In the age of AI, L.L. Bean is betting big on brick-and-mortar shopping

When you walk into L.L. Bean's newly renovated flagship, the first sight that greets you is not the brand's latest fishing gear or outdoor apparel. Instead, it's an impressive array of aquariums filled with native Maine trout. Instructors from the company's nearby outdoor education center conduct live fly-fishing demonstrations.

As you ascend the grand staircase, a pond exhibit with acrylic viewing ports invites both children and adults to get eye-to-eye with a trout. L.L. Bean's CEO, Greg Elder, takes reporters on a tour of this grand new location, describing it as a "one-of-a-kind, must-visit retail destination." The 160,000-square-foot store in Freeport, Maine, is nearly as large as three football fields and serves as both an amusement park and an experiential destination.

This $50 million investment signals that L.L. Bean believes the future of retail isn't just about browsing online but about creating an exciting, in-person experience. Despite the rise of artificial intelligence, the company believes customers will flock to this low-tech destination. Even before the renovation, the Freeport store brought in around 4 million visitors annually, turning the town into Maine's second most-visited tourist attraction after Acadia National Park.

With nearly 60 stores across 22 states, L.L. Bean remains a family-owned, private company with an estimated annual revenue of $1.7 billion and around 5,700 employees.