Feb. 27, 2008 - When L.L. Bean opens its new Chicago store this September - its first location outside the Northeast and its seventh to be LEED-certified - the outdoor clothing company has its work cut out. Even retailers with a track record for environmental leadership are struggling to differentiate themselves in a market already saturated with green-store initiatives, Cathy L. Hartman, a professor of marketing at Utah State University, Logan, tells MediaPost.

"When you make an environmental improvement, you need to explain to consumers how it will benefit them," says Hartman. "Maybe it will save them money, by offering higher mileage, or offer health and safety advantages. Maybe it's symbolism. [But] there has to be some way to connect the green product - in this case, the store - to some solid measure of customer satisfaction."

Hartman suggests that retailers take their case directly to shoppers. "Why not put up signs that say, 'Breathe easier - our buildings are environmentally safer'? We know people are more productive when they work in green buildings - why not explain that to the consumers?"

L.L. Bean, for its part, says its nature-loving consumer base already understands the value of greener buildings. "We have a very vocal and honest consumer group, and they do express concerns, and give us accolades," says an L.L. Bean spokesperson. "The feedback we've gotten from our green buildings is 'Great move, this is perfect.'"