Portland's last REI branch has closed because of crime.
Last Portland REI closing permanently
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A sporting goods staple in Portland’s Pearl District is set to close its doors for good. The REI store located at Northwest 14th and Johnson will open at 10 a.m. Thursday and permanently close at 7 p.m.
The decision to close the Portland store was announced by the company in April 2023, citing the highest number of thefts and break-ins in its 20-year history at this location.
Despite efforts by Mayor Ted Wheeler and the Portland Police Bureau to enhance security and convince the company to keep the store open, the closure proceeded.
The company, facing financial uncertainty, recently laid off 357 workers primarily at its headquarters in Seattle. It’s important to note that there are still three other REI stores open in the Portland metro area, including Tualatin, Hillsboro, and Clackamas.
REI is the outdoor store I relied on in 2008, back when I was trying to walk across America. I didn't know anything about distance walking back then, and like most ignorant people, I didn't know how much I didn't know. If the Seattle HQ (which I've been to—very huge and impressive) has laid off that many workers, REI as a company is not long for this world. Sad. Leftist policies ruin everything. And that's why we can't have nice things like REI. If the law and law enforcement won't solve problems, the market will, and that's what happened in Portland (where I've also been). What a shame.
Neil Young wrote a song in the 70s called "Coming Apart at Every Nail." I had no idea he was predicting the future.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXoFxXtAJaw