L.L. Bean "Brand Guilt"

L.L. Bean is like an old boyfriend I’ve grown out of. Every so often I see him around. Like in my mom’s coat closet, up in Bar Harbor, Maine. Or the Bean outlet in Ellsworth. But I let my L.L. Bean Visa lapse into the default Bank of America card because I wanted Bank of America’s Worldpoints. I didn’t even use some of the $10 L.L. Bean coupons by the end. Their clothes were too basic, almost boring. I’ve met two new brands — Patagonia and Athleta (bought by Gap in 9/08) — with great sales and much higher quality and style.

So when I read that L.L. Bean is freezing wages and salaries of their 5,500 employees starting in March 2009, I felt concern. Even a twinge of guilt. L.L. Bean seems like a great company with unbeatable customer service. They are only trying to stall layoffs. Their 2008 holiday sales were down 10% from 2007. These are tough times for everyone. A turnaround in the economy and the company’s performance is not expected until 2010. Short of getting Michelle Obama to appear in some fitness fleece, I'm tempted to order some for my spring vacation. Apparently I still have feelings for L.L. Bean and I wish them well.