REI Co-op, an outdoor gear and equipment retailer, will be opening a store in the SLO Promenade shopping center in Fall 2019, according to an REI news release. The exact opening date is unclear and the building is currently under renovation.
The new 22,000-square-foot store will be located next to Sprouts Farmers Market, which opened at the start of April.
“We are thrilled to finally join San Luis Obispo and further connect our members to the amazing outdoor opportunities this community has to offer,” REI Retail Director for the California-Nevada district Greg Mellinger said in the release.
Unique to this location is a bike shop for maintenance and repairs. Outdoor adventure gear will also be available for rental.
To mark the opening, REI is partnering with the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo, a nonprofit that protects land resources in the county, and Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers, a group working to expand biking trails in San Luis Obispo. REI donated $900,000 to California nonprofit organizations in 2018, according to the release.
Of the 28 REI stores currently in California, this new location is the first on the Central Coast.
The new store is expected to hire 45 employees.
Editor’s Note: REI updated the news release to reflect that $900,000, not $3 million as initially stated, was donated to California nonprofits in 2018.