I prefer this REI over any other in the Charlotte region. The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable and they want you to find the right gear and materials that you need. They're not just trying to push you to buy the most expensive brand or to buy things that you don't necessarily need.
I want to give a special kudos to Al in shoes - this guy knows his stuff! I went in one day to look for a pair of new hiking shoes. I told him the specks that I wanted and said I preferred a lightweight trail runner over a boot. Al went above and beyond what I expected! He never tried to pressure me into changing my mind to go with a boot - which some sales people have done before. He said to go with what you're comfortable wearing! He re-measured my feet (turns out I've been wearing the wrong size), brought me quite a few options to try on, showed me some better lacing techniques for hiking, and added in some other tips and tricks for a more comfortable wear. I cannot stress enough that he changed the overall way I think about buying shoes now. I'll keep going back to him for my trail runners and other shoe needs for as long as he's there. If Yelp had a 10 star rating system, this guy would get a 10! THANK YOU, AL!