Berkeley REI closed 'until further notice' due to 'facilities concern'
Local customers say they have struggled to pick up orders, some of which were dispensed from the side door on Camelia Street earlier in the day.
Berkeley's REI store has been closed since Saturday due to undisclosed "safety reasons" related to a "facilities concern," local residents report.
On Monday afternoon, no one picked up the store phone line. But a recorded message said the Berkeley REI, at 1338 San Pablo Ave., would be "closed until further notice."
"This store has to close, unfortunately, due to a facilities concern that we are looking into," the message said. "We are hoping to open up the store as soon as possible and apologize for any inconvenience."
As of Monday afternoon, there was a steady stream of people arriving at the store and leaving empty-handed.
"I have no idea why it's closed," said Alan Gates, who said he had been hoping to do some last-minute holiday shopping. "I'm still very curious."
Readers began asking The Scanner about the Berkeley REI closure on Sunday.
"Do you know what is going on at the Gilman REI?" one reader wrote Monday on X. "It’s closed with some ominous note at the door."
The reader also shared a photograph of the note.
"We've shut the store out of an abundance of caution and will only open it once we receive the proper approval deeming the store safe to reopen and enter," the note read. "We take the safety of our employees, members and customers seriously."
As of Monday, the Berkeley Fire Department said it had no record of any recent calls for service or any closure required by BFD.
A city of Berkeley spokesman said the store had not been red-tagged for closure and that its Building and Safety Division had "received no calls or requests for assistance at this address."
As of Monday afternoon, other stores in the popular northwest Berkeley shopping plaza just south of Gilman Street remained open.
For at least part of the day Monday, REI staffers were allowing customers to pick up online orders at the back entrance on Camelia Street.
Writing on Reddit, one Berkeley REI customer described "waiting to pick up my order with about 10 folks" on Monday morning. "A few employees inside, but no one has come outside to say if they will open or not. I just want to pick up the jacket I ordered and go."
They said they ultimately left at 9:30 a.m. "as did most people who were waiting."
According to a self-identified store employee, also writing on Reddit, the Berkeley REI hopes to re-open Tuesday: "They [are] trying to open sooner than later but the land owner wants to make sure … the building is safe for everyone."
They said REI workers had been sent home at 11:30 a.m. Monday.
Shortly after publication, Deborah Brayton told The Scanner she had been surprised, as she was driving by, to see the typically crowded parking lot mostly empty.
"I'm here because I'm a last-minute shopper and I was hoping they had something I wanted," she said.
Brayton said she didn't know why the store was closed — but guessed it had not been a frivolous decision.
"I assume that REI does not want to be closed," she said. "I don't know if they closed or the building people closed. Whatever it is, I hope they're dealing with it."
Evan Mogulof contributed reporting to this story, which was updated after publication as additional details became available. The Scanner is working to learn more.
