Systems upgrade causes shipping delays for L.L. Bean

L.L. Bean Inc. is experiencing shipping delays of up to a week on some customer orders as a result of problems with a systems upgrade.

The Freeport-based outdoor retailer has sent letters to some customers apologizing for the delays and offering a discount of 20 percent on a future order.

In the letter, L.L. Bean says the delays are temporary and were caused by an upgrade to its order-processing and fulfillment systems.

“I recognize how critically important it is to get your products to you in a timely manner, and I assure you we are working around the clock to get back to the high standard of shipping speed you expect from us,” says the letter, signed by company President and CEO Stephen Smith. “We will get there, and I appreciate your patience through this transition.”

Company spokeswoman Carolyn Beem said she could not provide specifics about the number of customers affected or when the problem would be resolved. She said the average delay for those affected is a few days to a week.

“It has slowed shipping down for some, but not all orders,” she said. “We’re working on it. We’re aware of it.”

Beem said that once the problem with the systems upgrade is worked out, the company will be able to fill customer orders even more quickly and reliably than in the past.

“It’s going to improve service recognizably,” she said.

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