Black Friday is typically the time when hordes of shoppers flock to their favorite stores in hopes of finding the perfect gifts. While it can be a time of excitement, it can also be a time of chaos and stress.

REI decided to start the trend towards something more peaceful in this often chaotic day.

Through its “Opt Outside” initiative, the company encourages shoppers and its employees to forget the shopping frenzy of Black Friday and instead opt for a more peaceful experience in nature.

“As an organization, we often say, ‘One life outdoor is a life well lived,” said REI CEO Andy Frey Denver Flagship.

A man and a woman on a snowy hike.

(REI Co-op / FOX Weather)

To give people that opportunity to be out and about on Black Friday, REI is closing its nearly 200 retail locations, distribution centers and website that day. The company’s more than 15,000 employees also benefit from Black Friday as a paid day off.

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“The fact that we took what was ultimately our core business as a retailer and said, ‘No, we’re going to reprioritize,’ I think is really special and shows the commitment to Opt Outside as a that movement,” Frey said.

For Frey, Black Friday is no longer about getting up early to prepare a store for vacation buyers. Instead, he wakes up that day to make cinnamon rolls for his kids, go for a run or bike ride, then take a walk. family afternoon hike.

A puppy leads the way on a family hike.

(REI Co-op / FOX Weather)

“When you’re outside, you feel the warmth of the sunyou feel that beautiful breeze, you catch that snowflake. There’s just something special and energizing about it,” he said. “I think when you think about the physical and the mental, healthThere’s no better place than outside.”

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REI launched Opt Outside nearly a decade ago in 2015. At the time, no other major retailer had ever closed its stores in either market. Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to REI.

Two people enjoying the view.

(REI Co-op / FOX Weather)

However, after the first Opt Outside, the company learned that it had started a trend in that more than 1.4 million people and 170 outdoor businesses, nonprofits, and organizations also began to close their doors on Black Friday.

“Seeing it become more than just a piece of employee experience and seeing it become something truly societal and bigger than us is really impactful,” Frey said.