The Soho REI Is Closing

"As markets and customer needs evolve, we must adapt to position the co-op for long-term success,"

"The 35,000-square-foot flagship openedin the Puck Building in 2011, and the company worked with the architecture and design firm Callison to expose brick walls and ceilings from the 1890s, refurbish and install a pair of original chandeliers, and repurpose wood from the original structure as cashier counters and display tables."

"The Soho and Boston locations were also among the 11 REI stores that had successfully unionized in recent years. (An email to the REI Union about the closures went unanswered, though in August, it announced that it had reached an agreement with the company on establishing a national bargaining structure.)"

REI will close its Soho location in late 2026, ending its only store in the five boroughs. The 35,000-square-foot flagship openedin the Puck Building in 2011 and featured exposed 1890s brick walls and ceilings, refurbished original chandeliers, and repurposed wood for cashier counters and display tables. The Soho store lacked a climbing wall common at other REI locations. The closure is part of wider reductions that include Paramus and Boston stores and follows earlier layoffs and the shuttering of the Experiences business. Several closed locations had successfully unionized in recent years. The closing will reduce local access to gear, repairs, and semipublic restrooms downtown.

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