L.L. Bean Opens Second Minnesota Location at The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes

Outdoor recreation giant L.L. Bean has officially expanded its footprint in the Twin Cities metro, opening its second Minnesota retail store at The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove.

The retailer celebrated its grand opening on July 31, welcoming early shoppers with interactive games and special discounts.

The new store spans 17,500 square feet, taking over a space that previously housed four separate storefronts.

While L.L. Bean has long maintained a presence in the state through its Mall of America location, store leadership says the demand in the northwest metro made Maple Grove a natural choice for expansion.

“We’re very excited to be here,” said Gretchen Austinson, store manager for the new location. “We know that we have a huge customer base from here because of all of the online and catalog orders that we’ve had. So, we’re excited to give a location to our customers that they can shop at.”

L.L. Bean’s location at The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove occupies a 17,500-square-foot retail space. The shop is located at 12289 Elm Creek Boulevard.

A Boost for the Shopping Center

The arrival of a major national brand is being welcomed not just by outdoor enthusiasts, but by neighboring businesses as well. Management at The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes expects the retailer to drive higher foot traffic throughout the entire shopping center.

“You say L.L. Bean, and people know who that is. So they’re naturally going to bring an increase in traffic to the center,” said Linda Sell, marketing manager for The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes. “It’s kind of the trickle-down effect that also helps our other retailers. And just like other retailers, bringing in traffic is going to help L.L. Bean. It’s kind of a synergy between everybody to keep the mall traffic increasing.”

L.L. Bean’s opening is part of a larger refresh for The Shoppes. Several additional retailers are scheduled to open early next year.

Related: New Retail Trio Announced for The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes

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