July 2007 | Case Studies | DC Solutions  Bean There, Returned
That  Tags: Warehousing  A new materials handling system helps
L.L. Bean meet its 100-percent satisfaction guarantee and offer
many happy returns.  Building its business around high-quality
outdoor equipment and clothing, L.L. Bean's sales channels
include seven retail stores, one dozen outlet stores, the
Internet, and its nearly 100-year-old catalog.  But it's not
just the product that Bean built its reputation on—it's also the
retailer's 100-percent satisfaction guarantee.  The roots of
that guarantee trace back to 1912, when Leon Leonwood Bean
designed the Maine hunting shoe and advertised its benefits to
hunters by distributing a three-page flyer. While Bean quickly
sold 100 pairs of shoes, the majority of customers returned them
when the rubber bottoms separated from the leather tops.
Determined to make his customers happy, Bean refunded their
money, fixed the problem, and forged ahead. The rest, as they
say, is history.  Today, L.L. Bean con