REI Co-op Names Osprey All-Around Vendor Partner Of The Year

Altra Running, Arc’teryx, Big Agnes and Petzl also recognized as leaders in categories of footwear and basics, apparel, outdoor hard goods, and action sports 

Jul 18, 2024

Since its founding in 1938, REI Co-op has offered its members and customers access to the best outdoor gear and apparel. Building on that tradition, REI today announced the winners of this year’s Vendor Partner of the Year awards to brands that have made significant impacts on various aspects of their business over the past year. These include brand innovation, environmental impact, inclusion, operations, and outdoor education—core tenets of REI’s mission of inspiring and enabling a life outside for everyone.

REI 2024 Vendor Partner of the Year overall award recipient

This year, Osprey, a premium outdoor manufacturer of backpacks, and adventure travel solutions, was honored with REI's overall 2024 Vendor Partner of the Year award. Osprey, headquartered in Cortez, Colorado, is a decades-long partner to REI and outdoor industry leader renowned for consistently creating innovative, high-quality gear that stands the test of time.

Osprey is a leader in sustainability practices with nearly 90% of its 2023 sales at REI coming from products with REI’s preferred sustainability attributes, including Bluesign® approved and recycled materials. In addition, they set an approved science-based target and established themselves as a leader in the fight against climate change, in part through their work alongside REI in the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps. The company also brought a more impactful extended fit collection to market to support people of varying body types.  

 “Any vendor that’s been nominated for this award brings an exceptional commitment to REI and our customers, but a few brands stand out in each category, and one stands out as exceptional and is the ‘overall’ Vendor Partner of the Year,” said Susan Viscon, interim chief merchandising officer and executive director of Path Ahead Ventures. “It’s no surprise Osprey is a multi-year winner for this honor, as they continue to bring thoughtful designs to our customers, support REI’s impact initiatives, and raise the bar in collaborating with us on every facet of their business.”

This is Osprey’s second time being named the overall winner of the REI Vendor Partner of the Year. They were also the overall winner in 2007 and have been the camp category winner eight times since 2006.

REI Vendor Partner of the Year divisional award recipients

• In addition to naming an overall Vendor Partner of the Year, REI also recognizes leaders across several categories, including footwear and basics, apparel, outdoor hard goods, and action sports. For 2024, the winners in these individual categories include the following:
• Footwear and basics - Altra Running: headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Altra Running offers an innovative and distinctive fit that promotes the foot's natural movement through its signature FootShape and Zero to Low Drop Silhouettes. As a favorite among customers and REI staff across the country, Altra continues to bring innovation to the market. Whether through the launch of the FWD Experience in the fall of 2023 (the first non-zero drop shoe from Altra) or through an exclusive release to REI members of the Altra Timp 5 in 2024, Altra challenges the status quo to help runners of all shapes and sizes “stay out there” and fall in love with the outdoors.
• Apparel - Arc'teryx: headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Arc’teryx specializes in technical outdoor gear for mountaineering and alpine sports and is focused on delivering unrivaled durability and performance in extreme conditions. Arc’teryx is a dynamic partner to REI.  From releasing product exclusives to REI’s growing community to making improvements in their supply chain and delivery process to ensure frequent inventory, Arc’teryx is committed to meeting the distinct needs of REI’s members and customers. More broadly, the brand has also made strong commitments to sustainability, exemplified by their science-based target and their overall sustainability performance, where they scored in the 90^th percentile compared to all brands that REI carries.
• Outdoor hard goods - Big Agnes: headquartered in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Big Agnes specializes in high-quality camping equipment through innovative tents sleeping systems, backpacks, and apparel. Big Agnes is intentional, focused, and continues to make a big impact in the outdoor industry. Over the years, Big Agnes has worked closely with REI to push the boundaries of specialty design. This year is no different as they introduced the Rapide Sleeping Pad, with mass appeal at an approachable price to unlock more value for REI’s customers.
• Action sports - Petzl: with their U.S. headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, Petzl is renowned for high-quality climbing equipment and its focus on durability and safety. Petzl has partnered with REI for many years to offer climbers a wide range of climbing equipment they trust. As a leading partner to the co-op, Petzl has made an investment and commitment to engage and train REI store teams. They have also prioritized supply chain management to ensure a seamless, continuous supply for REI’s customers. Additionally, Petzl is a leader in sustainability, with strong overall performance and a goal to reduce carbon emissions intensity by 50% by 2030 while simultaneously improving customer satisfaction ratings. 

REI established the Vendor Partner of the Year awards program in 1993. Each year, companies are nominated by the co-op’s four merchandising divisions – footwear and basics, apparel, outdoor hard goods, and action sports – for partnering with REI to meet customer needs and raise the bar for product quality. Additionally, all brands considered for recognition play a key role in advancing key social and environmental best practices. REI’s Product Impact Standards outline the co-op's expectations that brands share—and take action on—a common set of values that support a more sustainable and equitable industry. Expectations include measuring greenhouse gas emissions and setting reduction targets, implementing strategies to prevent cultural appropriation, providing a variety of sizes for all wearable products, and more.

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