Retailer L.L. Bean to open first B.C. stores in Victoria, Burnaby

A portrait of Leon Leonwood Bean is seen on a catalog cover displayed at the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine, Friday, March 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Victoria — American clothing retailer L.L. Bean will open its first stores in British Columbia this year, including one in the capital region.

The expansion comes after the outdoor apparel company opened three stores in Ontario in 2020. The other B.C. store will be in Burnaby, the company announced Thursday.

The Victoria store is expected to open at the Mayfair shopping centre in August, while the Burnaby store is slated to open in October at the Brentwood Town Centre.

The 108-year-old company will also open one store each in Calgary and Nova Scotia by the end of the year. L.L. Bean, based in Maine, opened its first Canadian store in Oakville, Ont. in 2019.

“Despite the hurdles that the pandemic presented, in 2020 we successfully opened three new L.L.Bean retail locations in Ontario and saw strong overall performance in the Canadian market,” said Howie Kastner, president of L.L. Bean distributor Jaytex Group.

“This continued success speaks to the inherent love of the outdoors and eagerness for new adventures that Canadian customers share with the brand," Kastner added. "We look forward to continuing to explore opportunities across Canada and support this growing customer base."