Consumers in Japan Can’t Get Enough L.L. Bean Tote Bags

For a retail business, huge demand during the holidays isn’t bad news. But for L.L. Bean, overwhelming demand in the U.S. for its signature Bean Boots is being compounded by a huge surge in demand for its signature Boat and Tote bags from Japan.

The company is expecting orders for a little more than 600,000 bags this year compared to 450,000 last year, according to L.L. Bean spokeswoman Carolyn Beem.

L.L. Bean's chief marketing officer Steve Fuller said the majority of Boat and Tote orders are coming from Japan, where he said the bags are “one of the hot fashion items."