| L.L. Bean Flagship Store- Freeport |
| Would you drive more than six hours from New York City or two from Boston to hit a store in a city of barely 8,000 inhabitants? Thousands do, when the destination is Freeport, Maine's LL Bean Maine flagship store. Simply put, the store has become a "destination" and sometimes almost religious experience for consumers, who would no more skip a Bean visit than turn down a cup of chowder. Every weekend, students from Harvard, MIT, or any of the Northeast's numerous schools of higher learning drive up for a Saturday night ritual of posing for photographs standing by the Indian or boot statues. During the summer, the town fills up early as vacationers heading north to Acadia or Penobscot Bay, religiously stop for a visit. For more information, click here to visit L.L. Bean's anchor store. |
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L.L. Bean dates back to 1912 when Leon Leonwood Bean of Greenwood, Maine developed a waterproof boot he sold to hunters. Not having any space in Greenwood, he set up shop in his brother's basement in nearby Freeport. Sensing hunters from throughout the country would be interested, he began advertising in national hunting/fishing magazines and saw sales take off. He nearly went bankrupt when one batch of rubber proved defective, causing a mass stream of returns. However, he stuck to his guarantee of full satisfaction forever, which today remains the most liberal and legendary return policy in retailing anywhere in the United States. Today, a somewhat more technologically advanced descendant of Bean's boot remains a popular item, and the giant boot outside the store provides a unique photo-op. |
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The Bean flagship store in downtown Freeport led to the town becoming a shopping mecca. First opened in 1917, it is open every day, 24/7. (Since 1950, it has been closed only twice.) More than three million visitors come to the store annually to purchase its wide variety of outdoor equipment and clothing. Primarily a mail order operation, the company saw revenues of $1.47-billion in 2006. |
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Fishing remains favorite avocation of Bean's customers, and the store provides an expansive indoor stream to test rods and reels, demonstrate casting techniques and serve as a backdrop for fly-tying demonstrations. It's a pleasant place to enjoy a mocha while watching someone land, then release, a whopper. |
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