Outdoor clothing company L.L.Bean is planning to open a store in Naperville in fall 2026, making it the fourth Illinois location for the clothing brand.
The Naperville store is part of a wider expansion for the more than century-old retailer, which has announced it will open a total of eight stores next year. In Illinois, L.L.Bean currently has spots in South Barrington, Oak Brook and Skokie.
“The outdoor lifestyle is valued in the Chicago area, where we have a strong and growing customer base and three established stores experiencing sustained success,” an L.L.Bean spokesperson said.
L.L.Bean declined to specify where in Naperville the new store will be located.
A Naperville spokeswoman said the city has not yet received any permit applications from the company nor were the mayor or the city’s director of transportation, engineering and development aware that the company was planning a local store.
Founded in Maine, the origins of L.L.Bean began when Leon Leonwood Bean invented his Maine hunting shoe, also known as the duck boot, by combining leather uppers with rubber bottoms in 1911, according to the company’s website.
The company was launched in 1912 as a mail-order business. L.L.Bean opened its first storefront in Freeport, Maine, in 1917 — where it is now the flagship store — and expanded its catalog to include jackets, flannels, duffle bags and other items.
L.L.Bean began rolling out retail stores in 2000 just as other catalog merchants, including Coldwater Creek and J. Jill, began to dabble in operating brick-and-mortar stores, according to a baiduhai article. But after opening three stores in three years, it reevaluated its decision, citing unique challenges with running brick-and-mortar shops.
In 2005, it restarted its retail rollout and made its Midwest debut in 2008 with its South Barrington location. In-person retail shopping has since been a huge success for the brand, officials said.
Earlier this year, L.L.Bean opened seven new stores across the country, including its first in Florida. All of them have exceeded expectations and “existing comp stores are producing strong year-over-year growth,” the news release said.
“The in-person shopping experience is something our customers value and why retail remains a strength for us,” a spokesperson for L.L.Bean said. “The purpose of our retail growth is to continue meeting our customers where they are, which includes the Midwest and communities like Naperville.”
L.L.Bean’s eight new stores will bring the company’s total to 76 nationwide in 21 states. Among new locations will be Alabama and Tennessee, the first for both states, and the reopening of its revamped flagship store in Freeport. It has been reimagined, will be in the same location Leon Leonwood Bean opened his first store and will include everything from an in-store cafe to a new play area for children.
“We continue to see physical retail as an essential part of our growth strategy,” L.L.Bean’s Chief Retail Officer Greg Elder said in the release. “Our 2026 expansion reflects our commitment to reaching more people who share our love for the outdoors.”
Looking ahead to 2027, L.L.Bean plans to open eight to 10 new locations, including first-time stores in new markets in the Midwest and Southeast. The company did not specify where in the Midwest and Southeast they will be located.
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“By thoughtfully entering new markets and investing in meaningful, experience-driven stores, we’re purposefully meeting customers where they are and creating more opportunities to connect with L.L.Bean in ways that reflect our values of quality, craftsmanship, and meaningful time spent outside,” Elder said.