Dive Brief:
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L.L. Bean will open eight stores across the country next year, including its first stores in Alabama and Tennessee, and plans to open another eight to 10 in 2027, the outdoor retailer said by email Tuesday.
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Next year’s new locations will open in Huntsville, Alabama; Glen Mills, Pennsylvania; Maple Grove, Minnesota; Franklin, Tennessee; Beavercreek, Ohio; Naperville, Illinois; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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All seven L.L. Bean stores that opened this year, including the first in Florida, “exceeded expectations and existing comp stores are producing strong year-over-year growth,” the company said.
Dive Insight:
For much of its history, L.L. Bean mostly relied on its catalog. In the last three decades, its e-commerce became its biggest revenue driver, with over $1 billion in annual sales and more than 5.5 million customers, according to data from Commercetools.
But in recent years the outdoor icon has increasingly bet on brick and mortar, too, and L.L.Bean Chief Retail Officer Greg Elder on Tuesday called it “an essential part of our growth strategy.” Next year’s new stores will bring the retailer’s total to 76 in 21 states.
The company is aiming at high-growth geographies. In 2027, for example, plans are to expand to untapped areas of the Midwest and Southeast.
“By thoughtfully entering new markets and investing in meaningful, experience-driven stores, we’re purposefully meeting customers where they are and creating more opportunities to connect with L.L.Bean in ways that reflect our values of quality, craftsmanship, and meaningful time spent outside,” Elder said in a statement.
There is one location that L.L. Bean has run for a while — over a century — and that has long attracted Maine locals and visitors alike. The Freeport, Maine, flagship is in the midst of an overhaul.
Following its fall debut next year, the campus will be even more of a destination. Attractions will include a “more immersive customer experience and product showcase;” bigger trout pond and fish tank; a children’s play area inspired by summer camp; a floor dedicated to product customization; a larger café; more events in an enlarged outdoor Discovery Park venue; and upgraded backroom functions.
