L.L. Bean will open its 1st Canadian store in Oakville

L.L. Bean is poised to open its first store in Canada.

The Maine-based retailer announced Thursday that the 13,000-square-foot (1,210-sq. meter) store will open Aug. 23 in Oakville Place, just outside of Toronto.

The company, which was founded in the United States in 1912, will expand to Canada after 107 years in business.

It announced last year that it would be looking to open stores in Canada over the next decade. It also launched a Canadian-specific website last month.

The company sees international sales as an important part of its growth.

L.L. Bean already owns 28 stores, a call centre and a distribution centre in Japan, where it has operated since 1992. But it’s doing things differently in Canada, where it partnered with Toronto-based Jaytex Group on the L.L. Bean-branded stores.