I was curious, having seen REI stores with the "Co-op" branding lately in my area... turns out they consider themselves a consumer's cooperative.

From the REI Wikipedia page[1]:

> The Andersons originally established the co-op structure to secure reduced prices for its members

I am not a member of REI, but I shop there a couple times a year.

Am I missing out on some serious discounts or something... because in my experience, REI is definitely the most expensive place around to buy outdoor gear.

Obviously I miss out voting for board members... but I don't really care about that (and I assume most members likely don't either).

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_Equipment,_Inc.