What started as a call to go outside instead of to the malls on Black Friday has morphed into a rallying cry for people who are tired of having their Thanksgiving holidays defined by shopping. REI wants to create a new holiday tradition of heading outdoors instead of to the stores. This year, 600 organizations got more than 6 million people outside, according to the company. #OptOutside has officially grown beyond REI.
“We have never measured the link between sales and #OptOutside. #OptOutside has always been about leading with our values for our employees and members, not sales or traffic,” said
Bethany Hawley, REI manager of communications & public affairs. “As for what’s next, we look forward to continuing to inspire our members and customers to choose to #OptOutside throughout the year and experience the benefits of living an outdoor life.”
Please see my Knoxville News Sentinel column to read more about REI’s #OptOutside movement.
Photo credit: Annette Winston