Park City—L.L. Bean will be opening its doors in Park City next winter—the outdoor retailer’s first footprint in Utah and its westernmost retail location.
Ken Kacere, senior vice president and general manager over retail for L.L. Bean, said the Freeport, Maine-based company had been drawn to Park City through its relationship with the U.S. Ski Team and has been interested in coming to the area for a number of years.
“The more we learned about it, the more we saw a connection between Park City and Freeport, Maine," he said, noting both towns shared a love for similar activities and a sort of close-knit atmosphere.
The Park City store, to be housed in a new development, The Kimball, going up at Main Street and Kimball Avenue, will also be one of L.L. Bean’s smallest at just 6,300 square feet. Kacere said the more intimate store will have curated assorted merchandise rather than a warehouse-like outlet.
“We spent some time in Park City and went back and really curated an assortment we felt was right for this area," he said. “We want to let people see us in a light they’ve never seen us before."
It will also include the L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School, which will have demonstrations and outings to introduce people to both popular and lesser-known outdoor activities, he said.
Kacere said one of the 105-year-old company’s highest goals for Park City—and everywhere else they set up shop—is to integrate itself into the community by hiring local and getting involved with local organizations and causes, particularly those that encourage developing a love of the outdoors at a young age.
“We believe if you can get [kids] out there early and you can get them to reap the benefits of an outdoor lifestyle, they will continue as they get older," he said. “We are very involved with many organizations in Maine and New England and the surrounding states. … As we started to reach out farther, we wanted to continue that. We didn’t want to be a national brand—we wanted to be local and get involved in local communities."
The Park City L.L. Bean is anticipated to open in late 2017 or early 2018.