GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The outdoor gear store, REI Co-Op, opened its first West Michigan location Friday at Woodland Mall.
The 20,000 square foot store has outdoor gear, a specialty bike shop for maintenance and repairs and personal outfitting services to help customers get the gear they need.
REI Grand Rapids will also have workshops and offer outdoor expertise to connect people to a life outdoors.
The store opened as a part of the mall's $90 million reconstruction project, which is being developed where Sears used to be.
REI calls Grand Rapids the "hub for outdoor recreation" in West Michigan, due to the city's close proximity to the Grand River, Lake Michigan and the Huron-Manistee National Forests.
The store is hosting a grand opening event the entire weekend with giveaways at the door for early birds. There will also be a party in the parking lot on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
REI invested $20,000 in three local outdoor non-profits: North Country Trail Association, Urban Roots and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan.
The Grand Rapids location of the outdoor gear store is the fourth in Michigan, joining Northville, Troy and Ann Arbor.
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