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Portland's only REI store to close, citing crime and theft
Hotair ^ | 04/17/2023 | John Sexton

Posted on 04/17/2023 9:00:58 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Another day another store going out of business in Portland. Last week I wrote about a coffee shop closing a downtown location because of rising crime and problems with violent street people. Today, outdoor retailer REI announced it was closing its only Portland store because of increased crime and theft in the area.

In a letter to REI members, the company cited concerns over safety and an increase in crime over the last few years as reasons for the closure.

“The safety of our employees, members and customers is always our number one priority. In recent years, Portland has been dealing with increased crime in our neighborhood and beyond. Last year, REI Portland had its highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades, despite actions to provide extra security,” REI said in its letter.

REI said they are evaluating opportunities for new locations, but do not believe a downtown Portland location is a possibility in the near future.

The store experienced a brazen theft last November when someone drove a car through the front entrance and stole a bunch of merchandise on Black Friday.

Portland police said on Black Friday someone used a car to break the entry door in order to steal clothing before leaving the scene. These brazen crimes seem to be happening more and more in the city…

Blake Schmidt lives in The Pearl and works at REI.

“It’s frustrating, I work here at REI,” Schmidt said. “I’ve seen a lot of changes here in the last couple of years, it’s hard.”

The store has been talking with Mayor Ted Wheeler who seems to be under the impression that police have done a good job coordinating with the store about the theft and break-in problem. In fact, Wheeler’s spokesperson gave a statement saying the city was working to help REI remain in the city: “Mayor Wheeler is committed to further supporting REI to help ensure we retain their business in Portland and help them succeed. All options are on the table as we explore paths forward.” But it sounds like there are no more paths forward. The store will close for good next February when the company’s lease expires.

Just last month Walmart announced it would close its remaining stores in Portland. Nike has also closed one of its stores several months ago and last month asked the city if it could hire off-duty police officers in the store. But the city said no and the store is still closed.

Nike is the epitome of a woke retailer so they don’t want to say out loud that the problem is theft by homeless people who never get prosecuted, but that’s what is happening. And no one wants to admit that all of this stems from defund the police efforts and nightly riots so that inconvenient history almost never gets mentioned by anyone. Here’s a local news report on the REI closure.



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: bloggers; closing; crime; democrats; democratsuccessstory; portland; rei
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1 posted on 04/17/2023 9:00:58 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Antifa success story.


2 posted on 04/17/2023 9:04:38 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Ha ha ha ha.

Now how are the street people going to furnish their tents for free? It's not fair!   < /sarc >

3 posted on 04/17/2023 9:05:36 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: SeekAndFind

The Portland, Oregon REI store closing.

That is quite symbolic.


4 posted on 04/17/2023 9:08:02 PM PDT by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I had a $100 gift certificate to REI and went there to buy winter books. Prices started at $110 dollars.

They were good boots, though. And now they are marked down in their online store.


5 posted on 04/17/2023 9:08:57 PM PDT by x
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To: SeekAndFind

I hear bugs are in season...


6 posted on 04/17/2023 9:10:16 PM PDT by RckyRaCoCo (Please Pray For My Brother Ken.)
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To: BenLurkin

Keep voting Democrat, Portland!!


7 posted on 04/17/2023 9:12:51 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: SeekAndFind

Portland is a beautiful city. Roses and bicycles everywhere. Sad how anti-American and anti-Christian leaders destroy beautiful cities and promote vice. There is a church with Latin masses every week in Portland which is the best way to fix things.


8 posted on 04/17/2023 9:21:48 PM PDT by Falconspeed ("Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others." Robert Louis Stevenson.)
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To: Falconspeed

RE: There is a church with Latin masses every week in Portland which is the best way to fix things.

Why don’t the FBI spies in that church use their resources to tackle Portland’s crime problems instead?


9 posted on 04/17/2023 9:24:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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Yeah baby…keep voting Blue Rat


10 posted on 04/17/2023 9:31:39 PM PDT by TnTnTn
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To: SeekAndFind

These cities are going to revert back to 1970s and 1980s level slums.


11 posted on 04/17/2023 9:37:22 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: Falconspeed

RE: ....beautiful city....

Meaningless to me.

As always “my mind filters everything coming into it through politics”——a quote from Patrick Buchanan’s sister Bay, that was a moment of epiphany for me as it describes my mind perfectly.


12 posted on 04/17/2023 9:43:25 PM PDT by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: SaveFerris

Keep voting Democrat, Portland!!

**************

They will out of habit, no matter the consequences.

The last time Multnomah County, where Portland is located voted for a Republican for President was 1960. Nixon squeaked out a win over Kennedy.

Now it’s a 79% democrat to 17% Republican “blue hell hole.”

Sodom, Gomorrah, & Portland are “peas in a pod.”


13 posted on 04/17/2023 10:00:10 PM PDT by unclebankster ( Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.)
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To: SaveFerris
If I may suggest

Keep voting Democrat antifa,Portland!!

14 posted on 04/17/2023 10:01:15 PM PDT by llevrok (Pronouns: Me/myself/& I)
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To: unclebankster; llevrok

I’m counting on them remaining stupid!

(based on encounters with similar folks in my area)

They absolutely CAN NOT figure out what keeps going wrong.

They MUST lie to themselves; they HAVE to, lest they wake up. Once again, the Bible shows us:


Isaiah 28:15 King James Version

15 Because ye have said,
We have made a covenant with death,
and with Hell are we at agreement;
when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,
it shall not come unto us:
for we have made lies our refuge,
and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:


15 posted on 04/17/2023 10:05:51 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: SeekAndFind

You would think REI would have a thriving business there in tents, jackets, gloves and outdoor supplies.


16 posted on 04/17/2023 10:08:34 PM PDT by OrangeHoof (No food in the stores; fuel prices too high? Thank a liberal.)
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To: Falconspeed

I believe Portland has three parishes offering regular or occasional Latin Masses plus Our Lady of Fatima in Vancouver.


17 posted on 04/17/2023 10:08:52 PM PDT by steve86 (Numquam accusatus, numquam ad curiam ibit, numquam ad carcerem™)
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To: SeekAndFind
As more stores leave, criminals will target the remaining ones more frequently and more violently.

It's going to be a race for the exits and a good opportunity for retail real estate outside the city.

18 posted on 04/17/2023 10:30:03 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: SaveFerris

SaveFerris,

Thank you for the meaningful & wonderful passage from the Book of Isaiah.(My 7 year old son shares the same name BTW)

As a flawed person who constantly has to work on the spiritual & my relationship with Christ, as opposed to the material which is more natural for the way I’m “wired.”

“Your verses & contributions to Free Republic are appreciated.”


19 posted on 04/17/2023 10:30:58 PM PDT by unclebankster ( Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.)
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To: Falconspeed

If you want to see beautiful cities without homeless people and without crime, go to Buddhist Japan. Hiroshima looks amazing.


20 posted on 04/17/2023 10:36:34 PM PDT by entropy12 (Food is most popular anxiety drug, exercise is the least popular.)
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