Reader Question: Do L.L. Bean Boot laces really cost an extra $110?

Hey Muffy,
 
I am a little confused by L.L. Bean Signature. I like some of the new Men’s Winter things but it seems to be pretty expensive for what I get. Am I missing something? And how is it doing compared to Lands' End Canvas?  And I know you aren't a huge Signature fan, but is there anything you would consider getting?


My reply (albeit a tad long!):

To the best of my knowledge, Signature’s original intent was to be a line of upscale clothing that was roughly 30% more expensive that the traditional L.L. Bean products and aimed at a younger customer. With that in mind, one question is, what do you get for that extra 30%? Edgy design? Better quality fabrics? Products made in the US instead of China?

Here are a couple of examples of comparisons between L.L. Bean and Signature on price and value.

Take the Shearling-Lined Boots.

First, L.L. Bean offers: Shearling-Lined L.L. Boots, Tall Side-Zip with these specifications:

• 14 in. tall
• Fully lined with shearling top to bottom
• Side-zip
• $189.00

Now, take a look at what Signature offers: Shearling Lined L.L. Bean Boot that are:

• 14 in. tall
• Fully lined with shearling top to bottom
• 14-eyelet lace-up.
• $299.00

Both, happily, are made in Maine. Still, while obviously I am not a footwear manufacturer, an extra $110.00 for lace-ups instead of zip-ups doesn’t sit quite right.

Here's a second example, the Bean’s Maine Guide Shirt.

L.L. Bean (non-Signature) has long offered this item. It is available here with the specifications of:

• 85% wool, 15% nylon
• 14 oz fabric
• $55.00

Signature now also offers their Maine Guide Shirt, with the following specifications:

• 95% wool, 5% nylon
• 9.1 oz fabric
• $99.00

Note that the Signature shirt has 10% more wool, but is a significantly lighter weight overall. I would call that a wash. And both are imported.  So the question becomes for me, is it worth almost twice the price for arguably nothing better, but a different label?

So yes, I agree that L.L. Bean seems to be using their Signature Line to charge higher prices (in these cases much more than even their 30%), often for items that I cannot see as being correspondingly better.  Given Leon Leonwood is oft cited as saying "Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit," I am not sure if these products would get his signature.

If  this were 10 years ago, I might wonder if the strategy of L.L. Bean was to trade in some of their credibility and customer base for greatly increased (albeit short term) profit margins in preparation for going public.  I doubt that is the case, given Sarbanes-Oxely has cooled that path for all private companies.

And I don’t want to focus on style here, as I have already done that in previous posts ad nauseum. (Although I have to say that seeing Signature using Chewonki as a setting for their recent photo and video shoot had a sense of almost Orwellian manipulation. Between my husband and my twelve summers living at Chewonki, we never saw anyone walking out of those barn doors or gathering wood in anything resembling the outfits being paraded about by the Signature models.)

Your next question about Lands' End is interesting, given all of the above.   I don't have any inside knowledge. L.L. Bean is a privately held company.  But here's one interesting datum point.  L.L. Bean Signature and Lands' End Canvas came out at roughly the same time.  Both invested in social media as part of their PR and Advertising programs to attract the new generation of Gen Yers and Millennials.  Both promoted their Facebook sites heavily. 

As of this writing:

• L.L. Bean Signature has roughly 3,300 fans on Facebook. 
• Lands' End Canvas has more than 44,500 fans. 

So the strategy may not be working.  Rather, L.L. Bean might be better advised to watch their own flanks a bit more.  While L.L. Bean looks like they are trying to be Abercrombie of 2004, so too may Abercombie be looking to be the L.L. Bean of the early 1980's. 

To answer your final question, is there anything I would consider getting?

Signature's Matinicus Rock Crewneck (formerly L.L. Bean's Blue Rock Sweater)

I just made my first purchase from Signature. I have been waiting for this particular sweater to make a comeback for the last thirty years. It’s former name was Bean’s Blue Rock sweater and they have now renamed it Matinicus Rock Crewneck. (I have often winced at Signature's equally Orwellian habit of using the names of very attractive Maine spots for items that are both unattractive and would never be worn in their namesake. But this time they got it right. This is indeed an item one might see on Matinicus Rock - a nesting area which I have visited and on which my husband has spent time banding petrels (which, by the way, is not for the faint of heart, as one has to blindly stick one’s arm down a 16 inch hole in the ground, and either encountering fuzzy little chicks to band, or, very angry mothers on the attack, all the while ducking dives from Arctic Terns)).

For those interested, this is a Men’s sweater and while I usually take a size small, as Signature slims down its items, I had to size up. So it is not the most flattering on me, and the neck opening is too small, but it is overall a very nice sweater. It would be a great item to be included in their Heritage Sweater collection, which is more expensive, but made in Norway (this one is made in China), and with the cut I prefer. But I love the pattern and colors, so I will happily wear it.