Pictured, left to right, Enfield Mayor Ken Nelson Jr., Corey Bouyea, Missy Hutton-Manferdini, Linda Cote and Dave Corricelli.
Reminder Publishing photos by Lauren LeBel
ENFIELD — People began lining up at 6 a.m. in hopes of being one of the first 100 customers to enter L.L.Bean’s Enfield location and receive a $50 gift card.
The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony took place on the morning of Friday, Oct. 4.
L.L.Bean employees, local officials and community members gathered for the unveiling of the 25,000-square-foot facility, the second largest in inventory outside of its flagship location in Freeport, Maine.
Corey Bouyea, vice president of L.L.Bean stores and retail operations, noted that the Enfield location is the third store in Connecticut and the 59th retail store in the nation.
Bouyea began by thanking everyone for coming out, including the fit-up team, store personnel, local landlords and more.
While the store had been open for a few days prior to the event, he said the weekend would serve as the big unveiling.
“[We] couldn’t be more thrilled to be here in a state that’s already been so welcoming to our existing stores and then to find this spot in northern Connecticut, we’re very, very excited to be here,” Bouyea said.
He went on to say, “Opening a new store holds a special place in my heart. It’s really the place where our awesome product comes together with our awesome people in these terrific communities and it really speaks to our purpose and helps us do that across the nation, when we think about inspiring and enabling people to enjoy the restorative power of being outdoors.”
Bouyea shared that although he might be biased, the new store has the “best apparel, the best footwear and the best outdoor equipment in the industry.”
He added that the store will be a “tremendous success” as there were over 1,000 people on Oct. 3 for a VIP event for the most loyal customers.
Enfield Mayor Ken Nelson Jr. said, “Enfield is so excited to welcome you. We’ve been working for years to streamline the process to help encourage new development and L.L.Bean is definitely a true partner we’ve been looking for and it’s just the beginning of so many good things to come.”
Nelson read a proclamation honoring the grand opening of L.L.Bean in Enfield, along with sharing some background information on the company, such as its founding in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean in Freeport, Maine.
At the L.L.Bean in Enfield, it will be home to over 60 employees who live in and around the town.
“L.L.Bean will make a $10,000 contribution to the Indian Valley Family YMCA to support the YMCAs vital role in a community based organization as part of its commitment to the community. The donation will be in addition to L.L.Beans $2 million+ in support of the YMCA nationally since 2022,” Nelson said.
Bouyea explained that the $10,000 contribution to the Indian Valley YMCA is “in support of its ongoing community focus organization promoting youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, while improving the quality of life of residents in Enfield and neighboring communities.”
Executive Director Dave Corricelli of the Indian Valley YMCA thanked Bouyea for his generous support to their annual campaign.
“One of the ways L.L.Bean and YMCA overlap is we both strive to provide children the opportunity to explore the outdoors and this support is going to allow us to provide scholarships for children to access for transformative programs like day camp. It will also provide access to programs like swim lessons, children care and Live Strong, which is a no cost cancer support program,” Corricelli said.
He encouraged individuals interested in those programs to visit the YMCA website, where information on how to access the scholarship is also provided.
Linda Cote, president of the Northern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, said, “The chamber represents not only Enfield but also our surrounding towns of Somers, Suffield and East Windsor, so on behalf of all four communities, welcome to the area, we are thrilled to have you.”
Bouyea, Nelson, Corricelli and Cote joined with store manager Missy Hutton-Manferdini to officially cut the ribbon, as L.L.Bean employees looked on.
The new L.L.Bean location is at 10 Hazard Ave., Suite 19 in Enfield.
The store is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
