LL Bean Opening up First Vermont Store

Doubt it would have survived down in the Old Port. The rent down there for a store that size would have been insane.

And while it's true, that the Old Port is a busier section of town, it's Congress street location wasn't bad. Plenty of restaurants and retail shops do just fine on Congress street.

thetrailboss said:

"LL Bean Retail Stores", which are their current products and main items and "LL Bean Outlets" which are the returned, blems, overstock, closeout items. The former is better than the latter in my experience. And in NH only the West Lebanon one is a "Retail Store". My memory is that it was way better than the outlets.

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The one in Manchester was an outlet btw.Probably why I was disapointed.

VTKilarney said:

That's what did the Portland store in. If it was in South Portland or Scarborough it would have done just fine.

And keep in mind that it was not even in the touristed part of Portland. If it was down by the water I bet it would have survived.

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True, but tourists to Maine are more likely to just make the extra 15 minute drive to Freeport.

I don't think Congress Street, even though it has shops and restaurants, was that viable for a store like LL Bean. Tourists shop in Freeport or along the waterfront.

Locals also shop in Freeport. But they do TONS of shopping in South Portland and Scarborough. I always had the impression that shopping along Congress street was more for people working downtown or the MUCH smaller group of people who still visited downtown to shop.

I actually think if the store was out by Whole Foods or Trader Joes it could have survived. There are still a ton of people coming into that area. One of the problems with Congress street was parking. It made casual browsing hardly worth it if you have to pay to park.

The same argument for parking could be made in the Old Port, probably even more so.

I agree out by Trader Joe's would work, but definitely not in the old port because of the rent prices.

SIKSKIER said:

It called capitalism gentlemen, and it works.

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No doubt and I don't really have a problem with it, but I do take issue with people who don't own or run businesses just being like, oh well if you adapted you'd be fine. Sometimes that is not possible, regardless of how much you have your shit together.

Hilarious!!!!!!! You can't make this up!

http://www.wcax.com/story/27330315/owl-attacks-hawk-at-vermont-ll-bean-store-display

Master falconer. That's a bad ass title.

I wonder what comes before that. Junior falconer? Falconer in training? Falconer First-class?