L.L. Bean to Shut Freeport Studio Catalog
Cataloger L.L. Bean said it will close its Freeport Studio business because of lower-than-expected revenues.The catalog and store operation was marketed as "a cut above casual" and targeted professional women.
Fewer than 100 jobs will be affected by the shutdown, according to Freeport, ME-based L.L. Bean.
At its height in 2000 -- following a disappointing launch in 1999 -- Freeport Studio represented 5 percent of L.L. Bean's business.
Freeport Studio will be closed in phases. Its last catalog is scheduled to drop in January. Its factory stores in Portland, ME, and North Conway, NH, along with its boutique at L.L. Bean's flagship store, will continue operations until mid-January.
Return on investment and consumer demand did not meet expectations, L.L. Bean said.
Some items in the Freeport Studio catalog will be incorporated into L.L. Bean's core business.
