You don't have to be the outdoorsy type to appreciate great deals at REI's Holiday Clearance Sale
Find big discounts on clothing, gear and more for men, women and kids
By Sheryl Wiser
Special to NWsource
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REI may be a shrine to all things belonging to the great outdoors; but you don't have to be an outdoor junkie to shop there. REI's Holiday Clearance Sale, December 26-31, offers bargains on everything from top-notch clothing and footwear to gear and gadgets. With the bleak winter months upon us, the sale offers plenty of juicy prospects, whether you're in need of cozy winter wear for city life or looking at new gear to hit the slopes.
Expect to see good deals on select merchandise in every department. But the operative word here is "select," as in selected brands and available inventory.
Have a plan before you start, suggests Will Chin, REI District Events Administrator. "Begin with what's at the top of your list, like apparel, advises Chin. "Sizes and styles can be limited; shop for clothes and footwear before hitting the gear."
Shoppers will find 25 to 40 percent savings on men's and women's select jackets, parkas, pants, vests and waterproof, breathable shells from such brands as Burton, Vans, Patagonia, Arc'Teryx, Marmot, The North Face and REI. You'll also find women's sweaters, fleece and vests from ExOfficio and Mountain Hardware at 30 to 50 percent off.
Keep tootsies cuddly and your wallet smiling with 40 to 50 percent savings on select slippers for men from Acorn and Uggs; women will save on those brands plus select slippers from Sorel, Simple Crocs and more. Also save up to 30 percent on select SmartWool casual socks.
Since young ones have a habit of growing out of their stuff, Chin says customers like to stock up in the kids' department and buy for next season. You'll find 30 percent off all North Face winter boots for kids, plus 30 percent off select slippers and casual footwear from Merrell, Uggs and Simple; and up to 30 percent off on select REI, Marmot, Columbia and Patagonia fleece or down jackets and vests for kids.
Gear aficionados can score up to 30 percent savings on discontinued Chariot and Burley bike trailers and accessories; 20 percent on selected Nordic touring gear from Atomic, Fischer and Alpina; and, for the top of the car, 20 percent on discontinued rooftop boxes from Yakima and Thule.
Add to next year's supply of seasonal paraphernalia with markdowns of 50 percent on all holiday ornaments and boxed cards and select cozy blankets from Pendleton, Polartech, Woolrich or REI. For immediate gratification, save 50 percent on SeaBar smoked salmon and Theo chocolate gift boxes.
After all that good eating and extra holiday pounds, you'll appreciate savings of 30 percent on select Nike, Gaiam and Natural Fitness yoga and core training products as well as select Gamin Forerunner speed and distance wear.
Forewarned is forearmed; if your middle name is pushy, get there early for the best selection and the biggest crowds. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Chin's advice to those who don't do well with crowds is to consider shopping later in the day, when what he calls the more "assertive shoppers" have moved to other feeding grounds. "The pressure lessens and it's not as busy."
For those completely averse to bricks and mortar at this time of year, visit REI online, which comes with a perk for Seattle shoppers, says Chin. "The Holiday Clearance Sale begins online at midnight, December 25, at EST, but that's 9 p.m. PST, so you can get a head start on everyone else."
A bonus round of savings, particularly on winter sports equipment, comes with REI's January Clearance, January 9-19, which offers a super clearance of 50 percent off sale prices.
Expect to see good deals on select merchandise in every department. But the operative word here is "select," as in selected brands and available inventory.
Have a plan before you start, suggests Will Chin, REI District Events Administrator. "Begin with what's at the top of your list, like apparel, advises Chin. "Sizes and styles can be limited; shop for clothes and footwear before hitting the gear."
Shoppers will find 25 to 40 percent savings on men's and women's select jackets, parkas, pants, vests and waterproof, breathable shells from such brands as Burton, Vans, Patagonia, Arc'Teryx, Marmot, The North Face and REI. You'll also find women's sweaters, fleece and vests from ExOfficio and Mountain Hardware at 30 to 50 percent off.
Keep tootsies cuddly and your wallet smiling with 40 to 50 percent savings on select slippers for men from Acorn and Uggs; women will save on those brands plus select slippers from Sorel, Simple Crocs and more. Also save up to 30 percent on select SmartWool casual socks.
Since young ones have a habit of growing out of their stuff, Chin says customers like to stock up in the kids' department and buy for next season. You'll find 30 percent off all North Face winter boots for kids, plus 30 percent off select slippers and casual footwear from Merrell, Uggs and Simple; and up to 30 percent off on select REI, Marmot, Columbia and Patagonia fleece or down jackets and vests for kids.
Gear aficionados can score up to 30 percent savings on discontinued Chariot and Burley bike trailers and accessories; 20 percent on selected Nordic touring gear from Atomic, Fischer and Alpina; and, for the top of the car, 20 percent on discontinued rooftop boxes from Yakima and Thule.
Add to next year's supply of seasonal paraphernalia with markdowns of 50 percent on all holiday ornaments and boxed cards and select cozy blankets from Pendleton, Polartech, Woolrich or REI. For immediate gratification, save 50 percent on SeaBar smoked salmon and Theo chocolate gift boxes.
After all that good eating and extra holiday pounds, you'll appreciate savings of 30 percent on select Nike, Gaiam and Natural Fitness yoga and core training products as well as select Gamin Forerunner speed and distance wear.
Forewarned is forearmed; if your middle name is pushy, get there early for the best selection and the biggest crowds. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Chin's advice to those who don't do well with crowds is to consider shopping later in the day, when what he calls the more "assertive shoppers" have moved to other feeding grounds. "The pressure lessens and it's not as busy."
For those completely averse to bricks and mortar at this time of year, visit REI online, which comes with a perk for Seattle shoppers, says Chin. "The Holiday Clearance Sale begins online at midnight, December 25, at EST, but that's 9 p.m. PST, so you can get a head start on everyone else."
A bonus round of savings, particularly on winter sports equipment, comes with REI's January Clearance, January 9-19, which offers a super clearance of 50 percent off sale prices.
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company
Comments
Post a commentRe: "if you're middle name is pushy"
How about "if your middle name..."
Those pesky contractions -- how are (how're) we going to keep it all straight?
Maybe we should write it all out the long way?
Yours truly (not "you are" truly)
;-)
Thanks for the catch, Visitor. We work very hard to make our copy clean, but sometimes errors do slip through. We've (we have) made the fix.
How much does it cost to have Sheryl Wiser come out and write about a local business? This is an advertisement right?
No -- this is not an advertisement. In an economic climate where people are looking for ways to make their money worth more, we thought it would be useful information for people to know that there is a good sale happening at REI.
Jane Watson
NWsource senior editor
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