REI

- Star Review

Last Updated: 1/29/2009

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In today's day and age there's no shortage of sporting goods stores to choose from. Of course there are the actual ‘brick-and-mortar’ locations, but sporting goods websites are by far more convenient and tend to offer more of a selection. The question is, which ones can you trust and which are the bad apples of the bunch? That's what our team set out to discover when performing the research for our online sporting goods reviews. Wondering how REI.com measured up to its competitors? Here's what we discovered...

What's New?

REI outlet deals.
Top-rated gear recommended by other shoppers.
Online expert advice.

Our Favorite Feature:

We thought it was safe to say that our favorite feature, no doubt, was the travel section of the web site. REI Adventures is a miniature travel agency, allowing customers to search, explore, and book travel reservations on their website. Trips come in a variety of forms, and hit just about every inch of the world an outdoorsmen might want to visit.

The REI Experience:

We think that REI.com has definitely set their website apart from the competition. The site is literally a one-stop-shop for everything that you could want from the sporting goods industry. Items are clearly broken down into individual groups, making it extremely easy to find what you’re looking for. The site follows a unique ‘mouse-over’ design, allowing individuals to shop and search with ease.

Since we’re always looking for deals, we thought the REI Outlet section of the site was fantastic. REI offers deals on clearance, discounted, overstocked, and new arrival items. You’re given the opportunity to shop for a specific item, search the ‘Deal of the Week’, or even items under $20 or with free shipping. What bargain hunter wouldn’t love that idea?

We also really enjoyed REI Adventures, the travel agency portion of the website. Adventures offers group travel to exotic destinations around the world, allowing you to book just about everything from their site. Trips can be searched for in a variety of fashions, to include camping trips, hiking trips, etc. You may also search for travel based upon a specific destination, or even a general area (i.e. the Pacific). Most trips even include the use of a tour guide.

If you're looking for a one-stop shop for your sporting and adventure needs, REI is definitely the place to be.

REI’s Features:

Easy, mouse-over structured shopping.
REI Adventures – the company’s travel agency.
Expert Advice – a compilation of various sports-related articles and videos.
REI Stewardship – the company gives back to the community.
Outlet pricing on certain items.
Easy no-nonsense gift registry.

REI’s Pricing:

	BassPro.com	Dicks Sporting Goods	EMS.com	Modell's	REI.com	SportsAuthority.com
Garmin GPSMAP 60CSX	$399.99	$359.99	$399.99	$429.99	$399.95	$429.99
Coleman InstaStart Tabletop Grill	$99.99	$89.99	N/A	$89.99	$64.95	$89.99

REI’s Customer Service:

We could find absolutely nothing negative to say about REI’s customer service. They make it very clear that although you’re shopping online, help is at your fingertips. We decided to check out the ‘chat’ feature to see how long it took us to get help. From the moment we asked our question, we were chatting with a knowledgeable and friendly representative. Also provided is a toll free number, which is clearly displayed at the header of the web site, no matter which section you’re exploring. Phone support was very prompt, answering our call with no hold time at all. It was truly a breath of fresh air.

Upside:

Great selection, value-added services, excellent customer support.

Downside:

We really couldn't find much of a downside, other than the fact that some of their items weren't as competitive priced as we'd have liked to see. Other items, however, made up for it with lower-than-average pricing.

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REI = Adventure

by nleitere who has written 23 reviews and is trusted by 0 members

I like REI, in fact I could probably get lost in that store for a number of days. They have a great selection of things and their website also offers an incredibly wide selection of outdoor products. The only negative is it is a little pricey for certain items however you get what you pay for and with REI you are paying for the superior product.

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