L.L. Bean is about to open its first downtown Toronto store this month

L.L. Bean, the popular clothing and equipment retailer, is gearing up to debut its first downtown Toronto presence with a storefront that the company is calling its first location not just in the city centre, but in any "metropolitan downtown market" in the country.

The brand, which has been around for a whopping 113 years, is mainly known for its basic but high-end outerwear and other apparel, along with accessories, camping gear and home goods — think the late Hudson's Bay meets Mountain Equipment Company (MEC), but American.

Although it hails from Maine, L.L. Bean has been successful enough within Canada to gradually expand its offerings north of the border, with local outposts including Oakville — its first in Canada, launched in 2019 — Niagara Falls, Kingston and Barrie, Ontario.

The retailer also has a new-ish Toronto store outside the city centre in CF Shops at Don Mills as of 2020, which helps round out its roster of 15 existing Canadian stores: two in each of Alberta, B.C. and Quebec, one in New Brunswick, another in Nova Scotia, and a total of seven — soon to be eight — in Ontario. 

This latest one, which is set to open on August 22, will reside within the Manulife Centre at 55 Bloor Street West. 

Jaytex Group, the firm that manages L.L. Bean's presence in Canada, called the addition an "exciting step in L.L. Bean's continued Canadian growth," in a Monday press release.

It continued: "As a proudly Canadian company, Jaytex is focused on bringing the brand's heritage of timeless style, craftsmanship, function and outdoor spirit to communities across the country, now including one of Canada's most vibrant areas."