Case Study: How REI's #OptOutside Turned Closing on Black Friday Into a Brand Moment
In 2015, outdoor retailer REI did something that sounded like commercial suicide: it announced it would close its stores on Black Friday, pay its employees anyway and invite everyone to spend the day outside. The campaign, called #OptOutside, became one of the most talked-about retail moves of the decade. Here is what happened, why it worked and what a small business can borrow from it.
Key takeaways
- REI turned a costly decision, closing on the biggest shopping day of the year, into a clear statement of what the company stood for.
- The move worked because it matched REI's purpose and customers, not because it was clever.
- Paying employees for the day made the message credible and gave staff a reason to champion it.
- Small businesses can apply the same thinking on a smaller scale, as long as the gesture is genuine and affordable.
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States, and retailers spend months preparing for it. That is what made REI's announcement in late October 2015 so surprising. Instead of competing for Black Friday crowds, the company said it would close all of its stores, pay its employees for the day and encourage people to go hiking, biking or simply walking outside.
This case study draws on what REI itself announced and on widely reported coverage of the campaign. Where figures are mentioned, they are the company's own or reported estimates, and they should be read that way.
Background: who REI is
REI, short for Recreational Equipment, Inc., is a US outdoor gear retailer founded in Seattle in 1938. It is organized as a consumer cooperative, which means customers can buy a lifetime membership and share in the co-op's profits through an annual member reward. That structure matters for this story. REI has long described its purpose in terms of helping people enjoy the outdoors, rather than simply selling as much gear as possible.
By 2015, REI had grown into a national chain. Media reports at the time put the number of stores at around 140 and the number of employees at around 12,000. Like every large retailer, it faced the yearly question of how hard to push on Black Friday, a day that had become associated with crowds, stress and stores opening earlier and earlier, some even on Thanksgiving evening.
Common mistake
Reading this case as "closing on Black Friday is a smart marketing trick." It worked for REI because it was consistent with a purpose the company had stated for decades and with what its customers valued. A business that copies the gesture without that foundation risks looking like it is jumping on a trend.
What REI did
The campaign had a few simple parts, and each one reinforced the others.
The decision
REI announced that its stores, headquarters and distribution centers would close on Black Friday 2015 and that employees would be paid for the day. Then chief executive Jerry Stritzke presented the decision as a reflection of the co-op's values, saying in effect that REI believed a life outdoors is a life well lived and wanted to give people the day to enjoy it.
The invitation
Instead of simply announcing a closure, REI invited customers and the public to join in. It used the hashtag #OptOutside and a dedicated website where people could share their plans and find trails and parks nearby. The message turned a store closure into an activity people could take part in.
The timing
REI made the announcement about a month before Black Friday. That timing gave media, customers and other organizations weeks to talk about it, and it gave people time to plan a day outside.
The follow-through
Crucially, REI did not treat #OptOutside as a one-off stunt. The company repeated the Black Friday closure in later years and expanded the campaign into a broader message about time outdoors. Other businesses and organizations, including public parks and outdoor brands, were invited to join, and reports in the following years described growing numbers taking part.
Results
REI has not published a full financial breakdown of the campaign's impact, so it is wise to be careful with claims about sales. What is widely documented is the attention and participation it generated.
- Participation: REI reported that well over a million people said they would opt outside in the first year, according to coverage of the campaign at the time.
- Media coverage: the announcement was covered by major news outlets around the world, giving REI exposure that would have been very expensive to buy.
- Industry recognition: the campaign, created with the agency Venables Bell & Partners, was widely reported to have won top honors in the advertising industry, including at the Cannes Lions festival.
- Longevity: REI kept closing on Black Friday in later years, which suggests the company judged the approach worth its cost.
There were also less visible effects. Employees received a paid day off at a time of year when retail staff usually work long, stressful shifts, which media coverage often highlighted. And because the announcement came weeks before Black Friday, REI was part of the holiday conversation through much of November, while competitors were still revealing their doorbuster deals.
The real return is harder to measure than one day's sales. By giving up a single high-volume day, REI earned a story that reinforced its identity for years. For a brand built on the outdoors, being known as "the store that closed so you could go outside" is arguably worth more than the revenue it gave up.
Why it worked
| Element | What REI did | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose fit | Linked the closure to its outdoor mission | The move felt authentic, not opportunistic |
| Real cost | Gave up a major sales day and paid staff | Sacrifice made the message believable |
| Participation | Invited people to share their plans | Customers became part of the story |
| Contrast | Went against Black Friday crowds | Stood out in a crowded, noisy season |
| Consistency | Repeated it in later years | Turned a stunt into a brand tradition |
Strengths of the approach
- Clear, simple message anyone could understand
- Rewarded employees as well as customers
- Created lasting brand meaning beyond one season
Limits and risks
- Gave up revenue on a high-traffic day
- Would look hollow for a business without a matching purpose
- Hard to measure direct financial return
Lessons for a small business
You do not need 140 stores to apply REI's thinking. The underlying lesson is that in a season when everyone shouts about discounts, a clear, genuine stand can cut through. Here is how a small business can adapt it.
- Start with what you stand for. Write one sentence about why your business exists beyond making money. A bike shop might care about getting people riding. A bookshop might care about reading time with family. Your holiday gesture should flow from that.
- Choose a gesture you can afford. Closing on your busiest day may be too costly. Alternatives include closing on Thanksgiving Day itself, closing early on Christmas Eve, giving staff a paid day off or donating a day's profit.
- Invite customers to take part. Turn your gesture into an activity: a group ride, a reading hour, a park cleanup or a hashtag for people to share what they did instead of shopping.
- Announce it early. Give customers, local media and community groups several weeks to hear about it and plan.
- Include your team. If you close, pay staff where you can. Employees who benefit from the decision become its most convincing ambassadors.
- Repeat it if it fits. A gesture done every year becomes part of your identity. A one-off is quickly forgotten.
Hypothetical example
Imagine an independent cycling shop that decides to stay closed on Black Friday, November 27, 2026, and instead lead a free group ride from the shop at 9 am. It pays its four staff for the day, announces the ride in early November and asks riders to share photos with a local hashtag. The shop gives up one day of sales but gains a story for local press, a list of riders for its email list and a reason for customers to talk about it all winter.
Pro tip
Before you announce a values-led gesture, ask three loyal customers and two staff members whether it feels true to your business. If they hesitate or find it odd, refine the idea. Authenticity is judged by the people who know you best.
Values-led marketing also works outside the US. In countries without Black Friday traditions, the same idea can attach to Boxing Day in the UK, Canada and Australia, to Singles Day on November 11 in parts of Asia, or to any day that has become a symbol of heavy discounting.
Your values-led holiday plan
- Write one sentence describing your purpose beyond profit
- Brainstorm three affordable holiday gestures that match it
- Estimate the cost of each, including staff pay and lost sales
- Test your favorite idea with loyal customers and staff
- Design a simple way for customers to take part
- Announce it at least three to four weeks in advance
- Capture participants' contact details and share the results afterward
Frequently asked questions
Did REI lose money by closing on Black Friday?
REI gave up a day of store sales and paid employees for the day, so the campaign had a real cost. The company has not published a full accounting of the effect on sales. Its decision to repeat the closure in later years suggests it considered the brand benefit worth it.
Can a small business afford a gesture like this?
Yes, if it is scaled to the business. A small shop does not need to close on its busiest day. A paid staff day, a donation or a community event built around your purpose can create the same kind of goodwill at a cost you can manage.
Is it risky to take a stand during the holidays?
It can be if the stand feels forced or divisive. Gestures that celebrate something positive and closely linked to your business, such as time outdoors, family or community, carry far less risk than political statements.
Would #OptOutside work for an online-only business?
The principle can. An online business might pause its ads and email campaigns on Black Friday, give staff the day off and invite customers to join a related activity. The key is that the gesture costs you something and reflects your purpose.
Related reading
The bottom line
REI's #OptOutside showed that in the noisiest week of the retail year, saying no can be louder than shouting yes. It worked because it was costly, consistent and rooted in a purpose customers already recognized. A small business can borrow the same principle: choose a holiday gesture that reflects what you stand for, make it affordable, invite customers to join in and keep doing it if it fits.
