LL Bean April 2

Observations and Reactions:

            I had not visited LL Bean in a while. As soon as I arrived I remembered how cool it was. As a kid my parents would take me there to get their winter clothing. It looks the same as it did eight years ago. The employees are very friendly and the shoppers and tourists seemed to be in a good mood despite the weather. The items in the stores, along with the displays, are clearly superior to a lot of other brands. Even Subaru had an LL Bean edition car. What surprised me the most was how big the entire campus was. I forgot that there were about five buildings in total (including the huge corporate office down the road). Everything was in great condition and there were signs everywhere telling you what things were or how things got that way. The surrounding area was nice, the restaurants and stores were relatively empty. I suspect that will change when the warm weather arrives.

The Goon Squad.

Goons in their unnatural habitat. I mean fish.

The fish pond I think of every time I think of LL Bean

Serious business canoe.

Maine Signs

Mr. Bean

Historical Background:

            Leon Leonwood Bean invented the Maine Hunting shoe in 1911. In 1912 he opened started his family business. Originally, the store sold only by mail order but that soon changed. Bean counted on customer satisfaction as a form of success and advertisement. In the 1920s the automobile made Freeport more accessible to tourists and the business expanded. A large part of Bean’s success was due to his personality as his grandson states:

The most important legacy of L.L.'s genius was the power of his personality.It transcended the buying and selling of products. His personal charisma based on down-home honesty, a true love for the outdoors and a genuine enthusiasm for people, inspired all who worked for him and attracted a fanatic loyalty among his customers (Pp. 3).

            Again, means of travel made it easier to go to Freeport as the interstate highway system expanded. When Leon Leonwood Bean passed away in 1967 and his grandson took charge, the company underwent a change. He built the corporate offices down the road and modernized the way LL Bean did business (Pp.4). With the invention of the credit card the business continued to expand. Since 1988 LL Bean has increased the number of stores it has significantly. Its first store outside of Maine went to Virginia in 2000. It currently has fourteen stores outside of Maine and it even has a store in Japan. The internet also played a role in the company’s expansion allowing more people to access the store.

            LL Bean has created a company that is associated with Maine. I think, when people think of Maine they think of three things: Lobsters, almost Canadian accents, and LL Bean. Freeport is also an example of Maine’s tourist economy. During the summer the entire area of down town Freeport is filled with tourists. Even in the colder months when there are not that many tourists, those ‘from away’ can still access the iconic Maine brand with the internet.