Bean Brings on the Value

Everybody's on a Budget These Days, but L.L. Bean wants you to know you don't have to choose between price and quality. That's why the outdoor apparel, gifts and home goods merchant is promoting “Bean Values.” In a recent catalog, a letter from president/CEO Chris McCormick notes that Bean Value items — many of which are customer favorites — haven't gone up in price in years, and in some cases have actually gone down. “We've never played games with prices — in good times or bad,” he said. Well, these are certainly bad times, so Bean's value proposition should resonate with shoppers.