New LLBean store

D

dryflyguy

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Just thought I'd let you guys who live around the burgh know that a new LLBean store is opening friday.
It's in the Ross Park Mall on McKnight Road, which is happily for me, only about 15 minutes away.
They're supposed to have grand opening specials and give aways all weekend.
I need a new pair of wading boots, and plan on going the first day.
Now, I've never been to a Bean store before, but I'm thinking it might be pretty big - maybe even along the lines of the Cabelas stores?
Have any of you guys been in one of their other stores before?
 
Hum I thought they were just like the Orvis stores. Just little small shops
 
The one that opened not too far from me recently is 30,000 sq. feet, however big that is.

I have no sense for that stuff..

Frankly, I wish they'd all go back to being just mail order. Bean, Cabelas, Gander Mtn., the whole bunch of em.

But I'm getting old and grumpy...:)
 
I am disappointed in the LLBean store that opened south of Bethlehem a couple years ago. It is a pretty big store (but not close to as big as Cabelas) but it only has a small fly fishing section. It has all the basics in gear, pretty much good looking and with prices to match. Don't try to find anyone who know the difference between tippet and leader though.

Great store to buy shirts and hats and stuff though. That seems to be the direction their marketing is taking. Of course, you can always return anything you don't like.
 
Was in the orginal store in Maine back in the 67. Don't remember to much from the visit, except that they had every tent that they sold set up on display. But what do you expect from being 10 years old?
 
sapper6 wrote:
Don't try to find anyone who know the difference between tippet and leader though.
Click to expand...

You might want to re-think that. I work in the store part time, and so do the other casting instructors that teach for the Outdoor Discovery School at the Center Valley Store. Between the three of us, we have over a hundred years of flyfishing experience. One of the managers is an experienced flyfisherman as well. While we can't be there for every hour the store is open, odds are good that one of us is working in the evening on any given day.

Before this store was even opened, they realized they made it too small. Available space dictates that the fly shop is smaller than we'd like it to be. The real money is made on clothes, not fishing gear. Sad but true - we keep pushing for more, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
Heritage - Angler

I didn't really think that this store would be on the same scale as Cabelas, but it still sounds as though it should be quite large .
Bean ran an ad in the local paper over the summer - looking for applicants to work there.
I actually cut it out, and gave a little thought to checking it out.
But when I mentioned it to my wife, she just thought it was a crazy idea. And as the economy slid more and more into recession, I shelved the idea
I work for a hospital, and feel that my present job is, and will stay quite safe. I'm also pretty sure that I wouldn't have been able to get anything close to my present salary and benefits.
But, man, it must really be nice to have a flyfishing related job - and actually enjoy going to work - something I've always dreamed about
 
I lived on the north shore of Boston for a number of years and would run up to the Bean store in Maine fairly regularly. There was an seperate outlet store up there too (which is where I did most of my shopping.) The main store is several floors and quite large. It was larger than a Cabelas, but it was a lot more clothing and home accessories...the actual "outdoor" section was comperable to Cabelas. The satellite stores are typically less outdoor equipment and more clothing oriented.
The one in Ross Park will be pretty large...they are expecting to do $25 mil / year.
 
Heritage Angler
I hope to see you there sometime. I never get there in the evenings, just the occasional weekend visit. I guess I never hit the right time since I have always had to help myself. I am bummed over the dearth of shops in the Lehigh Valley now, and I had high hopes for LL Bean when it opened. I guess it was too much to expect that it could be like a small local shop though.

I visited the main store in Freeport a few years back and that was fly fishing gear heaven!
 
dryflyguy wrote:
Heritage - Angler

I didn't really think that this store would be on the same scale as Cabelas, but it still sounds as though it should be quite large .
Bean ran an ad in the local paper over the summer - looking for applicants to work there.
I actually cut it out, and gave a little thought to checking it out.
But when I mentioned it to my wife, she just thought it was a crazy idea. And as the economy slid more and more into recession, I shelved the idea
I work for a hospital, and feel that my present job is, and will stay quite safe. I'm also pretty sure that I wouldn't have been able to get anything close to my present salary and benefits.
But, man, it must really be nice to have a flyfishing related job - and actually enjoy going to work - something I've always dreamed about
Click to expand...

All that is why I only work part time for them. I also still work my full time job, so this tends to cut into my fishing time a bit. That part is tough to handle. From May to October I work for ODS. They pay a lot better than if you work in the store. You can also name your availability so you can still have time to fish. ;)

You might want to check out an ODS Casting Instructor position on the Bean's website. Could be just what you're looking for.
 
dryflyguy - forgot to mention this. If you can find the River Treads studded aquastealth boots on sale, I'd highly recommend them to you. Just make sure you try them on with a pair of Simms wading socks (to simulate your wader stockingfoot). They run one size small in my experience. I normally wear a size 11 wading boot, but I take a size 12 in the River Treads. These are the most amazing boots I've ever used! They last a long time, and grip BETTER for me than studded felt. Never thought I'd like a pair of boots more than my Patagonia Beefy wading boots with studded felt, but the River Treads have them beat.

The only bad thing about the River Treads is the laces. They're junk. I replaced mine with parachute cord - problem solved.
The upper lace hooks cut right through the stock laces - they're too thick for the hooks.
 
If the LLBean store has a fly shop, it will be fairly well stocked with Bean's stuff. No tying material, really. Good place, the only place, to try Bean's stuff. Hopefully they get good, helpful, knowledgeable people in the store. That was a little tough in Virginia, where I worked. Almost no one who knew anything about flyfishing could afford to live in the DC area. Try their rods. You should be pleasantly surprised.

Syl
 
Heritage_

The river treds are what I had in mind to buy, though I was going to check out the west branch shoes also, which look pretty nice in the catalog. thanks for the tip

I went out to the store for the grand opening yesterday morning at 9 am - getting there around 8:15.
They were giving out gift cards to the first 500 customers - and there were already at least 500 people in line, on a cold snowy morning. Some of the people in the front of the line had camped out all night there. I couldn't believe it
And Tom Ference - formerly of International Angler - was casting a fly rod on the road in front of the place - in all that wind and snow - before the store was even open! Pretty bizarre scene.
I didn't hang around very long.
I'll go back another time when it's less hectic
 
Stopped in last night...I was pretty disappointed. They had basics...thier line of rods, reels, waders, and boots along with some fly lines and tippets, one case of Upmqua flies, and 1 fixture of accessories. No tying supplies except a beginners kit. Thier profit is coming from the clothes at this location. It was overall smaller than I thought it would be. They had some outdoor equipment, but like the fishing, it was just the basics... it was kind of a skeleton store.
The good thing was that I got to talk to Tom Ferrence. I told him that I missed his level of customer service when I go to International Angler. He said he was glad to hear that...that he was in it for the love of FF rather than money. He stated that several other people told him the same thing in just the few days since Bean opened. Good guy...wish him well.
 
I've always thought that it's kinda odd that they don't carry fly tying materiels also - even in their catalog.

It was nice to see Tom Ference again - an old friend.
I bought my first fly rod off of him when his shop was just a little hole in the wall - many years ago.
I guess he's probably running the fly fishing dept for the new store now? They couldn't have gotten anyone more qualified IMO
 
You have to sell a lot of fly tying materials to make money.
Think of the overhead - each "package" - 1/2 to 3/4 is cost, then there is labor, and considering that each package is usually a couple bucks, most fly shops make little money off tying.

Take for instance Jonas, he only carries the basics, because he doesn't profit (it probably doesn't hurt that his customers buy flies)
However, Hille's has a huge tying selection because customers there tie there own.
 
The one in Bethlehem runs a weekly fly tying class, and as a free service as part of its outdoor discovery school.
 
A new LL Bean store is being built in Chester County in the Great Valley area just off 202. The sign says "coming the fall of 2009".

Hard to tell how big the store will be, but hopefully they'll learn their lesson and build it large, especially since it's near the busy shopping area near K of P.
 
They have the same Outdoor Discovery Programs advertised for the Pittsburgh Store, but not sure if they offer a tying class.

To those that referenced the gentleman running the store...did he mention any of that to you?
 
jaybo41 wrote:
They have the same Outdoor Discovery Programs advertised for the Pittsburgh Store, but not sure if they offer a tying class.

To those that referenced the gentleman running the store...did he mention any of that to you?
Click to expand...

No, Tom didn't say that, and I didn't ask. He was putting on a casting demonstration, and I only talked to him briefly. I was actually asking that question - David likely talked to him more than me. Sorry for alluding to something that might not be true
 
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