FAQ - International

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• 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. The only franchise partner opportunities we are currently evaluating are for our La Senza brand, which has international franchise locations and stores operated by international licensees. For La Senza, please email your request directly to International@LaSenza.com.
  

• 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. At present, select Victoria’s Secret Beauty and Bath and Body Works products are available at select duty-free locations around the world. Victoria’s Secret beauty and Victoria’s Secret-branded accessories are also available through the travel and tourism concept stores.

• What is the travel and tourism concept?

  Travel and tourism is a retail model we’ve used with our Victoria’s Secret brand. The shops are typically 1,000 square foot stores focused on Victoria’s Secret beauty and Victoria’s Secret-branded accessories. These stores are operated by partners under a wholesale agreement. They are mainly located in major airports and tourist destinations.

• What is Limited Brands Canada – what will it do?

  This company will be responsible for all Canadian operations and will support all Limited Brands retail store concepts in Canada, including La Senza, Bath and Body Works, Victoria’s Secret Pink, and the Victoria’s Secret lingerie stores (expected to open this year). We believe having one team dedicated to the execution and delivery of all brands in Canada will ensure efficiency and create leverage and scale in functions like distribution and marketing production as we continue to grow.

• 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 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:

  • Grow the La Senza business in Canada and internationally.
  • Continue to expand our brands in Canada.
  • Expand our travel and tourism concept stores.
  • Pilot the franchise model, starting with our least complex business (Bath and Body Works).
  • Keep strategic markets in focus, but don’t rush in.
  • Continue to be knowledgeable about the options to build Victoria’s Secret Direct International in the future.

• Where do you currently operate stores outside the U.S., and what’s on the horizon for 2010 international store openings?

  In Canada:

  • We ended 2009 with 256 stores La Senza stores, 31 Bath and Body Works stores and four Pink stores.
  • In 2010, we plan to open four Victoria’s Secret Stores, five additional Pink stores and 30 to 35 additional Bath and Body Works stores.

  Outside North America:

  • We ended 2009 with seven travel and tourism concept stores, located primarily in airports and tourist destinations.
  • We plan to open an additional 10 to 15 stores in this travel and tourism format in 2010.
  • La Senza products are sold through franchised stores in 40 other countries.
  •  In May 2010 the company also announced its intent to open Bath and Body Works stores in the Middle East market in partnership with M. H. Alshaya

  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.

   

Limited Brands, Inc. World Headquarters

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Columbus, OH 43230

614-415-7000