Different online retailers do sales at different times and with different degrees of discount, so if REI is selling an item at MSRP, it could be that a customer can save a great deal by judiciously searching the competition and getting the item from somewhere else. Moreover, when I last shopped heavily from REI a decade ago, it was often claimed in the outdoor community that its prices were inevitably higher than other retailers, but one would enjoy the better return policy, and there was hope of getting money back through the co-op program.
That is interesting anecdote and hearsay, but I was looking for an example. I'm not saying you're wrong, but is there somewhere else I should shop?
Do remember Amazon is getting in deep water for all sorts of things that basically boil down to price fixing, so there are many factors at play for MSRP being solid across the board.
So from the EU I cannot access at present the website of Moosejaw, one of REI’s major competitors, but I am sure that if you compare prices of gear between the two over time, one will be cheaper than the other when it has a sale at less than MSRP. Comparing prices across retailers and buying during limited-time sales is online shopping 101.
A gallon canister of Coleman fuel is $19 at REI, and $14.98 at Wal-Mart.
