REI to close only Portland store, citing break-ins, theft
Published: Apr. 17, 2023, 11:40 a.m.
The outdoor retail giant REI announced Monday that it plans to close its store in Portland’s Pearl District early next year, citing an increase in crime and theft.
In an email to customers Monday, REI said its store in Portland “had its highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades, despite actions to provide extra security.”
It plans to close the location ahead of its lease expiration in February.
REI is the latest major retailer to close Portland stores, and the highest-profile among them to publicly blame theft as the reason. Nike closed one of its Portland stores to public access, telling city officials the closure was due to shoplifting. Walmart also recently closed its only two Portland stores for underperformance.
Retailers large and small, meanwhile, say theft is a growing problem in Portland, and that city officials have been slow to respond.
https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2023/04/rei-to-close-its-only-portland-store-citing-break-ins-theft.html
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Four More REI Stores File for Union Election
Shoshy Ciment
Fri, April 14, 2023 at 9:01 AM PDT
... More REI stores across the U.S. are looking to unionize their workplaces, joining a growing wave of similar efforts across the chain in recent months.
Since March 31, four more REI stores have filed petitions for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to be represented by the The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
or the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). The surge in union interest comes shortly after employees at an REI store in Cleveland last month voted 27-12 in favor of unionizing their store, becoming the third REI location to do so.
Two other REI stores — one in Berkeley, Calif and one in New York City’s Soho neighborhood — voted to unionize their stores in 2022.
Now, stores in Chicago, Ill., Eugene, Ore., Boston Mass. and Durham, N.C. are looking to become the next locations to join the growing list of unionized workplaces across REI’s store network.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/four-more-rei-stores-file-160109878.html
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2023 07:50PM by KenS.
The Moon is Waning Gibbous (78% of Full)
Portland REI to close due to break-ins; Other REIs to unionize
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