FREEPORT, Maine - L.L. Bean says sales edged upward over the past year and that's enough to restore bonuses for its 5,400 eligible workers. The Maine-based company said Friday that revenue grew by 1 percent in a changing and challenging retail environment.
The board awarded performance bonuses of 5 percent for workers. Last year, there were no bonuses for the first time in a decade.
L.L. Bean is coming off several years of flat sales and belt-tightening that included a reduction in workforce, changes in its generous return policy, and a paring of product lines to refocus on the company's outdoors roots.
The company announced last year that it plans to open L.L. Bean-branded stores in Canada as part of its strategy to return to growth.