by REI, but in the last few years has diverged away from enthusiast mountain equipment and a lot more toward urban oriented fitness activities such as running, yoga and cycling.

I still like MEC, but I like how committed REI has been toward hiking, camping and more backcountry activities.

sedachv• 9 years ago

That is a shame to hear. As recently as 2011 I thought that MEC's house brand gear was much higher quality and had better design and features than REI's house brand. The MEC stuff I bought was comparable to some of that made by more specialist outdoor manufacturers and was a fraction of the price. I still have most of it, and the things I gave away are still in use. I think REI very much caters to the car camper and Instagram hiker consumers who don't really go outdoors. You really have to be careful with the stuff you buy there.

rusanu• 9 years ago

I love how they close the stores on Black Friday[1] and invite members to spend the day outdoors.

https://www.rei.com/black-friday

coldpie2• 9 years ago

In a similar vein, the state parks of Minnesota usually charge a fee for parking and sometimes for entrance, but those fees are waived on Black Friday. I call it State Park Friday and my wife and I go for a short hike every year :)

Bartweiss8• 9 years ago

EMS used to be a go-to of mine. High prices, but good student discounts and sales. I stuck with them because they were incredibly good to their customers - they actually cared about getting people outside and had permanent return/replace on their gear.

But... then an equity firm bought them out. The discounts shrunk, the warranty vanished, and even for material defects within a year there's enormous flak when you try to get support.

REI has been my go-to ever since. They're the only big outdoor supplier left that seems to actually give a damn about what they're selling.

ghaff3• 9 years ago

Although REI also eliminated their lifetime guarantee.

It's apparently really hard for this type of store to scale and stay at least somewhat aligned with their initial vision. They almost all become clothing and gear stores oriented to well-off urbanites who want to project an outdoorsy vibe. I agree that, among relatively large chains, REI has stayed closer to its roots than most.

throwaway91111• 9 years ago

LLBean doesn't have the same reputation as an outdoors/backcountry store, but there's a large overlap and they still offer the unconditional warranty REI has since abandoned.

ejlangev• 9 years ago

What a great company, always feel like they have good products, good sales, and helpful employees. Never regretted buying something from REI.

hueving• 9 years ago

Except for the insane prices for everything, sure. It's great for people with money to burn, but it's definitely not a good place to shop if you're into outdoor activities and not rich.

dirtae• 9 years ago

Where do you recommend shopping for outdoors gear that offers a significantly better value than REI? The gear at REI is not cheap, for sure, but it's also high quality. You can get cheaper gear at big box stores and discounters, but it will also fall apart more quickly, often negating the lower price.

When shopping for gear, I look around and check Backcountry.com, Moosejaw, and other retailers, and on average, REI's prices are not out of line with those other shops. And, of course, if you pay full price for something at REI, you get 10% back as a dividend at the end of the year, and REI's return policy is very generous.

matwood2• 9 years ago

I have a Traverse day pack that is > 8 years old that has been used almost everyday. I don't remember it being too expensive, and the quality has been nothing short of amazing. I wish every zipper I own worked as well as they have on this pack.

rconti2• 9 years ago

Insane? Most prices on their non-house-brand gear are about what you'll find anywhere else at retail, so a chunk more expensive than you can find online. Once you get your ~10% dividend back at the end of the year, it pretty much makes up the difference vs shopping online.

Especially if you EVER have to return anything or rely on customer service. Unless your time is worth nothing...

I absolutely don't buy everything there, but your time is often better spent doing that than bargain hunting.

slantedview• 9 years ago

They basically price stuff at retail. It's expensive because they tend to carry nice gear.

gumby• 9 years ago

I do think REI's pretty expensive, but it's midrange (see below).

If you do a lot of backpacking, you find you don't really need much specialized gear anyway -- in fact you probably have a lot of what you need lying around the house already. So the overall cost isn't that high. So it was worth buying a very expensive winter sleeping bag for sub-zero conditions, but for the summer I don't even need a bag at all. I wear the same hiking boots for any long walk.

When I say REI is "midrange": they are a great place to get basic stuff (I found the outdoors stuff at Dick's or Bass Pro to me cheap but mostly worthless crap). After the rebate, prices aren't bad and stuff tends to last a long time. They don't sell the super high end stuff (custom boots or sleeping bags) but the market for that is vanishingly small anyway, and like I said, typically you only need one or two pieces of expensive gear.

My locally-owned discount camping place (Redwood Trading Post in Redwood City) is my go-to just because it's locally owned, but they have some clunkers (e.g. their ropes).

One thing I've noticed is that REI do stock a lot of gimmicks (outdoor themed playing cards, heavy stoves for car camping, cheap knives) which I assume are the bulk of their profits. I haven't seen that stuff crowd out the "real" gear. Cabellas used to have really good gear too, but they couldn't make a go of it and the crud-laden Bass Pro bought them so we'll see what happens.

Oh, and another note on "midrange": I am referring specifically to backpacking, cycling and skiing (though I don't buy ski/snowshoe gear there). I am intimidated by the rock climbing gear and have no way of knowing if it is crap or ultra-high end.

calbear812• 9 years ago

Their REI-branded stuff is a pretty good value and has consistently become better and better winning several awards annually in Backpacker's magazines Gear of the Year. It used to just be the tent (Half Dome) that was well regarded but I think this year, both the tents, their backpacking packs, and down sleeping bags are considered some of the best gear and usually 20-30% cheaper than the bigger name brands that they also sell.

Also, I generally use my 20% member's coupon for things that never go on sale such as bear canisters and climbing shoes.

For budget outdoor enthusiasts, I would recommend Walmart's Ozark Trail brand. You can find a sub-4lb backpacking tent for $30 on sale (which is still twice as heavy as a high end backpacking tent but costs $30 vs. $300). They put out a lot of decent gear but never the lightest or the most durable.

If you want better quality gear but only clearance/outlet, try sierratradingpost - basically the TJMaxx of outdoor gear.

nether• 9 years ago

What type of rope coiling is that on Mr. Anderson's shoulder?

scottcha• 9 years ago

Looks like a daisy chain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75XNCMKW7XE

bmj• 9 years ago

Technical climbers will often refer to this as an electrician's coil[0] because a daisy chain[1] is a specific type of runner.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaEv9wm6gy0 [1] https://www.rei.com/product/113898/black-diamond-12mm-dynex-...

code4tee• 9 years ago

REI is a great company

subpixel2• 9 years ago

As a member, I get an annual dividend from REI. I can assure you that sending customers money is a great way to engender loyalty.

jonknee2• 9 years ago

Well your "dividend" is simply a portion of what you bought. Sort of like a rewards credit card, they're not actual dividends.

subpixel2• 9 years ago

Sort of like a rewards credit card, but without having to apply for, or carry around, or remember to use an additional credit card.

regulation_d• 9 years ago

I guess it depends on how you look at it. I think technically the "dividend" is a refund on an overpayment. Which is kind of like them saying, "Hey, why don't you give us money as membership fee and and we'll give you a 10% discount. Then you're going to overpay on all your goods by 10%. And we're going to hold on to that money, interest-free for you for like a year or whatever, but eventually we'll give it back."

snowwrestler2• 9 years ago

The dividend is like a profit-sharing plan.

SnacksOnAPlane3• 9 years ago

REI is my favorite toy store. I know their prices are higher than, say, Wal-Mart, but I actually feel good supporting them. Plus, you can find insanely good sales if you're a member and you go to their garage sales.

One year I got an entire ski setup (boots, skis, bindings, and installation) for under $300. Ended up reselling them for like $500 3 years later when I moved away from Boston.

Got great boots at a garage sale for like $30, too. You just have to be prepared to get there early and scavenge.

devy• 9 years ago

REI is my favorite toy store.

It's mine too. Do they advertise garage sales or you have to be friends with the store manager to get the scoop?

SnacksOnAPlane3• 9 years ago

They normally advertise them.

radnor• 9 years ago

It was March 18th this year - https://www.rei.com/promotions/garage-sale

praneshp2• 9 years ago

They advertise them. Just go to the store's page, for example Mountain View is at https://www.rei.com/stores/mountain-view.html

rconti2• 9 years ago

You can absolutely find better deals elsewhere, but I find once I get my ~10% back at the end of the year, it all averages out.

And anyway, I like supporting such a consumer (member?)-friendly company, and their return policy is top notch. I don't think twice about returning crap gear, and they don't think twice about accepting it -- and it feels like it benefits all of the members, because it feels like they care about my complaints and they likely won't sell the same junk for much longer. Whereas it feels like other stores will just sell whatever makes money.

SnacksOnAPlane3• 9 years ago

Yeah, that's what's great about the company. How many companies can you say "they cost a little bit more, but I like them so much that I'm willing to pay it" about? I can count like 3. It's a testament to how awesome they are.

manyxcxi• 9 years ago

I was into hiking and camping at a young age (Boy Scouts, friends who's parents did it) but my parents weren't what you'd call outdoorsy. We were good for about one or two family camping trips a year.

I'd saved up some cash and bought a few things from REI over the years but now it was a week before freshman year of high school and I needed a new backpack. I also had my eye on an REI house brand beauty for hiking that was a whopping $99 (this was 1997 and we weren't exactly the kind of family spending $99 on frivolous things).

Shocked at the outrageous price (being used to $15 Jansport) my mom proclaimed that it would never happen. I brought up the fact that I had never made it through an entire school year with one single cheap bag and that one REI bag would last me all of high school, so we'd be saving money.

Smash cut to 18 years later the water proof interior lining had all but completely flaked off and the drawstring channel tore in such a way that it was time to just call it quits.

That bag survived through 4 years of high school, 4 more of university, 200+ (maybe twice more) days of real backwoods camping, at least 500 fishing and hunting trips, 4 continents, and two kids of my own.

It was a very sad day when I finally had to admit it was time to put that old bag down to rest, but I didn't even think twice about where I was going to replace it from.

Paul-ish2• 9 years ago

Why aren't more businesses run as coops owned by either the workers or the customers?

lastofus2• 9 years ago

I would imagine it comes down to having the initial capital to start such a venture. Those with the capital retain ownership and reap the future returns.

If there was a way coops could raise significant funds to start say a big box chain store, we might see more of them. I don't think small business loans quite cut it here.

Paul-ish2• 9 years ago

If this is true, I wonder if this is inherent in the way markets work, or a result of the way we (government, society, whatever) have structured things.

iamatworknow• 9 years ago

Because that means less money for the people on top. Most people don't start a business out of altruism.

dikdik2• 9 years ago

...but I thought most entrepreneurs wanted to "change the world" with "revolutionary" businesses?

ada1981• 9 years ago

I've been a member of the Park Slope Food Coop for about a year. We have 16,000 co-owners, do about $50MM / year in revenue; and have the freshest, most local and affordable food in NYC.

You have to work 2:45 hour per month (I do childcare), and we have monthly GA meetings to vote on things.

We also have a fund / capital, training, and even labor available for others who want to start cooperative grocery stores in their area.

davidw2• 9 years ago

I wish we had 'Decathlon' in the US. It's kind of similar to REI, but the gear is much cheaper, and in some cases of more modest quality (but still quite functional rather than 'cheap crap'). This is a great tradeoff to make if you're pretty casual about this or that activity and not ready to invest the big bucks.

justinator3• 9 years ago

Decathlon just reminded me of Sports Authority or Dicks or something like that. Except, you know: French.

davidw2• 9 years ago

I found their stuff to be a bit better than the 'cheap outdoor stuff' places in the US. It's not super high quality, but it seems to get the job done and not fall apart.

anon263626• 9 years ago

REI usually has fantastic gear good enough to not have to seek out specialty stores. Just one example: I got a better, rugged water bottle (7 gal) for less that the cost of the crappy (3 gal) one offered by the local water store. If you needed an ultracompact sleeping-bag and tent for protesting in North Dakota winters, REI probably carries it. Or climbing gear. Or a titanium spork.

Mary Anderson, a Founder of the Outdoor Cooperative REI, Dies at 107

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