REI flagship NYC retailer proclaims official deadline

A beloved haven for out of doors lovers goes toes up.

REI’s flagship Soho retailer, situated inside the sprawling Puck Building at Lafayette Street and Houston, will formally shut its doorways on July 23, according to Crain’s New York.

The soon-to-be shuttered Soho location is the one REI retailer inside the metropolis limits of New York.

A brand new state Department of Labor submitting revealed the closure will eliminate 72 jobs and go away city-dwelling nature lovers with out an expansive area to purchase tents, water bottles, and the promise of wilderness past the 5 boroughs.

The Soho location is amongst 11 REI areas which have unionized prior to now few years.

Last 12 months, the sidewalk exterior the shop was the positioning of a Union Rally, the place retailer workers and supporters protested towards REI’s alleged union-busting and bad-faith bargaining.

REI introduced the closure of the Soho location final fall.

“After thoughtful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our SoHo store in late 2026,” a REI spokesperson mentioned in an official assertion, Crain’s reported.. “Since opening in 2011, this location has held a special place for us, and we are grateful to our team, our members and customers, and the broader community for their support over the past 15 years.”

However, “late 2026” turned out to be mid-year.

This closure is the most recent in a collection of downsizing efforts by the field chain, which reported $3.53 billion in internet gross sales in 2024, down from $3.85 billion in 2022.

In January 2025, REI introduced it was shedding greater than 400 staffers because it shut down its whole “Experiences” division, which supplied low-cost, entry-level climbing and exercise programs. 

While REI begins its hunt for a brand new tent in Manhattan, recent tenants are allegedly lining as much as snag the covetable storefront.

“There will be another retailer right behind them,” assured Ripco Real Estate Vice Chairman Richard Skulnik, who reps the Puck Building.

Skulnik advised Crain’s New York Business final 12 months that his agency intends to take care of the present multilevel configuration of the retail area, which is being supplied at just below $6.3 million in annual hire, or roughly $158 per sq. foot.

“We’re not required to divide the space up because we have a lot of interest for the whole space as it stands,” he mentioned. “We haven’t picked a horse just yet. We’re deciding between a lot of great concepts.”

Skulnik shared that his agency is in discussions with a lot of “horses,” starting from the posh world to the experiential world to big-box retailers.