Outdoor Guides Still Struggling a Year After REI Abruptly Cut Ties

March 30, 2026

Erik Plakanis describes himself as a “believer” in REI. He’s been a member of the retailer and co-op for nearly 40 years. So when REI leaders reached out in 2007 to start partnering with Plakanis’s guiding business, A Walk in the Woods, he was ecstatic.

REI not only promised to funnel customers toward A Walk in the Woods, but also shared in development costs and supplied gear for clients who signed up for the trips. Over the next 18 years, Plakanis greatly expanded his business through the co-op until it dominated his client list. He was one of many guides carefully chosen to help grow REI Adventures, which was dedicated to “adventure travel, day tours, and classes.”

“They asked if we would be part of their family and do Appalachian Trail trips, which was fantastic,” he said. “This company so impressed me.”

Then things started to change in 2019, when REI CEO Jerry Stritzke resigned and was replaced by Eric Artz. For years, Stritzke had told Plakanis that REI wasn’t motivated by profit, and that purpose could be “a competitive advantage.” When Artz initially took over, he also echoed the importance of “purpose before profit.”  GEARJUNKIE