L.L.Bean is making its entrance in the Richmond market with a large store at Short Pump. Rendering courtesy of L.L.Bean.
A big-name retail brand has plans to open in Short Pump Town Center as the Henrico County mall gears up for a fresh batch of tenants.
L.L.Bean announced on Thursday that it will take over a 15,500-square-foot space on the mall’s second level, currently occupied by the food court.
The store will open in November and will be L.L.Bean’s second Virginia retail location.
The mall’s food court will close May 15. Both the Chick-fil-A and Auntie Anne’s will reopen in different larger spaces at the mall, said Pam Howland of Forest City Enterprises. Forest City owns the shopping center along with QIC and local developer Pruitt Associates.
The Short Pump store will be L.L.Bean’s 25th nationwide. The Maine-based company known for its seasonal catalogues opened its first store 15 years ago in Tyson’s Corner in Northern Virginia and is now in the midst of an ambitious growth plan.
The mall’s other big stores include Macy’s, Dillard’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Nordstrom. Photo by Michael Thompson.
Spokesman Mac McKeever said Thursday that the company plans to have 100 retail locations open by 2020.
“We’re finding that today’s consumer is evolving,” McKeever said. “In the spirit of being a true omnichannel retail brand, we want to provide the ability for customers to buy in any medium.”
McKeever said the bulk of L.L.Bean’s sales are online, but different revenue streams help one another – perusing an L.L.Bean catalogue might prompt some customers to visit a store to try out and ultimately buy products.
“We’re just trying to make it as easy as possible for the consumer,” McKeever said. “It’s just about making sure we’re giving consumers the best opportunities to shop with us.”
McKeever said Richmond’s proximity to the James River and the outdoor culture built around it made the area attractive to L.L.Bean. The company has also seen catalogue and website orders come out of the area.
“The moons lined up for us here in Richmond and Short Pump,” McKeever said. “We know that the Richmond area is a very active area. There a lot of festivals and there are an abundance of natural resources.”
McKeever would not say how much it will cost to open the Richmond location. L.L.Bean plans to hire 100 people to work at the store.
The Short Pump location will include L.L.Bean’s Outdoor Discovery Schools, which consist of demonstrations, clinics and introductory hands-on activities like snowshoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, among others.
Other previously announced new arrivals in the works at Short Pump Town Center include Children’s Museum of Richmond, Lilly Rain, The Boathouse restaurant and Zumiez.
The new Boathouse, from local restaurateur Kevin Healy, is expected to open in June. It will be Healy’s fourth restaurant in the area.
L.L.Bean is making its entrance in the Richmond market with a large store at Short Pump. Rendering courtesy of L.L.Bean.
A big-name retail brand has plans to open in Short Pump Town Center as the Henrico County mall gears up for a fresh batch of tenants.
L.L.Bean announced on Thursday that it will take over a 15,500-square-foot space on the mall’s second level, currently occupied by the food court.
The store will open in November and will be L.L.Bean’s second Virginia retail location.
The mall’s food court will close May 15. Both the Chick-fil-A and Auntie Anne’s will reopen in different larger spaces at the mall, said Pam Howland of Forest City Enterprises. Forest City owns the shopping center along with QIC and local developer Pruitt Associates.
The Short Pump store will be L.L.Bean’s 25th nationwide. The Maine-based company known for its seasonal catalogues opened its first store 15 years ago in Tyson’s Corner in Northern Virginia and is now in the midst of an ambitious growth plan.
The mall’s other big stores include Macy’s, Dillard’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Nordstrom. Photo by Michael Thompson.
Spokesman Mac McKeever said Thursday that the company plans to have 100 retail locations open by 2020.
“We’re finding that today’s consumer is evolving,” McKeever said. “In the spirit of being a true omnichannel retail brand, we want to provide the ability for customers to buy in any medium.”
McKeever said the bulk of L.L.Bean’s sales are online, but different revenue streams help one another – perusing an L.L.Bean catalogue might prompt some customers to visit a store to try out and ultimately buy products.
“We’re just trying to make it as easy as possible for the consumer,” McKeever said. “It’s just about making sure we’re giving consumers the best opportunities to shop with us.”
McKeever said Richmond’s proximity to the James River and the outdoor culture built around it made the area attractive to L.L.Bean. The company has also seen catalogue and website orders come out of the area.
“The moons lined up for us here in Richmond and Short Pump,” McKeever said. “We know that the Richmond area is a very active area. There a lot of festivals and there are an abundance of natural resources.”
McKeever would not say how much it will cost to open the Richmond location. L.L.Bean plans to hire 100 people to work at the store.
The Short Pump location will include L.L.Bean’s Outdoor Discovery Schools, which consist of demonstrations, clinics and introductory hands-on activities like snowshoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, among others.
Other previously announced new arrivals in the works at Short Pump Town Center include Children’s Museum of Richmond, Lilly Rain, The Boathouse restaurant and Zumiez.
The new Boathouse, from local restaurateur Kevin Healy, is expected to open in June. It will be Healy’s fourth restaurant in the area.
I’ve often thought Short Pump Mall should have been made 3 stories tall. They’d have more room for their continued growth. Maybe mall food courts are a thing of the past, but still need to be able to get quick serve Chinese, pizza and subs at the mall. Be nice if CPK had ready to serve slices.
That food court has always seemed out of place and desolate, even from opening day. Good to see the space put to better use. One note on the article – Tyson’s was probably the first Virginia store, but LL Bean has been operating a retail store in Freeport Maine for nearly a century. There used to be an outlet in Williamsburg, but that closed a few years ago.