L.L. Bean told USA Today that it has broken a number of records already this year, including the biggest sales day in its history on Dec. 19 and the biggest day for website traffic on Dec. 13.  The newspaper has been following Bean as part of its “Cautious Optimism” series this holiday season.

Steve Fuller, chief marketing officer, told USA Today that consumers are less price driven this year and looking more for qualities such as “warm” or “dry.” “Customers are still making highly considered purchases, but product quality and performance are taking much larger roles in the decision making,” he said.

CEO Chris McCormick, added that L.L. Bean has already sold out of almost anything made of flannel, as well as some slippers and boots. He believes “next year will be an even better Christmas than this year,” says

“This is a consumer-led recession, and it will be a consumer-led recovery,” says McCormick. “The key measure to watch is consumer confidence, and when that comes back, it's an encouraging sign.”