REI to open fourth Maryland store in Columbia

Just in time to lighten our wallets for the holidays, the outdoors cooperative REI will be opening a store in Columbia, where the cavernous and failed Home Depot Expo Design Center used to be.

Managers of the 24,000-square-foot store are in the process of sorting through about 400 job applications and are interviewing people this week and next.

A spokeswoman for the Seattle-based cooperative says about 50 people will be hired.

Construction crews are swarming the site at Columbia Crossing, 6100 Dobbin Road. The store is on schedule to open in early to mid November, joining outlets in Timonium, College Park and Rockville. REI Columbia will be the only one with a full-service ski shop.The new store already is sponsoring and staffing events, such as last weekend's Park Quest Finale at Gunpowder Falls State Park.

REI operates 112 retail stores nationwide, with sales of $1.46 billion last year.

Stores are open to the public, but co-op members pay a one-time $20 fee and receive a share of REI's profits based on their purchases. On the strength of last year's sales, the company this year distributed more than $80 million to more than 3.9 million active members.