REI to open Elk Grove Store in former Bed Bath & Beyond Space as city grapples with retail vacancies
The two-day grand-opening celebration, July 25-26, will feature giveaways, vendor demonstrations and an outdoor social on the plaza
Specialty outdoor retailer REI Co-op will open its Elk Grove store on July 25, taking over the 22,127-square-foot building that once housed Bed Bath & Beyond in the Laguna Gateway shopping center at 9145 W. Stockton Blvd., just off Highway 99.
The two-day grand-opening celebration, July 25-26, will feature giveaways, vendor demonstrations and an outdoor social on the plaza. REI says the store will stock gear and apparel for camping, cycling, running and snow sports, plus a full-service bike and ski shop and a Re/Supply section for used equipment.
Doors open daily at 10 a.m., and the co-op will mark the occasion with a $10,000 donation to the Sacramento nonprofit Runnin’ for Rhett. REI
“We look forward to being part of the fabric of the outdoor community in and around Elk Grove,” store manager Rich Fox said, adding that staff members are ready “to help you get ready for your next adventure.”
While REI’s arrival fills a high-profile vacancy at Laguna Gateway, several large holes remain in Elk Grove’s retail landscape:
- The 49,000-square-foot former Toys R Us building at 8507 Bond Road is still being marketed for lease more than seven years after the toy chain’s liquidation.
- Next door, the old Sport Chalet at 8511 Bond Road also sits dark, hosting only seasonal tenants such as Spirit Halloween. Yelp
Restaurant space has proven equally difficult to back-fill. Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Outback Steakhouse both shuttered locations along Laguna Boulevard last year, and regional chain Chicago Fire closed its Elk Grove dining room last summer, leaving another 7,000-plus square feet idle.
Farther west, the Stonelake Landing shopping center off Interstate 5 still lists more than 14,000 square feet available across two bays despite a 2022 redevelopment push and recent community events meant to draw foot traffic.
Real-estate brokers say the mix of large, single-tenant boxes and second-generation restaurant pads has been challenging to re-tenant, even as Elk Grove’s population tops 181,000 and two high-end shopping centers scoop up prime anchor tenants.
