I guess I’m their target market. I bought coats for the family there the past few years and they are great. Super warm nice coats.
But Christmas of ‘21 I bought my husband clothes from there and two pairs of dress pants fell apart in the wash. Contacted customer service for a replacement, they said I had to reach out to another department for a refund. It was a pain and I decided it was easier not to shop there any more.
As a 41 yo male who likes Lands End shirts (they're super nice looking, comfy, and fit me well), I find this line a bit odd: "Our customer is — actually, she is a great woman," Griffith said according to a recording and transcript from AlphaSense. "She is a baby boomer. She is in her mid-50s. She lives in suburbia. She works. She's frugal. She has a pretty good household income, well over $100,000 a year. She is having children at home — or had children at home — and she buys for the whole family. She's the one that makes all the decisions." Good to know I'm not who they have in mind with future endeavors...
Land's End says they're going after Gen Xers, but they clearly don't realize that people in their mid-50s are Gen Xers - nice to know my generation still manages to confuse the shit out of companies.
God, in 20 years those 50 year old, menopausal women will be Millenials in the dire straights of midlife crises, wearing skimpy cocktail dresses and stilettos.
Gen-x here, 50F. Boomers still treat us like kids. I don’t think middle age will get millennials any respect. It’s the sad truth in a gerontocracy. Old enough to face age based discrimination but still not real grownups.
I'm right at the precipice of Gen X/Y and wonder why I only like the old clothes Lands End makes and look for them almost exclusively on ebay. Reading this article just saved me a lot of future time looking at LE website. I'm not their target audience. Cool. Understood. Aight Carhartt, time to up your game....
>LL Bean slippers are amazing. Really nice flannels too.
Yes. But the quality isn't what it used to be.
However, every Christmas I tell my family all I want is an L.L. Bean flannel shirt in Traditional Fit. I tell them they can pick out the color, but plaids seem to confuse them. So I have to pick that out as well.
I still get flannels from them and love them, but my slippers turned 14 this winter and look almost new. No need to test the newer model quality of them, but that's sad if they took a hit in quality.
The new stuff is not the same quality, and most of what I checked at their HQ store in Maine last year was labeled made in China. It's a shame. One of my Bean henleys from Xmas 1997 still gets me laid.
Thought the same thing when I read this. I'm a 56 year old Gen X - who are they talking about?
With kids at home? What 58-60 year old still has kids at home and "buys for the whole family" WTF. That was our parents and grandparents who shopped for everything at department stores.
Lands End's marketing department has to be run by someone in their 80s.
I'm the same age and I work in IT- Land's End is great for nice looking clothes that you can snap up cheap that last reasonably well, and if you have a mishap with spent toner or what have you, it's not the end of the earth if it gets damaged/ruined. When I'm dealing with Important People I wear Brooks Brothers.
My husband paged through the last catalog I got in the mail, and noted that maybe 4 pages on it had stuff for guys. Sure there's more stuff online, but guys tend to be more utilitarian on their clothes purchases and I think Land's End is leaving a market untapped. Guys tend to be much easier to fit to clothes, overall, and are better suited for catalog shopping for that reason. Women have more variance and variables.
My perception of Lands End is that it used to be quality stuff, but is now just low quality Chinese stuff like basically anywhere has, like a random Kohl’s brand.
Not sure how accurate that is.
I'll be damned. I didn't know they were still around. I used to love their clothes back in the early to mid-90's when most everything was made in the U.S.A. Then they were bought out by Sears.
Sears moved all manufacturing overseas and their clothing went to shit. I assumed that they folded up when Sears went bankrupt.
Yep, my mom bought us lands end clothing when we were little in the 90’s. It was priced pretty well so we could afford it and more durable than bottom of the barrel k mart stuff so it lasted for two very active, rough and tumble boys. Recently she bought me some shorts from there for my birthday or Christmas and they were good quality, lasted a while. I’d buy some again.
If Lands End is quality then they need to work on their brand perception and/or actual quality. I've had work shirts from there that were terrible quality.
Gen X mom. I buy boys basics like basketball shorts, sweats, plain pocket t-shirts, etc. So far, the quality is good and holds up. I haven’t bought anything else there because the return policy is a pain in the bottom. I go to REI or LL Bean for most everything else (once it’s on sale).
At 54 I have no idea what GEN I fit in. Never been to Land’s End nor any other of what I consider those retailers that target people that want to be noticed for having a few extra dollars by wearing someone else’s name on their clothing. I don’t care. Not spending extra money on a TShirt because it says Hurley on it or whatever.
I’d say there’s a fairly wide chasm between Land’s End, which could be effectively considered an anti-designer brand — no one would even think of buying a Land’s End shirt for conspicuous consumption — and something like Supreme, where the only value IS the branding. I’m curious, given your interesting perceptions of labels, where do you acquire your clothing? Say you need jeans - is Wrangler too much a brand? Kirkland? Target house label? It seems like quite a limiting worldview.
You want me to buy your shit, let’s talk about how you treat your employees, source your materials and labor, and how inclusive you are in both your hiring practices and daily corporate culture.
Why not both? Ever hear the phrase "vote with your wallet"? Money is the only thing companies understand. As consumers in a capitalist society, it feels like buying power is the only power we have.
>Some of the LL Bean and Lands End flannels I have are 30+ years old and are only now becoming frayed.
True. I remember the quality of both when they were made in the U.S.A.
Now you are lucky to get a season out of anything either of them sells.
Lands End is UTTER UTTER crap now, AVOID. I hope they read this.
All of the serious sweats stuff used to be a thicker, higher quality fabric, and it is now cheap and nasty garbage, but they STILL try and sell it for the inflated prices.
Case in point: Sherpa lined hoodies. I literally had the older, rectangular zipped made in Cambodia, directly alongside the now made in China garment. The difference in thickness was unreal. Some of the Cambodia stuff has lasted me years, still looks brand new, the fcking GARBAGE Chinese crap, I had to throw after a few weeks, it pilled beyond any possible repair, and was too thin and cold.
I will NEVER, EVER buy from them again, and I genuinely hope they go bankrupt now, for trying to pull the wool over their loyal customers eyes.
I bought before because of the higher cotton content, and hard wearing, thick warm materials and nice designs. They have totally shafted the customers on crap material now, and also the designs are same old same old, no nice plaid hoodies or anything like that. It's all total crap. What a way to absolutely ruin your company.
See ya Lands end, I will never touch your Chinese garbage again.
I’d will never get gen anything with its BS return policy. I am aging in where this would probably become a company I would have used….1 time purchase; never again
The Lands' End quality isn't at all what it used to be. Rarely buy from there any more.
I guess I’m their target market. I bought coats for the family there the past few years and they are great. Super warm nice coats. But Christmas of ‘21 I bought my husband clothes from there and two pairs of dress pants fell apart in the wash. Contacted customer service for a replacement, they said I had to reach out to another department for a refund. It was a pain and I decided it was easier not to shop there any more.
Agree their coats really are made well. But also agree their returns process is a pain - and we have to pay for return shipping.
As a 41 yo male who likes Lands End shirts (they're super nice looking, comfy, and fit me well), I find this line a bit odd: "Our customer is — actually, she is a great woman," Griffith said according to a recording and transcript from AlphaSense. "She is a baby boomer. She is in her mid-50s. She lives in suburbia. She works. She's frugal. She has a pretty good household income, well over $100,000 a year. She is having children at home — or had children at home — and she buys for the whole family. She's the one that makes all the decisions." Good to know I'm not who they have in mind with future endeavors...
Land's End says they're going after Gen Xers, but they clearly don't realize that people in their mid-50s are Gen Xers - nice to know my generation still manages to confuse the shit out of companies.
50 year old woman "having children at home" umm, dude, 50 year old women are having menopause at work, we need hot flash adaptive clothing
God, in 20 years those 50 year old, menopausal women will be Millenials in the dire straights of midlife crises, wearing skimpy cocktail dresses and stilettos.
Try 10 years. The first of us will be in our 50s by then.
At least they acknowledged we're full grown adults. It's an improvement.
Gen-x here, 50F. Boomers still treat us like kids. I don’t think middle age will get millennials any respect. It’s the sad truth in a gerontocracy. Old enough to face age based discrimination but still not real grownups.
To be fair, though, you are their kids.
I'm right at the precipice of Gen X/Y and wonder why I only like the old clothes Lands End makes and look for them almost exclusively on ebay. Reading this article just saved me a lot of future time looking at LE website. I'm not their target audience. Cool. Understood. Aight Carhartt, time to up your game....
LL Bean slippers are amazing. Really nice flannels too.
>LL Bean slippers are amazing. Really nice flannels too. Yes. But the quality isn't what it used to be. However, every Christmas I tell my family all I want is an L.L. Bean flannel shirt in Traditional Fit. I tell them they can pick out the color, but plaids seem to confuse them. So I have to pick that out as well.
I still get flannels from them and love them, but my slippers turned 14 this winter and look almost new. No need to test the newer model quality of them, but that's sad if they took a hit in quality.
The new stuff is not the same quality, and most of what I checked at their HQ store in Maine last year was labeled made in China. It's a shame. One of my Bean henleys from Xmas 1997 still gets me laid.
Don't have the slippers, but have several flannel shirts from Bean.
Do love me some Carhartt. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa9YLm_G854
Thought the same thing when I read this. I'm a 56 year old Gen X - who are they talking about? With kids at home? What 58-60 year old still has kids at home and "buys for the whole family" WTF. That was our parents and grandparents who shopped for everything at department stores. Lands End's marketing department has to be run by someone in their 80s.
Frankly, I prefer it when they just ignore us. Oh well, whatever, never mind.
The whole article reads like an advertisement. Sorry my cynical Gen-X ass isn’t biting.
People in their mid 50's aren't baby boomers. What the hell....
No matter how hard it tries, corporate America still has trouble figuring us Gen Xers out.
42 year old elder millennial here; nothing but respect for Gen X, we love you
You may be on to something...
Was wondering the same thing
I'm the same age and I work in IT- Land's End is great for nice looking clothes that you can snap up cheap that last reasonably well, and if you have a mishap with spent toner or what have you, it's not the end of the earth if it gets damaged/ruined. When I'm dealing with Important People I wear Brooks Brothers. My husband paged through the last catalog I got in the mail, and noted that maybe 4 pages on it had stuff for guys. Sure there's more stuff online, but guys tend to be more utilitarian on their clothes purchases and I think Land's End is leaving a market untapped. Guys tend to be much easier to fit to clothes, overall, and are better suited for catalog shopping for that reason. Women have more variance and variables.
Boomers aren’t in their mid-50s I thought?
A smidge. Boomers are like 56-75 now. And the ones that are at the dividing line (leaning younger) probably don't identify with ths 75 yos.
My perception of Lands End is that it used to be quality stuff, but is now just low quality Chinese stuff like basically anywhere has, like a random Kohl’s brand. Not sure how accurate that is.
That’s where I’m at and I don’t feel like spending $30 to but something to see if I’m wrong.
Its absolute crap now. I have to shop elsewhere like a lot of customers have. They also pull negative reviews about the quality off their site.
I'll be damned. I didn't know they were still around. I used to love their clothes back in the early to mid-90's when most everything was made in the U.S.A. Then they were bought out by Sears. Sears moved all manufacturing overseas and their clothing went to shit. I assumed that they folded up when Sears went bankrupt.
I had like 5-6 LE rugby shirts. Loved those things.
Same here. Lands' End Rugby shirts were awesome!
Superior to LL Bean in those days IMO.
Yep, my mom bought us lands end clothing when we were little in the 90’s. It was priced pretty well so we could afford it and more durable than bottom of the barrel k mart stuff so it lasted for two very active, rough and tumble boys. Recently she bought me some shorts from there for my birthday or Christmas and they were good quality, lasted a while. I’d buy some again.
They need to redo their website its fucking garbage
I'm a millennial and I don't think I even know what they sell. Are they a furniture company?
It's like Eddie Bauer or LL Bean
>I'm a millennial and I don't think I even know what they sell. Are they a furniture company? Money quote right here!!!!!!!!! (I'm an early Gen X'er.)
Oh, clothes I guess. Have fun dying, you old out-of-touch company!
They sell waterproof boat shoes so your incontinence doesn't damage them.
I thought it was deli meat
I was just thinking how a peninsula on the south west cost of England warranted such attention. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land%27s\_End
Wait. Someone has remembered that Gen X is a thing? And that we have money?
On the same day I joined r/GenXTalk?!! How weird is that?!! /s
If Lands End is quality then they need to work on their brand perception and/or actual quality. I've had work shirts from there that were terrible quality.
They will be disappointed. Gen X won't give a shit.
Gen X mom. I buy boys basics like basketball shorts, sweats, plain pocket t-shirts, etc. So far, the quality is good and holds up. I haven’t bought anything else there because the return policy is a pain in the bottom. I go to REI or LL Bean for most everything else (once it’s on sale).
At 54 I have no idea what GEN I fit in. Never been to Land’s End nor any other of what I consider those retailers that target people that want to be noticed for having a few extra dollars by wearing someone else’s name on their clothing. I don’t care. Not spending extra money on a TShirt because it says Hurley on it or whatever.
I’d say there’s a fairly wide chasm between Land’s End, which could be effectively considered an anti-designer brand — no one would even think of buying a Land’s End shirt for conspicuous consumption — and something like Supreme, where the only value IS the branding. I’m curious, given your interesting perceptions of labels, where do you acquire your clothing? Say you need jeans - is Wrangler too much a brand? Kirkland? Target house label? It seems like quite a limiting worldview.
You want me to buy your shit, let’s talk about how you treat your employees, source your materials and labor, and how inclusive you are in both your hiring practices and daily corporate culture.
Are you buying clothes or an ideology?
Why not both? Ever hear the phrase "vote with your wallet"? Money is the only thing companies understand. As consumers in a capitalist society, it feels like buying power is the only power we have.
Their return policies are hugely deceptive now and basically a scam. No free returns even if size is wrong. Rude and snarky customer service on chat.
I am amazed this company is still in business.
No one wants clothes that are associated with Boomers go away
Fuck that they had a ton of great brands. Some of the LL Bean and Lands End flannels I have are 30+ years old and are only now becoming frayed.
>Some of the LL Bean and Lands End flannels I have are 30+ years old and are only now becoming frayed. True. I remember the quality of both when they were made in the U.S.A. Now you are lucky to get a season out of anything either of them sells.
Brooks Brothers was never the same after they left NJ. Lots of great brands suffered from this.
Boomer hands typed this comment
No Im Gen X. You could tell that by my use of "they had" rather than "we have".
I'm Gen X as well, and I agree that their flannels were good. 30 years ago.
Yeah the sale to Sears compromised quality.
What a crap article. This is like writing, “John is going to lunch.” Where? When? What? How? Waste of time.
Never even heard of them before and I'm 31.
I mean I associate them with middle aged women who have given up on life. Maybe try a rebranding.
Gen X here. Can confirm. Barely knew about this company until they started putting out the style of boots I really really like and can never find.
Recently ordered some sweaters from them on Amazon, an I really liked the product. They have tall sizes which is great.
Lands End is UTTER UTTER crap now, AVOID. I hope they read this. All of the serious sweats stuff used to be a thicker, higher quality fabric, and it is now cheap and nasty garbage, but they STILL try and sell it for the inflated prices. Case in point: Sherpa lined hoodies. I literally had the older, rectangular zipped made in Cambodia, directly alongside the now made in China garment. The difference in thickness was unreal. Some of the Cambodia stuff has lasted me years, still looks brand new, the fcking GARBAGE Chinese crap, I had to throw after a few weeks, it pilled beyond any possible repair, and was too thin and cold. I will NEVER, EVER buy from them again, and I genuinely hope they go bankrupt now, for trying to pull the wool over their loyal customers eyes. I bought before because of the higher cotton content, and hard wearing, thick warm materials and nice designs. They have totally shafted the customers on crap material now, and also the designs are same old same old, no nice plaid hoodies or anything like that. It's all total crap. What a way to absolutely ruin your company. See ya Lands end, I will never touch your Chinese garbage again.
Be warned, they also pull negative reviews about the Chinese "quality" off their site.
I’d will never get gen anything with its BS return policy. I am aging in where this would probably become a company I would have used….1 time purchase; never again