Legendary retailer partners with beloved department store as new locations set to open in the US and Canada

A popular outdoor retailer is opening four new locations in the US and Canada as part of a partnership with a department store.

The company is looking to expand, bringing its products to more than 70 new stores.

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LL Bean has announced some big expansion plans after posting its second-strongest sales results ever.

The outdoor company will open four new stores by the end of 2023, it announced last week.

Two stores are planned in Massachusetts and two in Montreal, Canada.

Customers in Canada can also shop online through a new French-language digital store.

You’re also more likely to see LL Bean hats, fleeces and jackets on your next department store visit.

The company has expanded its agreement with Dillard’s and outdoor specialty retailer Moosejaw.

LL Bean has also added 10 independent specialty stores across the Southeast.

Overall, the new expansions will offer LL Bean products in more than 70 new stores.

“We are grateful to be able to expand our retail footprint and establish new wholesale relationships to serve more customers,” said Stephen Smith, CEO of LL Bean, in a press release.

“Everything we do is in support of our corporate purpose: to let people experience the restorative power of being outdoors, and these new ventures will ensure we continue to serve that purpose for years to come.”

But LL Bean isn’t the only retailer with serious plans for expansion.

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Ross Dress For Less is on track to meet its goal of opening 100 new stores by the end of 2023.

Around 75 new Ross stores and around 25 dd’s discount locations are planned.

Ross is even expanding into new markets like Wisconsin to meet its goal of 3,600 stores nationwide.

But Ross and LL Bean are outliers in the current retail climate, which some pundits have even described as an “apocalypse.”

Hundreds of well-known brand stores have been closed this year.

For example, Bed Bath & Beyond permanently closed all 360 locations this summer following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, David’s Bridal has closed several stores across the country, despite being saved by a last-minute takeover.