L.L. Bean: Layoffs possible in new year

Source: Portland Press Herald/AP

PORTLAND -- Hit hard by the recession, Maine's L.L. Bean is considering company restructuring, cost cutting and even layoffs to deal with weak sales.

The Freeport-based catalog retailer expects to miss its holiday sales target by 10 percent or more, and the company doesn't expect the situation to improve in the new year, Chris McCormick, president and CEO, wrote in an e-mail memo to L.L. Bean's 9,400 employees.

"It appears that the Grinch has stolen a substantial piece of Christmas," McCormick wrote.

L.L. Bean plans to offer voluntary retirement incentives and to open only two of eight previously planned new stores in the new year. But those steps alone probably won't be enough to stave off layoffs, he wrote in the memo, first obtained by the Brunswick Times Record newspaper.

"Even with these options on the table, it is now unlikely that we will be able to avoid some level of involuntary position elimination both to support our multichannel transformation, and to resize ourselves for a smaller revenue base," McCormick wrote.

Read more: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=229158&ac=PHnws

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It's a privately owned company so actual financial numbers won't be announced.

Beans taking a hit is going to really mess up a lot of lives up there. I Love Beans.

I haven't had a chance to get out to it yet. Maybe I better plan on going.

I love LL Beans. I buy most of my clothes from them. Great return policy. And I think they are certainly one of the more cautious retailers when it comes to opening new stores.

Wonder how REI is doing? They are supposed to open a 2nd Pittsburgh area store(closer to where I work). I keep wondering if the plaza will ever get built where it is supposed to go and if REI will stick with the plan. The one store they have here is nice but I hate its in an area where I have to pay to park.

Everybody moving to Florida?

...they keep sending me catalogs and discount offers and like so many other people I simply do not have the money to buy anything from them.

It's a shame...I really enjoy their stuff.

Lovely.

they are the toastiest.

dp

Still in great shape. I wear them to store, everywhere. I actually moved in them last year.

They made great things. I don't want them to go under. I'll go buy something from them.

that used to make them for LLBean, Lands End and Eddie Bauer. Quality stuff.

that they were made in China. x( Granted I'm trying to get a pair of mickey mouse cold weather boots and those were just a purchase to get me by until I find them in my size - I was so disappointed to see that.

I expect these to last maybe 1 winter if I'm lucky. Thankfully they were as cheap as they are cheaply made.

I bought some slippers recently, Made in China. Never expected this from Bean - should have but didn't. :-(

year around.

they are cool in the spring/summer too, and keep your toes in comfort.

what more can you ask?
dp

and like everyone else they bought cheap from China to keep up. I haven't ordered anything from them in years because when they put China/Indonesia stuff in their catalog the sizes got all screwed up and there was nothing "unique" about buying there anymore when I could buy same stuff at Target or other places.

In their "time" both Lands End and LL Bean had unique merchandise...but Lands End sold out and LL Bean just couldn't keep up when everything moved out of America. Also both used to get good woolens from England and Scotland. Apparently even the Brits and Scots don't bother with making good quality "woolens" anymore and the sports fanatics all wear synthetics to keep warm. Killed their business.

Sad...and I thought so years ago...when I stopped buying from them...:-(

As late as 1989 (when I left) they were still resisting changing the "whites only" image of their catalog with the excuse that minorities weren't among their customers.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg. I never worked for a shittier, more back-stabbing bunch of corporate greed-heads, phony status-seekers, and whiny primadonna a-holes than the catalog production dept. of LLBean. So sop it up, beaners, and join the rest of the planet in having to make do with less.

Then you haven't work at my (former) company. ;) I never even understood what made those people such divas in the first place. They were middle management at a bottom-feeding publisher.

I hope they can work this out.

Maine outdoor paradise...

Every time I get a catalog from LL Bean, I think that their stuff is too expensive and that the catalog has got to cost them WAY too much of their profits which could actually go towards lowering prices.

We make a decent income here finally after years of struggle, but we just don't have the money to shop at LL Bean price points, though we do like good quality-Levi, Columbia, Keen, Birkenstock, Liz Claiborne, etc. I can find what our family wants/needs for a fraction of the cost at TJ Maxx or Ross or on sale at the local shoe store or department store and yes, I find stuff at Target and Walmart too. Sorry, but it's the truth. :shrug:

I will support this company along with Eddie Bauer.

a catalog that contained only a couple of items not made in China. Hint to Beans: if you expect people to be able to afford your goods, you need to find products made by American labor.

:thumbsup:

In my experience most CEOs lie to their employees about the state of the company, then surprise them with layoffs. That email is a stand-up thing to do. I wish the co. the best. I've never had anything but top-notch service and products from LL Bean

nice sweaters. I am going to order one for my hubby. So sad.

And I find it hard to care too much, too -- except for the people getting laid off.

Check their catalog/web site sometime. "Imported" after a lotta stuff. Remember when "imported" meant it was quality? Not anymore.

I started buying from them because their stuff was made in the US but it isn't any more.

Orvis, Cabellas, J Jill, Levi's, Gap, whatevs...