REI Walks Away from New Corporate Campus

Outdoor retail brand REI (Kent, Wash.) is in talks to sell its never-used 400,000-sq.ft. headquarters and eight acre corporate campus in Bellvue, Wash., according to the Seattle Times. REI had originally planned to move into the building this summer.

“The dramatic events of 2020 have challenged us to reexamine and rethink every aspect of our business and many of the assumptions of the past,” said Eric Artz, president and CEO, in a video call with employees.

When employees, who have been working remotely since March, eventually return to offices, the retailer reports they will be spread across Seattle-area satellite offices. The new headquarters had originally been announced as a place to unite these teams in one campus.