Is REI turning into a corporate retailer?

My main hypothesis is that it the values of the members that have shifted, and the Coops have followed that. I can speak mostly to REI, but they carry a array of products and mostly high end products because that is what sells. Most customers aren't value buyers.

A different hypothesis is that many retail margins are already incredibly low, and the relative value of consumer co-ops has eroded. Walmart has a profit margin of ~2%, and a global logistics change. That is hard if not impossible to undercut. REI cant compete on price for equivalent goods even if wanted to, so there is a pivot to premium service & luxury items.

I am a big fan of cooperatives, but it hard to find a niche for them to actually provide consumer value