Bright and early on the morning of June 6, dozens of Third Act Mainers and their supporters held a standout at the corporate headquarters of L.L. Bean, whose slogan is “Be An Outsider.” This was not our first standout at L.L. Bean. Third Act Mainers have been standing out at Bean’s flagship store and corporate headquarters in Freeport, Maine, for two years, encouraging the iconic retailer to rethink its credit-card partnership with Citibank. But Friday morning’s standout was different. It was the kickoff for taking the campaign national. Reports are trickling in as Third Actors across the country visit their local L.L. Bean store. The photo below shows Third Act Wisconsin members paying a visit to their local LL Bean Store, as posted June 6th on their BlueSky Social account. We love to see it!
Here in Maine, holding signs and banners, we waved at passing motorists who honked in support. Some L.L. Bean employees arriving for work even honked and gave us the thumbs up as they pulled into the parking lot. The standout attracted coverage from local radio and television stations: Maine Public and WGME.
Later that day, Third Act members visited both Bean’s flagship store and outlet in Freeport. At each store we had conversations with the managers and gave them copies of the letter which was sent to CEO Stephen Smith several weeks ago. The campaign continues with actions planned at L.L. Bean stores nationwide because right now L.L. Bean “Ain’t so green.”
Is there an L.L. Bean store near you? Here’s a toolkit for planning your visit to the manager. No store near you? Write a letter to CEO Stephen Smith at ssmith@llbean.org, or send a message through L.L. Bean’s contact form. Join us in encouraging them to clean up their financing and live up to their well-earned reputation for environmental stewardship.
