What’s the Story Behind REI Closing on Black Friday?

On Monday, REI, an outdoor and apparel retailer, announced it would not be open for business on Black Friday this year, and also said it planned to pay its employees for the extra holiday.

In an article in Time.com, REI sent a message to customers saying, “Instead of reporting to work, we’re paying our employees to do what we love most—be outside. While the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles, we hope to see you in the great outdoors.”

The company added it will not be processing orders on its website on the busiest shopping day of the year either.