L.L.Bean is adding Dillard’s and Moosejaw to its roster of U.S. wholesale key accounts and ten independent specialty retailers in the Southeastern U.S. The Maine-based retailer did not announce the names. The company also plans to open four new stores.
The wholesale expansion and store openings will make L.L.Bean goods available in more than 70 new storefronts and e-commerce platforms. L.L. Bean did not announce the names of the independent specialty retailers in the Southeastern U.S. it has agreed to sell to.
L.L. Bean opened its first wholesale accounts through an agreement in 2018 to sell products in Sporting Life, Hudson’s Bay and Mountain Equipment Co-Op stores in Canada. The brand did not have any stores in Canada at the time.
In the U.S., L.L.Bean opened its first wholesale accounts in 2020 when it agreed to sell its products in Nordstrom, Staples and Scheels. At the time, the retailer stated that its products were under-represented in the marketplace through its owned stores and e-commerce site.
Dillard’s, based in Little Rock, AK, operates 247 Dillard’s locations and 27 clearance centers spanning 29 states. Moosejaw, acquired by Dick’s Sporting Goods earlier this year, operates 13 stores, including eight in Michigan, although most sales go through its website.
L.L.Bean said in a statement Friday, “These wholesale partnerships will enable L.L.Bean to offer a curated assortment of goods through established, trusted retailers, providing customers in more locations across the U.S. the opportunity to interact directly with the brand’s iconic products, which have traditionally been most accessible online and through the L.L.Bean catalog.”
L.L.Bean will open two new stores in the U.S. and two in Canada this fall. The openings include Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec, opening August 25; Hanover, MA, opening September 8; Boisbriand, Quebec, opening September 29; and and Peabody, MA, opening October 6. The Quebec store will be located in the greater Montreal region. L.L. Bean will launch a French-language e-commerce site to coincide with the opening.
L.L.Bean operates 56 stores in the U.S and 25 in Japan, in addition to 13 licensed retail locations in Canada operated by Ontario-based Jaytex Group.
L.L.Bean said it has recently optimized its fulfillment capabilities to give customers access to its available inventory, with the ability to buy, pick up and ship to or from any L.L.Bean point of purchase.
The retailer said the wholesale expansion and retail openings follow the company’s report of its second-strongest revenue performance to date.
“Our omni-channel growth strategy continues to be an effective framework for our business, ensuring we’re able to meet customers where they are through a unique mix of channels and locations,” said Stephen Smith, president and CEO of L.L.Bean. “We’re grateful to be in a position to expand our retail presence and build new wholesale relationships in order to serve more customers. Everything we do is in support of our company purpose to enable people to experience the restorative power of being outside, and these new ventures will ensure we’re able to fulfill that purpose for years to come.”
Greg Elder, L.L.Bean chief retail officer, added: “As a 110-year-old company, we have taken great care in ensuring we deliver exemplary customer service to everyone who visits an L.L.Bean store, shops with us online, orders through our famed catalog, or via any other touchpoint. We are honored to be in a period of growth as a company, and that is a credit to our customers, employees and partners. We look forward to continuing to deliver industry-leading customer service and offer everyone who shops with us the goods they need for life, home, and any adventure that awaits.”
Photo courtesy L.L.Bean
