‘Not financially sustainable’: REI to become latest retailer to shutter Portland location due to thefts, break-ins after investing $800K in unsuccessful security upgrades

Outdoor recreational retailer REI announced Monday that it plans to shutter its Portland store early next year due to a record-breaking number of thefts and break-ins, despite the company’s more than $800,000 investment in upgraded security measures, the Seattle Times reported.

On Monday, Seattle-based REI sent an email to members explaining that its retail store located in Portland’s Pearl District had experienced “its highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades, despite actions to provide extra security.”

The company also noted that it had “outgrown” the store’s location, which employs more than 150 people, and that the building required “significant investment” to address unspecified “issues.”

REI has not announced plans to open another Portland store in a different district but is currently “evaluating opportunities.”

Megan Behrbaum, a spokesperson for the company, told the Seattle Times that the record-breaking break-ins and thefts were specific concerns related to the store’s location.

REI worked with Democrat Mayor Ted Wheeler and local law enforcement following a spike in thefts last year, including a shocking incident in which a thief crashed through the glass front doors on Black Friday. The break-in was the third in one week.

A spokesperson for Wheeler’s office stated that the mayor’s staff worked with local police to increase patrols in the area to deter and capture thieves.

The company then invested more than $800,000 to upgrade its security measures, including replacing windows with security glass, staffing 24/7 private security, and installing a surveillance trailer.

“Yet, we still experienced 10 burglaries, including one event that shut down our 14th Street entrance for more than two months,” Behrbaum said.

Despite the significant investments, Behrbaum stated that the spike in crime has been “overwhelming systems in place.”

“The extra security measures required to keep customers and employees safe are not financially sustainable,” she said.

Despite its scheduled closure, the company plans to install new security sensors at the retail location for the remainder of its operation.

Behrbaum noted that the location would shut its doors early next year. She added that employees impacted by the closure are encouraged to apply for positions at other REI locations. In addition, full-time workers will receive quarterly retention bonuses for staying on staff until the store closes and severance pay.

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