For years, L.L.Bean’s store growth followed a steady, comfortable rhythm. The company would open one or two new locations per year, rely on strong store teams to solve operational challenges, and lean on a supply chain built for a direct-to-consumer world.
That model worked. Until it didn’t.
According to Corey Bouyea, VP of Stores & Retail Operations, the warning signs had been building quietly as retail grew alongside the brand’s catalog and e-commerce business. But it wasn’t until L.L.Bean crossed 50 stores that the cracks became impossible to ignore.
“The pressure really started to show its ugly head when we hit 50 stores in our store portfolio a couple of years ago,” Bouyea said during a RILA conference session on leading transformation. “That pressure has increased as we’ve got closer to 70 this past year.”
The issue wasn’t demand, store performance, or execution. It was structural.
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