Almost two years ago, L.L. Bean began to move investments from infrastructure and staffing to prospecting and advertising. The results are just now coming in

By Reported Donna Loyle

Catalog Success: How have sales been this year?

Steve Fuller: We’re having a really good fall sales season.

CS: To what do you attribute that?

Fuller: We’re seeing the results of the plan we put into action about 18 months ago. We’ve reduced the mailings to our best customers; increased our advertising and prospecting; made changes in our product line; and made some subtle improvements to our creative to make it more of an attitude and give it the Bean voice with a stronger point of view. We’re very pleased with the results of all of these initiatives.