Retailer (LL Bean) giving employee bonuses after 9 percent sales increase

[MaineDem]

FREEPORT, Maine — Outdoor goods outfitter L.L. Bean plans to give bonuses to its employees based on their annual pay after a 9 percent increase in sales last year lifted annual sales to a record level.

The Freeport-based retailer said 4,700 employees will get bonuses totaling 12.5 percent of their annual pay after the company reported sales last year of $1.4 billion.

For an average customer-service or sales representative, the bonus amounts to about $3,300, said Rich Donaldson, Bean´s spokesman. Another 5,600 seasonal workers will get $150 cash awards. The bonuses will be paid on March 25.

http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D88M6J3O1-65.shtml

[98geoduck]

1. I guess it's cheaper to invest in winter coats than heat your house.

[LynneSin]

2. They should show profits - I love their outlet store

Half my wardrobe is LL Bean

[MaineDem]

5. They have a fabulous sale once a season

It's a warehouse sale...literally. I just bought 2 pairs of slacks (one a pair of flannel lined chinos), a skirt, a bathing suit, a bathing suit cover-up, and a turtleneck for $35! The bathing suit itself is in the latest catalog for $65.

My sister worked for them over Christmas in the embroidery dept. She worked part-time and will get a bonus!

The only negative I have is that there are only two of their items that are made in Maine - the Bean boots and the canvas bags. I'm disappointed that most of their articles are made in third world countries - or Canada (I don't feel so bad about the Canadian items.)

[beam me up scottie]

13. Me too.

Their stuff lasts forever and never goes out of style.

[sam sarrha]

3. just before they send their jobs to China... its a done deal

check ;out this insider info on why the jobs go to china..

Greenspan requires Corporatons to groow ~8% anually to remain on the GOOD wallstreet listings..so how else do they acheive that than by buying up other busisness and outsourcing.. Guaranteed Fascist take over of independant busisness.

http://wwd.com/issue/article/96949 read it and weep...

==================== sorry i didnt know it was subscription==========

is has to do with Price earning ratios.. even the current destruction of our jobs will not satisfy Greenspans demandS, EVENTUALLY ALL APPARREL MANUFACTORS WILL BE OWNED BY FOUR CORPORATIONS...and maybe all retailers, it is the...CHINA SYNDROME. CANT STOP IT. FASCISM RULES, KISS YOUR JOB GOOD BYE

i will try to find out how much of it i can print and get back..got to go to work

[ticapnews]

16. LL Bean is going nowhere....

It would have been cost-effective for LL Bean to leave a long time ago, but the company chose to remain in Freeport. Ideally the distribution center would be in Ohio or Indiana. But they stay in Freeport because the company is still family-owned (although the current CEO is not a family member) and the family has an interest in keeping it here. Yes, most of their products are imported from the 3rd world, but Bean has been a very good employer for the state of Maine. I was a seasonal employee for eight years - and even qualified for the bonus (9%) one year even though I wasn't a permanent employee. It was a very pleasant surprise. :)

The person mentioned in other posts is Linda Bean, who ran for the GOP nomination for Congress about 15 years ago. She is not the CEO and has no role in actually running the company. She is LL's grand-daughter and owns about 33% of the company's stock - and yes, she accounts for the 3% of contributions Bean makes to the GOP.

The bottom line is that LL Bean is a privately owned company, held by a family with ties to Maine going back generations. And it is great for marketing these days, to be able to say they are a Maine-owned, Maine-based company that hasn't sold out and moved all its jobs overseas.

[prodigal_green]

4. that's a good way

to keep your sales staff motivated and to increase productivity. Good for them! And since their profits are up, it must be working.

[DemocracyInaction]

6. They really are and always have been a good company to

work for. Too bad the rest of the slimebags in this country don't take note. There was just one time that things got a bit hairy. It was when one of the "things" that inherited the company (was her name Linda??) was running for office as a Repub. She had had her hands in the business and was trying to really fuck it up; but thank god it got saved and now she can happily draw even more from her inheritence.

[rox63]

7. Are they a blue company?

I'd love it if they were a blue company. But at least they are showing the business world that they can take good care of their employees AND make a decent profit.

[MaineDem]

9. 97% blue

Total Spent: $15,000.00

96.67% to Democratic Party candidates
3.33% to Republican Party candidates
0% to Other candidates

http://buyblue.org/detail.php?corpId=101

[meti57b]

15. Great , 97% is blue enough! I had just switched from Landsend to LL Bean

Landsend stuff was starting to get worse, anyway, after being bought out by Sears.

[1gobluedem]

17. I second that

My wardrobe is probably 65/35 Lands End/Bean. But I'm going the other direction now, not happy with Lands End as much anymore or their recent announcement that they're shutting down their call center in Wisconsin.

[Anakin Skywalker]

24. I Know What You Mean.

I was a Land's End customer for many years (back in early 90s when their stuffs were still Made in the USA). But I noticed that the quality went down pretty soon after they outsourced and have not bought anything since.

[regnaD kciN]

23. That's curious, because...

...Linda Bean Folkers, who I believe is still one of the owners, is a real Talibornagain-type and heavy conservative donor who ran for Congress as the Republican nominee back in 1992 on a campaign platform of protecting the decent citizens of Maine from the threat of the Homosexualist Assualt On Family Values, and later sponsored a (failed) state initiative allowing employment and housing discrimination against gays and lesbians.

:puke:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. Not to be a grinch, but the operative words here are

"plans to."

I'll believe it when the employees have the dough in their hands. So far, they've had good PR for free.

[MaineDem]

14. My sister already has her check (nt)

[jaysunb]

10. The companys CEO also is

a big anti-abortion patron....she gives big big money to the right to lifers.
I think she is the daughter or grand daughter of LL Bean.

[sojourner]

12. that's the 3 point something % going to repubs

likely....

[sojourner]

11. I figured they'd show up on "buy blue"

Good for them! We should truly support businesses that behave in a responsible, reasonable manner. It isn't as though all businesses or even all corporations are evil.

[ixion]

18. LL Bean makes fantastic clothing

I'm really happy to hear that they treat their employees well...it makes me all that much happier to buy stuff from them. ;-)

[CountAllVotes]

19. I have one of their credit cards

It is great because you get free clothes from them, cashback on L.L. Bean purchases of 3% and free shipping and monogramming on their clothing.

I'm sure if you call them they can tell you about it - you accrue "L.L. Bean Bucks" they are called.

Also a small amount of cashback on the card itself (not worth using for other purchases for the most part).

:kick:

[MissMarple]

20. That reminds me, I need to order some of their stuff.

:bounce:

[dweller]

21. their wicked good slippers

are the best around. I wear mine daily, bought both my daughters a pair several years ago, and this past year bought my new SIL his pair for xmas, his welcome to the family tradition :)

get yourself a pair, you'll love them.

glad i helped a small part in the emp's bonus plan.
dp

[Ilsa]

22. I buy their stuff.

Most of what my husband wears is LLBean. Alot of what I wear is LLBean. I give LLBean as gifts quite a bit, also.

We got the MBNA/LLBean credit card. It only sees the light of day when I'm placing an order. I never carry a balance on it. But using it for my purchases gets me free shipping. And after awhile, they issue LLBean coupons for using it.

I forgot to mention, I think their customer service reps are wonderful, top-notch.