FAQ - International

Expand all Collapse all

• How can I open a franchise or establish a business partnership with one of your brands?

  In the U.S. and Canada, all of our brands are owned and operated by Limited Brands and therefore are not franchise operations. Throughout the rest of the world, we currently work with a small number of international partners to deliver our La Senza, Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works brands to customers. While we continue to develop our strategy for the international growth of our brands, we are not considering individual business proposals at this time.

   

   

   

• Do you sell your products wholesale and can I carry your brand in my shop?

  Unfortunately, we do not sell our products at wholesale for resale purposes.

• What is the beauty and accessories concept?

  Our beauty and accessories concept is a retail model we’ve used with our Victoria’s Secret brand. The stores, ranging from 600 square feet to 1,000 square feet, are owned under a wholesale agreement, and carry an assortment of Victoria's Secret Beauty products and Victoria's Secret-branded accessories. We have opened these Victoria's Secret stores in a variety of tourist destinations and major airports around the world.

• What is Limited Brands Canada?

  This company is responsible for all Canadian operations and supports all Limited Brands retail store concepts in Canada, including La Senza, Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret Pink, and the Victoria’s Secret lingerie stores (expected to open this year).

• Why have you agreed to work with a franchise operator in the Middle East?

  We have spent several years carefully researching, testing and vigorously vetting a multitude of means and locales for international growth. In the course of that purposeful work, we’ve identified the Middle East as a region we believe we can grow in and learn from with the assistance of a franchise partner, M. H. Alshaya, Co. – a reputable, highly regarded company with a proven record of successfully supporting international brand expansion.

• When will La Senza open stores in the U.S.?

  We believe the changes we’re making at La Senza will help create a great platform for growth with the La Senza brand. For now we are focused on making the brand, and our existing stores, as successful as possible.

• Will you consider a similar model to Limited Brands Canada in other countries?

  Yes, there are many operating models to consider, like the franchise model that we currently operate under for our international stores or with our partner M.H. Alshaya.

• What is your overall international strategy?

  Our international strategy focuses on several priorities:

  • Growth of La Senza
  • Expansion into Canada
  • Beauty and accessories
  • Franchise opportunities
  • Flagship stores in strategic markets
  • Building on Victoria's Secret Direct

• Where do you currently operate stores outside the U.S., and what’s on the horizon for 2011 international store openings?

  In Canada:

  • We ended 2010 with approximately 250 La Senza stores, 59 Bath and Body Works stores, four Victoria's Secret stores and eight Pink stores.
  • In 2011, we plan to open approximately eight additional Victoria’s Secret stores, one or two additional Pink stores and about 10 additional Bath and Body Works stores.

  Outside North America:

  • We ended 2010 with 18 beauty and accessories concept stores, located primarily in airports and tourist destinations.
  • We plan to open an additional 40 to 50 stores in this format in 2011.
  • La Senza products are sold through franchised stores in 40 other countries.
  •  We opened our first six Bath and Body Works stores in the Middle East under our franchise agreement with M. H. Alshaya. There is potential for approximately 20 additional stores under this partnership in 2011.
  • In 2010, we announced plans to open a Victoria's Secret store on New Bond Street in London in 2012.

  In addition, Victoria’s Secret Direct (web and catalogue) sells to customers in about 80 countries, and our Victoria’s Secret Beauty products are sold in 23 countries through duty free shops.