L.L. Bean’s first Midwest store opened September 12, reports the Chicago Tribune in an article featuring an interview with L.L. Bean’s VP of retail real estate and marketing Mary Lou Kelley about the company’s retail strategy.
The new 30,000-square-foot store at the Arboretum of South Barrington is decorated with canoes and fishing poles in an attempt to convey a sense of the brand’s home state, Maine. Ninety-minute demonstrations on kayaking or fly fishing are also offered.
A second Midwest store is scheduled to open in Skokie, Illinois, in November. L.L. Bean is reportedly also searching for two more locations in the Chicago area.
