L.L.Bean Opens New Hunting & Fishing Store: Grand Opening Celebration, November 2-4, 2007
FREEPORT, ME, October 18, 2007 – Hunting season isn't the only big thing in Maine that's open in November. L.L.Bean celebrates the Grand Opening of its new Hunting & Fishing Store in Freeport, November 2-4. The festivities start at 8:30 a.m., Friday, November 2 with a ribbon cutting. L.L.Bean will give away gift cards – worth up to $500 – to the first 200 customers in line when the doors open at 9 a.m. Several other activities will occur throughout the weekend.
“Hunting and fishing has always been an important part of our culture. It's at the heart of our heritage. It's part of our foundation, so we're very excited to be carrying this outdoor heritage and tradition on in such an impactful way with this wonderful new store,” said Chris McCormick, President and CEO. “The new store is just one of the many initiatives underway designed to build upon Freeport's position as Maine's premier outdoor recreation and tourist destination.”
L.L.Bean recently announced the development of several projects including the Freeport Village Station, an open-air pedestrian friendly “lifestyle center” that will sit on land owned by L.L.Bean and will include over 118,000 square feet of new space for a variety of retailers, as well as a new 500 car parking facility. L.L.Bean has also announced its plan to develop an Outdoor Adventure Center that will expand its existing Outdoor Discovery Schools®. This Outdoor Adventure Center will enable visitors to try their hand at a variety of outdoor activities and will operate in conjunction with a waterfront Coastal Outdoor Center, also in Freeport, that will offer kayaking, fishing and biking courses, trips and tours.
At L.L.Bean's new Hunting and Fishing Store, outdoor enthusiats, families and children of all ages will delight in the store's exciting new features. Attractions include a huge 24-foot riverbed aquarium with fish, turtles and other species found in Maine. A specialized dome built inside the aquarium offers a unique and dynamic viewing experience. The store is adorned with large sculptures and intricate carvings of fish and game figures created by New England craftspeople and also showcases several remarkable taxidermy displays.
Top highlights of the store include a full-service pro shop, offering gun servicing and cleaning, arrow cresting and dipping, bow fitting and repair, rod and reel repair, custom fly tying and more. The expanded fishing department has grown to include electric trolling motors, down riggers, electronics and much more. The indoor virtual archery range now includes an enclosed viewing area, and there is a place for hunters and anglers to get specialized product knowledge as well as learn about some of the best spots in Maine to hunt and fish.
“Our new store is twice the size of our previous Hunting and Fishing Store and includes the most comprehensive selection of the finest hunting and fishing products L.L.Bean has ever offered. And we've also reconnected it to our Flagship store, “ said Ken Kacere, Senior VP and General Manager of Retail.
As part of L.L.Bean's sustainability initiative, Bean's Hunting and Fishing store is built to US Green Building Council's LEED standards. The store incorporates environmentally friendly building materials and fixtures and uses systems and technology to increase energy efficiency, thereby reducing its environmental footprint.
The Grand Opening celebration continues all weekend with a free Hunter's Breakfast on Saturday, November 3 starting at 4:30 a.m. with game sausage, buttermilk pancakes, eggs and a free gift for every breakfast attendee. In addition, the celebration includes Merkel's Gun Museum featuring a rare glimpse at several one-of-a-kind guns, and the chance to win a world-class, once-in-a-lifetime fishing or hunting trip to Exuma, Bahamas for bonefish or Anticosti Island, Quebec for deer.
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.
Contact: Mac McKeever, 207-552-6078, emckeever@llbean.com
