REI brings the outdoors to Burbank
Thousands of people flocked to the Empire Center in Burbank Friday morning to get a chance to be among the first customers in REI’s newest store.
The outdoor recreation retailer is the latest occupant in the building at 1900 W. Empire Ave., which used to be occupied by the now-defunct Sports Authority. The Burbank location is REI’s 150th store in the country and its 29th in the state.
Open parking spaces at that side of the Empire Center were few and far between. Many outdoor enthusiasts and those curious about the new store took up all of the spaces in front of REI as well as the spaces in front of the neighboring Lowe’s and Target stores.
“We were expecting a lot of people, but I think there’s about 1,500 to 2,000 people here,” Burbank REI store manager Peter Novahom said. “I think the Burbank community and the greater L.A. region are really excited that we’re moving in.”
At about 43,000 square feet, the Burbank REI offers an abundance of outdoor equipment, including tents, sleeping bags, mountain bicycles, clothing and camping gear.
Novahom said that although there are about 50,000 REI co-op members in Burbank, many of those customers have had to travel to the company’s Northridge or Acadia locations to shop for their outdoor needs.
The Burbank store, Novahom said, will fill in the gap between the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.
“What I’m hearing, so far, is that everyone in Los Angeles, Glendale and even here in Burbank are so happy to have us here serving their community,” he said.
Burbank resident Daniel Waldstein, who works in the film industry, was busy in the store’s clothing section trying to find a pair of hiking pants. He said he prefers shopping for outdoor clothing because of its lightweight and utilitarian properties.
Waldstein, 38, said he previously traveled out to the Northridge and Arcadia stores to purchase his clothing. Now that the Burbank site is open, Waldstein said he’ll be at the local store more often.
“I’ll probably end up spending more money than I should,” he said.
Sunland resident Erin Garrovillas was one of those customers who has been looking forward to seeing an REI closer to home. Like Waldstein, she also came to the grand opening with hopes of snagging a good deal on a pair of hiking pants.
Garrovillas, 31, who works for an outdoor company called Positive Adventures, said people need to spend more time outdoors to get away from the stresses of everyday life.
“Being outdoors helps calm people, it makes them happier and, hopefully, it makes them nicer to other people,” she said. “To have a store like this open so close to Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena, I think it’s going to make us all just happier people, in general.”
anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
