L.L. Bean opening first Canadian location just outside of Toronto
After 107 years of selling the quintessential Canadian lifestyle to people in America, L.L. Bean is finally set to open its first retail store north of the border.
Retail Insider reports that the iconic outdoor clothing and equipment brand, founded in Maine circa 1912, will be launching its premier Canadian location later this year just outside the City of Toronto at Oakville Place.
While exciting for local fans of the brand, the move shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
L.L. Bean actually started selling its wares in Canada late last year, when it partnered with Toronto's own Jaytex Group to distribute its boots through retailers such as Hudson's Bay, Sporting Life and MEC.
The company launched a dedicated Canadian e-commerce site around the same time and announced its intentions of bringing 20 branded stores to Canada over the next 10 years.
Store number one, as it turns out, will take over the 14,205-square-foot space previously occupied by Pusateri's Fine Foods at Oakville's biggest indoor mall.
Famous for its proprietary duck boots (known formally as "Bean Boots" or "Maine Hunting Shoes"), L.L. Bean already owns and operates roughly 40 stores throughout the U.S. as well as 25 in Japan.
The L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine is known for being open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
It's unlikely we'll see the same sort of always-open service at the company's impending GTA store, but you can bet on a big huge boot outside to take pictures of and with... if you're into that.
