11 Facts About LL Bean

LL Bean is headquartered where it was founded, in Freeport, Maine.

LL Bean began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe, known as duck boots and later as Bean Boots.

LL Bean had developed a waterproof boot, which is a combination of lightweight leather uppers and rubber bottoms, that he sold to hunters.

LL Bean obtained a list of nonresident Maine hunting license holders, prepared a descriptive mail order circular, set up a shop in his brother's basement in Freeport and started a nationwide mail-order business.

Defects in the initial design led to 90 percent of the original production run being returned: LL Bean honored his money-back guarantee, corrected the design, and continued selling them.

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LL Bean passed into the directorship of Bean's grandson, Leon Gorman, from that time until 2001, when Gorman decided to take the position of chairman, leaving the position of CEO to Christopher McCormick, the first non-family member to assume the title.

LL Bean operates 30 retail stores and 10 factory outlets in the US, and 25 retail stores in Japan, in addition to its catalog and online sales operations.

LL Bean opened their first urban location in Boston's Seaport District.

LL Bean had an unlimited return policy, which allowed customers to return items with which they were dissatisfied at any time, even without a purchase receipt.

LL Bean said that some customers had been abusing the policy by returning items that had been purchased from yard sales and third parties or used the policy as a lifetime replacement program for items with normal wear and tear.

LL Bean has stated it reserves the right to deny returns to those who regularly return items.