Outdoor enthusiasts need not drive to Maricopa County anymore to get their REI fix.
Seattle-based Recreational Equipment Inc. — known as REI — confirmed Tuesday it plans to open a store next spring at Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road.
The new, 28,000-square-foot, two-story space will occupy the south side of the mall between Macy's and JCPenney, where Macy's once stood.
The company has two other Arizona locations, in Paradise Valley and Tempe, both outside Phoenix.
"Each time we went to Phoenix, we asked them when they're going to come here to Tucson," said Erika Hartz, an avid hiker and Tucson resident who has been an REI member for years.
For the uninitiated: REI is an outdoor-equipment cooperative where anyone may shop, but anyone may also become a member by paying a one-time fee of $20 that returns to members an annual refund based on purchases made throughout the year.
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Membership also includes special pricing, chances to go on REI-sponsored "adventure trips" and discounts on rentals.
REI stores also offer special outdoor-oriented clinics throughout the year on topics such as bicycle maintenance and introductory hiking.
The company was founded as a co-op by 23 hikers in Seattle, said Bethany Nielson, an REI spokeswoman.
The idea was to get people interested in the outdoors with the right knowledge and right apparel, she said.
"It's about the right advice to get them started in the outdoors and the right expertise as well," she said.
Tucson already has almost 6,000 members who drive north to shop in the Phoenix-area stores or who stay in Tucson and shop online, Nielson said.
Those who want to keep shopping online may do so and get free shipping by having their selections sent to the store for pickup, she said.
REI's arrival spells new competition for locally owned Summit Hut, which has dominated much of the Tucson outdoor scene since Phoenix-based Popular Outdoor Outfitters went out of business more than two years ago.
But Tucson is big enough for both outlets, said Summit Hut general manager Dana Davis.
"We have always anticipated that someday Tucson would be on the map, and it's good that they're coming," she said.
Though both stores reach for the same demographic, it is likely each will carry items that the other doesn't, she added.
"REI brings a lot of attention to outdoor sports and outdoor activities. The Summit Hut feels that this attention and awareness that they'll bring to the outdoor community will be good for Tucson," Davis said.
Area hikers said they are glad to have another shopping option in Tucson.
"A lot of people were disappointed when Popular folded. That left us with one less place to go out and hunt for hiking equipment," said Claudia Weaver, who is a member of the Southern Arizona Hiking Club.
Weaver said she is a member already and has visited the Tempe store as well as the one in Dallas.
"They seem to be larger, and (have a) wider selection," she said, noting that REI offers biking and boating gear as well.
James Knitter, president of the University of Arizona hiking club, the Ramblers, said he grew up about a mile from an REI in Illinois and welcomes the company's move into Tucson.
"I personally love it. Right now Summit Hut is about the only place to get top-quality gear in Tucson," he said. "The only potential negative is that it will be competition for Summit Hut, which is an excellent retailer here in Tucson, and I would never want to see them go away."
Hartz said two hikers in a group she was leading for the Southern Arizona Hiking Club several months ago expressed disappointment at the rumor that REI was coming, saying they would rather support a local business such as Summit Hut.
"I have nothing against Summit Hut because they have always been very good to me, very nice and accommodating, but they have very high prices," Hartz said. "It's going to be good for both of them because they both have to stay in competition with the prices."