Also, it mentions no precedent, when REI started #optoutside in 2015 (and received a lot of positive PR). Now I wonder who did this before REI?

Even when Patagonia is closed, their items are being sold by other retailers, so it seems like a way smaller sacrifice than REI closing on Black Friday when it will lose sales to competitors. Patagonia's thirst for PR annoys me and detracts from their credibility (some of their products are pretty good though..).