L.L. Bean Conquers America, One Pair of Chinos at a Time

Do those Down Easters at L.L. Bean know something we don't? In a stormy economy with a recession looming on the horizon, the prep-wear outfitter is building stores from New York to Denver. Perhaps they insidiously tapped into our secret lust for barn jackets and Bean boots. According to sources, Bean is breaking ground this year in Rochester, New York, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Skokie, and South Barrington, Illinois. And in 2009, the company is eying Yonkers, New York, and Deadham, Massachusetts, with talk of opening retail outlets in Bridgewater and Paramus, New Jersey. Past 2010, they're looking west to Denver and beyond. And as if that wasn't enough Bean sprouting, the company is venturing into television projects, and recently inked a 13-episode deal with the Outdoors Channel for L.L. Bean's Guide to the Outdoors.

Bill Gorman, the great-grandson of L.L. Bean, and fly-fisherman Tim Rajeff will co-host the program, which plans to deliver hunting and fishing footage from around the world. “Hunting and fishing are hobbies rooted in our American tradition, often passed down from generation to generation, like in the L.L. Bean family,” says Jonathan Sneider, L.L. Bean’s ad man. “Outdoor Channel is the ideal home for a show with L.L. Bean. It’s the network that understands our passion for the great outdoors.”

For some industry experts, the move seems bold, yet puzzling. “While it does seem like an inopportune time for retail expansion, L.L. Bean is an unusual case,” says Men’s Vogue Fashion Editor Sara James. “The brand just has phenomenal recognition and loyalty. Anyone in my generation who grew up on the east coast has seen or used these signature classics --- like the Bean Boot or the tote --- all their lives, and no one seems to have tired of them yet.”

Sure, says James, L.L. Bean of course brings a lot more to the table: history, recognition, bankroll. “But this is still not the most robust period for retail.”

The store competes with J.Crew, Lands End, and to some extent, Barbour, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, and Patagonia. In terms outdoor sports retail competitors, Cabela’s is looming in Bean’s rearview mirror. Though Cabela’s appeal lies with the so-called hook-and-bullet set—serious outdoor sportsmen from rural areas—while L.L. Bean’s customers have traditionally been preppy, affluent, outdoorsy suburbanites. Like Bean, originally a mail-order catalog company, Cabela’s has recently opened several new retail shops and has boldly surged into L.L. Bean’s home turf—Maine.

That doesn’t faze Bean, though. “We’re in the business of encouraging a healthy outdoor lifestyle,” says a Bean spokesman. “In that regard, we welcome Cabela’s to Maine. We think competition is good, and it’s a good thing we’re all inducing customers to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.”