REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) is an American consumers' cooperative that sells outdoor recreation gear and sporting goods via the Internet, catalogs, and over 90 stores in 27 states. It opens six to eight new stores each year. REI's sales exceeded US$1.18 billion in 2006.[1] Its major competitors in the U.S. include many other sporting goods retailers.
As a Denver native, I've integrated myself into the culture of this city, knowing that on any given day I will see: someone in fleece; four forest green ski/bike racked Subaru station wagons; and that guy/gal who dresses in shorts, sandals and a parka with a hood. Even so, as a black woman from Park Hill, I was taken aback when I accidentally unearthed the single largest gathering of white people I've ever seen -- which, by Colorado standards, is no small feat. … more