L.L. Bean to open first Canadian store

L.L. Bean will open its first retail store in Canada next month as the company expands its business in Maine’s northern neighbor.

The Freeport company plans to open the doors of a 13,000-square-foot store in Oakville Place, a shopping mall outside Toronto, Ontario, on Aug. 23. It will be the first Canadian store in the company’s 107-year history.

The brick-and-mortar store is the newest in a line of products and retail options tailored for Canadian customers.

Canada accounts for 2 percent of annual sales for the outdoor apparel company.

“We have been hearing from our Canadian customers for a while that they would love to have stores in country, and we are excited to finally be bringing them this shopping experience,” said spokeswoman Carolyn Beem.

Last year, L.L. Bean signed an agreement to sell in Canada with outerwear distributor Jaytex Group. L.L. Bean has also launched a Canada-only version of its mail-order catalog with duty-inclusive prices and a Canada-only website.

Jaytex will open the L.L. Bean-branded store.

As part of its expansion, L.L. Bean products will be sold through “shop-in-shops” in Hudson’s Bay chain department stores across the country and at flagship locations in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

“As a Maine-based company that shares a lot of commonalities with our northern neighbors, we’re eager to be infusing a bit of the Maine essence and L.L.Bean brand into the Canadian market,” said CEO Stephen Smith in a written statement.

The outdoor gear retailer has 44 stores in 17 other states, and 28 stores in Japan, where it continues to expand.

« Previous

Next »

Related Stories