Comments on: Downtown to Become Lifestyle Center http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport News and Views of Malls, Shopping Centers, and Retail Chains Past and Present Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:49:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: JF http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-110638 JF Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:25:02 +0000 http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-110638 As of July, 2009, there are only a handful of stores at the Freeport Village Station; most of which emptied out a space somewhere else in Freeport to move here. Unless your destination is L.L. Bean, the smaller stores don't offer as many choices as the Wrentham Outlets in Massachusetts. It seems as though the most exciting store they can come up with is "Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster Roll". I notice she's been written up in a few magazines lately to promote her recipes. But having that store is not enough for me to go there. When we parked in the garage, we looked for a sign directing us to the stores, but there wasn't one that we could see. So we went outside and walked past empty space after empty space. None of these empty spaces are gong to make good locations for stores. No one was there! We walked up a long stairway, but that didn't take us to the complex itself either; only to an open area where we had to backtrack up to Main Street, and then come through the front entrance to the complex. Once we got to the complex, it was the same as in May; only about 7 stores are open, and nothing new added. From what I could tell, most of the stores I saw were ones that have already been at some location in Freeport already. The town certainly is making a big deal of it, but so far, there's NOTHING at Freeport Village Station to get excited about, at least for me. Other than the fairly nice entrance from the street, the rest of the complex is closed off from the other stores in Freeport, so if you're parked at the bottom of the hill, or in the garage, be prepared to walk a long way to reach Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster Roll. As far as new tenants are concerned, my perception is that Berensen is having difficulty attracting them. Other than what is already there, plus the few boring new ones coming this month, I don't see much happening. Maybe by Christmas there'll be more, but I'm not holding my breath. As of July, 2009, there are only a handful of stores at the Freeport Village Station; most of which emptied out a space somewhere else in Freeport to move here. Unless your destination is L.L. Bean, the smaller stores don’t offer as many choices as the Wrentham Outlets in Massachusetts. It seems as though the most exciting store they can come up with is “Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine Lobster Roll”. I notice she’s been written up in a few magazines lately to promote her recipes. But having that store is not enough for me to go there. When we parked in the garage, we looked for a sign directing us to the stores, but there wasn’t one that we could see. So we went outside and walked past empty space after empty space. None of these empty spaces are gong to make good locations for stores. No one was there! We walked up a long stairway, but that didn’t take us to the complex itself either; only to an open area where we had to backtrack up to Main Street, and then come through the front entrance to the complex. Once we got to the complex, it was the same as in May; only about 7 stores are open, and nothing new added. From what I could tell, most of the stores I saw were ones that have already been at some location in Freeport already. The town certainly is making a big deal of it, but so far, there’s NOTHING at Freeport Village Station to get excited about, at least for me. Other than the fairly nice entrance from the street, the rest of the complex is closed off from the other stores in Freeport, so if you’re parked at the bottom of the hill, or in the garage, be prepared to walk a long way to reach Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine Lobster Roll. As far as new tenants are concerned, my perception is that Berensen is having difficulty attracting them. Other than what is already there, plus the few boring new ones coming this month, I don’t see much happening. Maybe by Christmas there’ll be more, but I’m not holding my breath.

]]> By: Nick http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-104891 Nick Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:20:32 +0000 http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-104891 Just visited the LL Bean store and Freeport outlets today on a trip to Maine for the week, and they haven't constructed a lifestyle center in place of the flagship store. However, there was a lifestyle center built across the street and a block down from the flagship store, called Freeport Village Station. It just opened in the Spring and so far only has a couple of stores (Coach, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, PacSun Nike Factory Store and a relocated LL Bean Outlet Store. I think they are having much success from the new store format, as there has been a lot of buzz at least in the area that I live in (Southeastern Massachusetts) about the LL Bean store in Mansfield Crossing, which opened after the Burlington Store. They also opened an outlet location in Wareham. I think it's an opportunity for people who want to touch and feel the merchandise instead of just from a catalogue. Just visited the LL Bean store and Freeport outlets today on a trip to Maine for the week, and they haven’t constructed a lifestyle center in place of the flagship store. However, there was a lifestyle center built across the street and a block down from the flagship store, called Freeport Village Station. It just opened in the Spring and so far only has a couple of stores (Coach, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, PacSun Nike Factory Store and a relocated LL Bean Outlet Store. I think they are having much success from the new store format, as there has been a lot of buzz at least in the area that I live in (Southeastern Massachusetts) about the LL Bean store in Mansfield Crossing, which opened after the Burlington Store. They also opened an outlet location in Wareham. I think it’s an opportunity for people who want to touch and feel the merchandise instead of just from a catalogue.

]]> By: Jason http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-63771 Jason Sun, 04 May 2008 06:25:11 +0000 http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-63771 I don't see Bean's ever going away. They offer excellent products at good prices, and they will repair or replace anything defective for life. I have a pair of their boots, and will wear nothing else in these New England winters. I have vague memories of seeing the original store in the very early 80's ('82-'83 at the latest). It was dark, and kind of scary. At least to a 4 year old... The new store isn't bad, but I liked the layout they had previously. Everything was neatly contained in one building. Now, if I want to go look at the guns and bows while my wife is checking out clothes and furnishings, I have to cross the maze-like parking lot to find the hunting building. At least they're still open all hours. And, last I knew, the coffee was still free after midnight. Midnight coffee runs became a tradition after high school drama club cast parties (I went to high school in Brunswick, just up the road), and it was something I introduced my college friends to at UNH. I don’t see Bean’s ever going away. They offer excellent products at good prices, and they will repair or replace anything defective for life. I have a pair of their boots, and will wear nothing else in these New England winters.

I have vague memories of seeing the original store in the very early 80’s (‘82-’83 at the latest). It was dark, and kind of scary. At least to a 4 year old… The new store isn’t bad, but I liked the layout they had previously. Everything was neatly contained in one building. Now, if I want to go look at the guns and bows while my wife is checking out clothes and furnishings, I have to cross the maze-like parking lot to find the hunting building.

At least they’re still open all hours. And, last I knew, the coffee was still free after midnight. Midnight coffee runs became a tradition after high school drama club cast parties (I went to high school in Brunswick, just up the road), and it was something I introduced my college friends to at UNH.

]]> By: Kevin http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-51799 Kevin Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:38:57 +0000 http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-51799 This, I'm afraid is the beginning of the end for "Ol Bean." This, I’m afraid is the beginning of the end for “Ol Bean.”

]]> By: Jonah Norason http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-36333 Jonah Norason Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:06:46 +0000 http://www.labelscar.com/retail-news/ll-bean-freeport#comment-36333 I dunno...isn't competition good? Especially with the Macyator destroying dozens of department store brands leaving a Communistic red star in its path.... I dunno…isn’t competition good? Especially with the Macyator destroying dozens of department store brands leaving a Communistic red star in its path….

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