L.L.Bean to Open Virginia Store

L.L.Bean announced plans to open its second Virginia store, scheduled to open November 2015. The new L.L.Bean store will be located at Short Pump Town Center, central Virginia’s premier shopping, entertainment and dining destination.

The new 15,500 square-foot store, expected to employ approximately 100 people, will open in the space currently occupied by the Food Court. This will be L.L.Bean’s 24th retail store outside of Maine. L.L.Bean made the decision to expand its retail presence in Virginia as part of its overall retail expansion plan and due to the high level of brand affinity the area residents have for L.L.Bean, said the company.

“Our stores are where the L.L.Bean catalogs come to life for our customers,” said Ken Kacere, senior vice-president and general manager of retail at L.L.Bean. “It’s very exciting to open a store in Richmond, just a stone’s throw away from the James River and all of the other countless opportunities for outdoor recreation.”

Of particular note will be the inclusion of L.L.Bean’s Outdoor Discovery Schools, which will offer demonstrations, clinics and introductory hands-on activities like snowshoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, archery and fly casting, all designed to make it easy for people to engage in outdoor activities for health, fitness and recreation. L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools courses are offered at every L.L.Bean Retail Store. In 2014, over 130,000 people participated in these programs.

In 2014, L.L.Bean opened three new store locations in Burlington, Vt.; Bloomington, Minn.; at the Mall of America and at the Park Meadows Retail Resort, just outside of Denver. L.L.Bean says it will be announcing additional store opening locations for 2015 in the coming weeks.