After February 1, REI shoppers will have to head for the burbs for their sleeping bags and camp stoves: the 20-year-old Pearl location, which was the outdoor retail co-op’s only store within the city, is closing for good.

The decision to shutter came last spring and was formally attributed to an increase in crime. “Last year, REI Portland had its highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades, despite actions to provide extra security,” REI wrote in an April 2023 email to customers. “The safety of our employees, members and customers is always our No. 1 priority. In recent years, Portland has been dealing with increased crime in our neighborhood and beyond.”

REI joins a procession of box retailers leaving Portland. Two Walmart stores and three Target locations within city limits also closed in 2023. Walmart cited underperformance while Target chalked its closures up to theft and “organized retail crime,” a claim soon challenged by actual crime data. But the REI departure comes with a sting: environmental stewardship and exploration are at the heart of Portland’s ethos, and the bustling downtown location served as a hub for thousands of outdoorsy locals.

Crime wasn’t the only reason REI gave for the closure. REI spokesperson Megan Behrbaum said the business had outgrown its space and that the building required “significant investment to address issues that we have been unable to reach agreement on with the landlord.” (When I chatted with an REI employee last summer—as a shopper—challenging landlord negotiations were also mentioned.) According to an employee, the store had also been cutting employee hours and was close to a unionization vote. Eight REI stores have unionized since 2022; last fall, those unionized workers filed a total of 80 labor complaints against the company.

Regardless of the exact reasons for the closure, REI has produced crime data. Management told the press that in 2022 the company spent more than $800,000 on additional security but experienced 10 burglaries, including an incident where a car crashed through the store’s glass front doors—which was itself the third break-in in a week.

After the closure was announced, city leaders leapt to explore options to keep REI in Portland. But it may have been too little too late: records show that REI had been complaining to the city about crime and safety issues and seeking help since as far back as July 2022, and had hit repeated frustrations in the process.

Meanwhile, suburban shoppers are in luck: last summer, REI opened a used gear store called Re/Supply a few steps away from its Clackamas location, and this spring will open a new store in the space of a former Bed Bath & Beyond in Beaverton, which it says will feature the largest selection of merchandise in the state.