Mary Anderson, woman who helped launch retailer

Mary Anderson, a climbing enthusiast who helped start the outdoor retailer REI that has become the nation’s largest consumerowned retail cooperative, has died at 107.

REI said she died March 27, the Seattle Times reported Tuesday.

Ms. Anderson and her husband, Lloyd, along with 21 other mountaineering friends, started the consumer cooperative in 1938 out of a desire to find highquality, affordable climbing gear in the U.S. By forming a co-op, they were able to buy outdoor gear in bulk from Europe and other places.

REI, headquartered south of Seattle, has grown to about 6.3 million members, more than 140 retail stores and about 12,000 employees.

Ms. Anderson’s “legacy is deeply engrained in REI and her contributions to the outdoor community extend far beyond the co-op,” the company said in a statement. “REI and our employees are grateful to the Andersons for their dedication to REI and the incredible foundation they established.”

In search of high-quality outdoor gear and relying on Ms. Anderson’s German skills to translate gear catalogs, the couple discovered they could order ice axes from Austria and have them delivered to Seattle at better prices, according to an REI blog post. Friends heard what they were up to and wanted to get involved.

The couple and 21 other outdoor enthusiasts officially formed Recreational Equipment in 1938. Each paid a $1 lifetime membership fee.