Patagonia Closes All Stores For Election Day

The outdoor-retail giant wants its customers to prioritize their civic duty and champion environmental issues on November 8th.

All 29 of Patagonia’s U.S. retail locations will lock their doors and remain closed on election day, as will its Ventura, Calif., headquarters and its distribution and customer service center in Reno, Nevada.

“As a business, we have a unique ability to take a stand and choose to prioritize the health of the planet over profit,” Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario said in a press release. “I think it’s important we take that opportunity when it truly matters.”

Patagonia, Politically Active

The decision to close on election day is the latest by a company that has made an ethos of public activism.

The brand annually donates 1 percent of sales or 10 percent of profits, whichever is greater, to environmental groups. It has also twice shifted its wool sourcing in response to PETA investigations.

Patagonia's Revised Mission: Do Good

Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard revises his company ethos and takes a hard look at humans' impact on the planet in an updated edition of his seminal work, Let My People Go Surfing. Read more…

Earlier this year, to encourage customers to engage their legislators on environmental issues, Patagonia launched an online voters’ education platform called the Vote Our Planet campaign.

The website provides visitors with resources like voter registration, local events for the environment, and current issues facing political action.

In September, company founder Yvon Chouinard updated and re-released his company manifesto, Let My People Go Surfing. In it, he highlights the brand’s commitment to social and environmental causes, and the measures it has taken to spearhead better practices.

Patagonia is not alone in its move to close on election day, Nov. 8. The movement Take Election Day Off seems to have built momentum, with hundreds of businesses reportedly giving workers the day off.