{"id":9967,"date":"2023-07-27T00:23:14","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T00:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/l-l-bean-expanding-into-quebec-market-with-2-stores-launching-french-language-website-for-canada-interview\/"},"modified":"2023-07-27T00:23:14","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T00:23:14","slug":"l-l-bean-expanding-into-quebec-market-with-2-stores-launching-french-language-website-for-canada-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/l-l-bean-expanding-into-quebec-market-with-2-stores-launching-french-language-website-for-canada-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"L.L.Bean Expanding into Quebec Market with 2 Stores, Launching French Language Website for Canada [Interview]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Retail<\/a><\/p>
\n<\/p>\n

\n

L.L.Bean, the iconic, Maine-based outdoor retailer specializing in quality and durable outdoor gear and apparel, is opening its first two Quebec locations: Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and Boisbriand.<\/p>\n

L.L.Bean is also launching a French version of its website for its customers in Quebec and across Canada. In advance of the launch, customers can visit www.llbean.ca\/Quebec for more details.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Stephen Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honour for L.L.Bean to be able to expand into Quebec and bring the L.L.Bean shopping experience to our Quebecois customers. We are also excited to reach new outdoor enthusiasts via our retail presence and our new French language website. We are looking forward to enabling everyone to enjoy the restorative power of being outside,\u201d said Stephen Smith, President and CEO, L.L.Bean.<\/p>\n

With 18,000 square feet of floor space, the Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville store, located at CF Promenades St-Bruno, will be ready for August 25. The Boisbriand location, in the heart of the Faubourg, will open its retail space of 11,500 square feet on September 29.<\/p>\n

\"\"
L.L.Bean at West Edmonton Mall (Image: Christopher Lui)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Charlie Bruder, Vice-President and General Manager of International & Wholesale at L.L.Bean, said the brand\u2019s purpose is to inspire and enable people to experience the restorative power of being outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Charlie Bruder<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cSo we really want to create those connections with the outdoors and as we think about Quebec, it is a great match for our purpose,\u201d said Bruder. \u201cWe think about the green spaces, the parks, the mountains, the access to all those fantastic outdoor activities that are so restorative, it just felt like a perfect coupling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been serving the market through our website and have seen great growth there. Our business in Quebec through our website has doubled over the course of the past four years. For us, that was a great indicator that we\u2019re really ready to create some physical presence in the market. That ultimately is what led us to the timing of now.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth are going to be in malls in outdoor lifestyle centre locations. Historically, we\u2019ve seen those kind of more suburban locations, the ones that are a little bit on the outskirts, they tend to be the gateway to the outdoors and they\u2019re places that people are traveling through as they\u2019re going outside. They\u2019re easily accessible. As we were doing our research we found an incredibly strong demographic fit for the brand. That\u2019s what led us to those locations specifically.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Exterior of L.L.Bean first Canadian store at Oakville Place. Photo: George Pimentel <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bruder said the retailer sees more potential growth in Quebec.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith these two stores and continued momentum in our direct business, we\u2019re going to look to re-double our business in Quebec in the near term here. We\u2019re very excited in the tremendous potential in the Quebec market,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The company said the two new stores will ensure a coast-to-coast presence in Canada for the company.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Wayne Drummond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cSince launching L.L.Bean in Canada five years ago, the brand has been actively expanding its physical presence in every major city from coast to coast. We\u2019re delighted with the positive response and are excited to continue our growth with the opening of two new stores in Quebec, in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville in August and Boisbriand later this fall. The addition of these new stores allows us to continue serving outdoor adventure enthusiasts in Quebec by providing them with quality clothing and equipment for their outdoor activities,\u201d said Wayne Drummond, President, Jaytex Group. Drummond was president of Hudson\u2019s Bay stores until last year when he retired from the company after 34 years. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

L.L.Bean has 110 years of history and nearly 100 stores around the world, including 13 in Canada operated by Canadian licensing partner Jaytex Group.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Image: L.L.Bean (Ottawa Train Yards)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to apparel and outerwear, the company also offers travel, hiking and camping equipment, footwear, and home and pet products. Outdoor enthusiasts will find everything they need.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to continue to strategically assess opportunities (in Canada) but we want to continue to grow our store footprint in partnership. We actually work with a fantastic partner who licenses our brand and operates our stores up in Canada \u2013 Jaytex Group out of Toronto. And they do a fantastic job and have been awesome partners and they\u2019ve been constantly looking very opportunistically at the market for where would be a good fit,\u201d said Bruder.\u00a0<\/p>\n

L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013.\u00a0<\/p>\n

L.L.Bean operates 56 stores in the U.S and 25 stores in Japan, and has 13 licensed retail store locations in Canada. The 220,000-square-foot\u00a0 L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than three million visitors every year.\u00a0<\/p>\n