REI Co-op Opens Prosper Store, Awards $10,000 Grant to Local Nature Area

REI Co-op is bringing a 23,848-square-foot outdoor retail store to Prosper this month, capping the grand opening with a $10,000 grant to Friends of LLELA, the conservation nonprofit tied to Lewisville Lake.

The two-day celebration runs March 27-28 at The Gates of Prosper, the shopping center anchored at the intersection of East University Drive/Highway 380 and Preston Road. The store will carry apparel and gear across camping, hiking, cycling, climbing and fitness, and will include a full-service bike shop staffed by certified mechanics capable of tuning and repairing mountain, road, hybrid and e-bikes.

The $10,000 grant to Friends of LLELA fits REI's practice of directing money to local nonprofits whenever it opens a new location. For each new membership sold, the co-op also donates $5 to the REI Cooperative Action Fund, which supports nonprofits nationwide working to create a more equitable outdoor experience for all and researching nature's effects on health.

Mary-Farrell Tarbox, REI's vice president of stores, framed the Prosper opening in terms of the surrounding landscape. "Our store employees are the heart of the co-op, and they welcome everyone to experience our product expertise, resources and inspiration in support of an active lifestyle," Tarbox said in an official statement. "Cities that will have new stores represent communities that serve as a gateway to some of the country's most incredible natural places and where our members currently live or destinations where they love to play outside."

The Prosper location will be the fifth REI store in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the 12th across Texas once it opens, joining a statewide footprint that also includes an REI College Station location set to open in the coming weeks. REI has also announced plans to open stores in Carlsbad, Chico and Elk Grove in California, along with Amherst, New York; Durango, Colorado; and Lynnwood, Washington, as part of its broader 2026 expansion.