L.L.Bean sets flagship reopening for September
FREEPORT — After years of construction and a $50 million overhaul, L.L.Bean is preparing to throw open the doors to its reimagined flagship store in September, capping a renovation that has transformed the company's longtime home base.
The company announced Thursday that the reopening weekend is set for Sept. 18-20, with grand opening celebrations — including concerts, contests, giveaways and other special events — running through October. Details about specific events will be posted on the company's flagship reboot webpage.
The project, first announced in 2023, has touched nearly every corner of the campus. Shoppers who visited during construction saw much of the store's merchandise relocated to Camp L.L.Bean, a 28,000-square-foot hard-sided "tent" erected in a nearby parking lot to keep sales going while crews worked.
When the new flagship opens, customers will find a redesigned entrance and facade, new fish enclosures, expanded monogramming and kids' departments, a café, and additional green space added to Discovery Park, which sits at the heart of the property.
In a prepared statement, L.L.Bean President and CEO Greg Elder called the renovation "an extraordinary undertaking."
"Reimagining an icon is an extraordinary undertaking, and the result reflects the passion, creativity and dedication of the team behind it," Elder said. "We know our customers share our anticipation and we can't wait to see the store come to life in September with their return. The wait is almost over, and there's no doubt it will have been worth it."
Shawn Gorman, the company's board chairman and great-grandson of founder Leon Leonwood Bean, framed the reopening as a milestone for both the company and the town that has grown up around it.
"When my great-grandfather, L.L., opened his first retail space above the Freeport post office in 1917, he never imagined what it would become — our home for more than 110 years and the unofficial hub of downtown, welcoming more than 3 million visitors a year," Gorman said. "This is as much a celebration of his legacy and for Freeport as it is for L.L.Bean. We can't wait to unveil to our customers and our community a flagship for the next century."
L.L.Bean has been a fixture in Freeport since Bean opened his original shop more than a century ago. The flagship has long drawn shoppers from across New England and beyond, and the renovation is intended to ensure the property remains a destination for decades to come.
The company said further information about opening weekend programming will be released in the coming months.
