On March 2, 2022, REI Co-op relaunched the lifetime co-op membership program, providing extra methods for members to develop, join and have a broader impression. With the relaunched membership, we expanded the worth of membership with enhanced advantages. This sequence explains every membership profit in depth and celebrates our collective impression.
Perhaps you want extra freeze-dried dinners for subsequent week’s backpack. Or possibly a mosquito web for a bug-free tropical trip. Until lately, members needed to spend $50 or extra to get free transport, and small gadgets like these would fall beneath that threshold. Members, like different prospects, paid transport charges of $5.99 or extra. Now, as one of many new advantages included in our relaunch of the REI Co-op membership program, all members obtain free U.S. normal transport on all orders, with no minimal order. (Exceptions apply for worldwide transport and outsized gadgets.) That means elevated flexibility and comfort for members and fewer journeys to the shop to choose up a single merchandise.
It’s a profit that members requested and in addition one thing that few different retailers presently provide.
“We know that free shipping is a core customer expectation in today’s retail environment. Our members and prospects have continually ranked shipping as a highly appealing benefit for REI membership,” says Brigette Pence, senior supervisor, Loyalty Strategy and Membership. “Providing free shipping without any threshold, and without an annual subscription fee, is differentiated in the marketplace and provides meaningful value to our members.”
Over time, that little change for members can imply appreciable financial savings. It’s additionally a profit that aligns with our carbon-reduction objectives. Sue Long, REI sustainability initiative supervisor, calculated the impacts of transport to a buyer versus the client touring to the shop for an merchandise. She discovered that transport to a buyer, together with emissions from the packaging, normally creates a decrease carbon impression in contrast with driving to the shop, until the client is driving an electrical automobile (EV) powered by renewable vitality or going to a close-by retailer to choose up a heavy merchandise that may in any other case be shipped lengthy distance.
“For light items and orders like apparel and shoes, shipping to home is likely to have a lower carbon impact unless the customer drives a zero-emission vehicle or walks,” says Sue. “Even taking public transit generally produces higher emissions than direct-to-customer for low- to medium-weight orders.”
With this in thoughts, members—together with staff—can be ok with ordering what they want on-line.
Like all advantages included in our membership relaunch, we selected to supply free transport after listening to our prospects and area groups and discovering out what would finest increase the worth of lifetime membership and contribute to the long-term well being of the co-op.
“We are proud to continue to offer our members the very best co-op experience, no matter where they shop,” says Brigette. “Our free shipping service enables members to save their time (and money) for what they really love—getting outside.”