Retail Marketing & Store Experience Intern

At L.L.Bean, we believe the outdoors brings out the best in all of us. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging and creating safe, inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome—both here and Outside. We value individual differences and are dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment where everyone can bring the best of their experience and talents and truly thrive.

A summer internship at L.L.Bean is an introduction to our company that provides an opportunity for the right individual to contribute to moving the business forward and to gain exposure to key areas of the organization. Interns supporting the Retail Marketing & Store Experience team will assume some various project roles and responsibilities to our 75+ retail stores (and growing!) including our Flagship Freeport store, while working on current business opportunities cross-functionally that directly benefit L.L.Bean. Internship periods are typically 9 weeks in duration, beginning June 1, 2027 and ending July 30, 2027. This is a 32-36 hour/week role.

This is an in-office role based at our Freeport, Maine headquarters, with an expectation of being onsite at least 4 days per week, Monday - Thursday.

Retail Marketing & Store Experience Internship – Home Office Role, Freeport Maine HQ 

The Summer Retail Marketing Intern will work alongside the LLB marketing and store experience team, supporting the Senior Manager of Store Experience & Visual Merchandising, the Manager of Store Experience & Marketing, and the entire Retail Events team.  This role supports our retail stores across the country to ensure best-in-class store experiences, planning and executing flawless Grand Openings & Re-Openings, as well as innovative and engaging in-store activations.  This team’s goal is to bring the L.L.Bean brand to life in stores through compelling & engaging events that promote a positive customer experience and maximize company sales growth and profitability.  This team works hard to plan, communicate, direct and evaluate a robust marketing & events calendar in support of driving traffic & maximizing sales in our stores.     

The Summer Retail Marketing & Store Experience Internship will include a designated project that will be a combination of the interns’ interests, field of study and future career goals, while fulfilling a need for solution in the retail marketing organization.  Compelling presentation skills required, as project results will be presented and defended to Senior Leadership at the end of the summer. 

Responsibilities: 

• Learn and shadow all levels of the Retail Marketing & Store Experience Team

• Assist with planning, execution & after-action reviews for Retail Store Events; demonstrate a bias for innovation & a sales/brand obsession

• Attend/facilitate Retail Events as appropriate

• Prep for & participate in departmental & cross functional meetings

• Assist in/drive analysis of Retail Events

• Hybrid work opportunity with potential to work in HQ, the Flagship Campus and in regional locations

• Support of process improvement and daily support of store issues

• Provide Retail Home Office administrative support such as file management, meeting preparations, and communications 

• Demonstrate leadership that promotes L.L.Bean’s core values, brand, culture and mission  

• Assist with inspiring brand presentations through thoughtful marketing efforts  

• Demonstrate problem solving, analytical and critical thinking skills in a fast-paced and dynamic retail environment through action planning and execution to meet service and sales goals  

• Deliver legendary world-class customer service  

• Assume additional responsibilities as assigned.  

Qualifications:   

• Must be currently enrolled in a 4-year college or university degree program with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 

• An interest, passion or experience in retail, marketing, merchandising, or a related field... and desire/curiosity for pursuit of career in the outdoor apparel and gear industry 

• Must have reliable transportation for the duration of the internship, as this is not a remote role and requires one to be in our Freeport Maine HQ 4 days/week 

• Must be able to find personal housing accommodations within a commutable distance to Freeport, ME (housing leads and referrals will be provided)  

• Previous experience in retail stores, and understanding of how a store operates  

• Work a variable schedule that may include nights or weekends 

• Prior retail or service experience required 

• Passion for the outdoors and L.L.Bean’s core activities  

• Have proven leadership skills, with the ability to develop and motivate others  

• Capability to build strong partnerships and to work collaboratively to achieve goals  

• Demonstrated problem solving and critical thinking skills  

• Ability to maintain a high level of enthusiasm, motivation and a positive attitude  

• Established time management and organization skills  

• Demonstrated interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills   

• Some previous customer service experience required (retail, restaurant, hospitality, etc.)  

• Strong business acumen with the ability to achieve sales and service goals  

• Ability to work a flexible schedule to support retail if needed   

• Self-starter with strong ability to multi-task 

• Attention to detail and highly collaborative 

• Ability to travel to new store opening events as needed, which may include working occasional early or late shifts, remaining on your feet for extended periods, and occasionally lifting and moving items weighing up to 40 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Housing Stipend Eligibility: Interns who do not have access to housing within 50 miles of the Freeport Headquarters may be eligible to receive a housing stipend to help relieve travel or living costs for the summer. All requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to confirm eligibility and individual circumstances.

Health and Safety Requirement: Ensures compliance with the L.L.Bean Comprehensive Health and Safety program by knowing and following all safety guidelines, policies, procedures and expectations.  Take immediate and appropriate action to rectify any unsafe conditions.   

L.L.Bean is for everyone. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging, creating safe, inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome - here and in the outdoors.

L.L.Bean uses a market-based compensation approach. The anticipated starting base pay for this position is $20 - $22 /hour. Individual compensation may vary based on factors such as a candidate’s experience, qualifications, education, geographic location, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role.

If you care about the outdoors, joining L.L.Bean is a great way to feel good about what you do. Our benefits package makes a good thing even better, with programs and perks designed to support your health and financial goals. Plus, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and re-charging outside are all part of the plan.

If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you'd be great at this role, we'd love to learn more about you!   At L.L.Bean, we believe the outdoors brings out the best in all of us.  We strive to reflect this every day in our commitments to employees and partners and in our efforts to promote belonging.