Matthew Klingle
While most retail businesses prepare for an avalanche of shoppers on Black Friday, at least one of them is bucking that trend: For the second year running, Seattle-based outdoor retailer REI is “going green” on Friday and closing its 145 stores across the US, giving its 12,000 employees a paid holiday, writes Associate Professor of History and Environmental Studies Matthew Klingle in the Portland Press Herald. REI is encouraging its workers and its customers to shun the high street and embrace the natural world, spending the day outdoors surrounded by nature. But, asks Klingle, “how radical is Green Friday?” And how meaningful is the commitment of REI and other outdoor retailers to the conservation movement?