Responding to an online petition signed by close to 25,000 of its members, REI Co-op last week announced it would suspend future orders from Vista Outdoor, whose products include CamelBak water bottles and whose ties to the NRA drew criticism. The petition argued that the priorities of Vista Outdoor did not reflect the values of REI Co-op.
America’s largest consumer co-op joins Canada’s Mountain Equipment Co-op, Dick’s Sporting Goods and others that have taken practical measures in the wake of the Florida school shooting last month that left 17 teenagers and educators dead.
REI’s cooperative structure enables it to focus on the longterm interests of its members rather than stakeholders.
Read REI Co-op’s statement here and the Washington Post’s article here.
