L.L.Bean's First Massachusetts Store a Hit with Customers
Freeport, ME., September 21, 2006 – Outdoor retailer L.L.Bean celebrated the grand opening of its first Massachusetts store at Wayside Commons, Burlington, on Friday, September 15. Over a thousand customers were lined up outside when the doors opened at 9 a.m., some arriving in the middle of the night with sleeping bags and tents, hoping to be among the first to enter.
The 30,000 sq. ft. store, located at the intersection of Route 128 (I-95) and Routes 3 and 3A, attracted over 25,000 customers during the weekend long event. A steady throng of traffic to the new store made for slow travel near Wayside Commons on Friday morning, but that didn't seem to dampen the spirit of Bean customers. Sales have been strong at the Burlington location since its opening on September 1, and surpassed company projections for the grand opening weekend by over 200 percent.
"The Burlington grand opening exceeded anything we imagined," said Dick Leslie, director of retail planning. "Thousands of Massachusetts customers have grown up with the L.L.Bean catalog and have made the annual trek to our Freeport Flagship Store over the years. We are excited so many have already visited our newest store and look forward to opening two more stores in Mansfield and Dedham in 2007 and 2008."
In celebration of its newest store and as a gift to the community, L.L. Bean donated $30,000 to Mass Audubon. Twenty thousand dollars of the donation will endow a fund for camp scholarships and the remainder was given in the form of equipment for campers and nature program participants. "We find the idea of partnering with a company that has such a long and reputable history and commitment to preserving the environment especially exciting and rewarding," said Mass Audubon President Laura Johnson.
The Burlington store is the company's fifth to be opened outside of Maine. Other L.L.Bean Retail Stores are located in McLean, Virginia; Columbia, Maryland; Marlton, New Jersey; West Lebanon, New Hampshire and Freeport, Maine, the site of the company's original Flagship Store, Hunting and Fishing Store and new Bike and Boat Store. The company plans to open one more store this year, its first in Pennsylvania, October 27, in Center Valley.
L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading retailer of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. While its business has grown substantially, L.L.Bean still upholds the values of its founder and continues his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors.
