REI’s new CEO has a plan to turn around the beloved retailer—by going back to its roots

One of the first public things REI's new CEO Mary Beth Laughton did upon taking the reins in early spring was to apologize for the outdoor gear retailer's endorsement in January of President Trump's candidate for Secretary of the Interior, the agency that oversees public lands like the national parks.

The Seattle area co-op under her predecessor Eric Artz had signed onto a letter by a number of outdoor focused companies backing Doug Burgum with "strong support", saying it wanted a "seat...