Washington-based outdoor retailer REI has announced that it will close on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that is typically known as the beginning of Christmas shopping season.

REI retail store.
REI retail store. <span class="media-attribution">Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brewbooks/2065049757/in/photolist-49tVma-whvNbM-ax8g7J-wWTwwV-xc4DiU-wWLxyN-xeogjT-xeob6B-wWLghb-xdB8bf-xeocui-njJ57-g6htaK-oGPJwG-8izNjb-oZ3yiX-cLDU4j-wLLkxi-8yoiw5-4Jn4PC-4JhPV8-zcjz2w-sApud3-7EN96v-sAxhCz-oGPQ54-8k8tE1-x7jTs9-xpw8r8-nSRAPy-wrVw4L-xpw75v-ws53La-wrVow1-anaq4p-yW1vt-zcjyUN-zcjz5N-zftjPx-xmuzEL-4Jn62C-8ykf8H-8yoiDE-bZVEAs-7WeNeE-7Wbx1D-7ERZ9L-5dT39f-8iwxAz-8iwxRc" target="_blank" rel="external">Brewbooks</a> / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/uk/" target="_blank" rel="external">CC BY-SA 2.0</a></span>

It’s an unusual move, as stores often open at early hours and offer promotional sales to lure shoppers, but the CEO of REI wants to encourage shoppers to spend the day outdoors instead. REI says it is taking aim at the frenzied consumerism Black Friday encourages, and it urges people to share what they’ll be doing instead by using the #OptOutside hashtag on social media. Read more: king5.com

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