Bath & Body Works

Last updated
Bath and Body Works, LLC.
Company type Subsidiary
IndustryRetail
Founded1990;34 years ago (1990)
New Albany, Ohio, U.S.
Headquarters Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Number of locations
1,710 [1]  (2023)
ProductsBath, lotions, fragrance, sanitary items, and candles
Parent Bath & Body Works, Inc.
Website www.bathandbodyworks.com
A Vintage Bath & Body Works store similar to the first locations opened. Shenango Valley Mall VINTAGE Bath & Body Works; Shenango Valley Mall; Hermitage PA.jpg
A Vintage Bath & Body Works store similar to the first locations opened. Shenango Valley Mall

Bath & Body Works, LLC. is an American retail store chain that sells soaps, lotions, fragrances, and candles. It was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio and has since expanded across six continents. [2] In 1997, it became the largest bath shop chain in the United States. [3]

Contents

History

Bath & Body Works was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio as the beauty line for Express, Inc. [4] The company's first store opened in a Cambridge, Massachusetts mall in September 1990. [5] In 1991, the Body Shop sued Bath & Body Works, resulting in Bath & Body Works rebranding itself. The brand created a mascot named Kate who serves as a founding figure, with the store layout being modeled as her country house. [6] In 1997, a secondary brand known as Bath & Body Works at Home was launched. [3] Two years later, the company launched the White Barn Candle Company, a division specializing in the sale of scented candles. [7]

A Bath & Body Works at the Rushmore Mall in Rapid City, South Dakota Bath & Body Works in Rapid City, South Dakota.jpg
A Bath & Body Works at the Rushmore Mall in Rapid City, South Dakota

Bath & Body Works launched both a seasonal catalog and a website in 2006. In November 2006, the company launched its first television commercial advertisement. [8] Net sales as of January 28, 2006 were $2.3 billion, significantly higher than all other L Brands companies other than Victoria's Secret. [9]

In July 2008, the company announced that it was opening six locations in Canada. With the company acquiring Canadian-based La Senza, they felt it was the opportunity to move into a growing Canadian market, with The Body Shop being its main competition. [10] [11]

Bath & Body Works operates more than 1,900 stores. [12] In October 2010, it opened its first stores outside of North America in Kuwait, by the franchise giant M. H. Alshaya Co. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nordstrom</span> American luxury department store chain

Nordstrom, Inc. is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in 1901. The original Wallin & Nordstrom store operated exclusively as a shoe store, and a second Nordstrom's shoe store opened in 1923. The growing Nordstrom Best chain began selling clothing in 1963, and became the Nordstrom full-line retailer that presently exists by 1971. The company founded its off-price Nordstrom Rack division in 1973, and grew both full-line and off-price divisions throughout the United States in the following years. The full-line division competes with department stores including Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue, while the off-price division competes with retailers including the TJX Companies and Ross Stores. Previous expansions beyond the contiguous United States include Puerto Rico (2015–2020) and Canada (2014–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin Megastores</span> British entertainment retail chain

Virgin Megastores is an international entertainment retailing chain, founded in early 1976 by Richard Branson as a record shop on London's Oxford Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debenhams</span> Defunct British department store chain, 1778–2021

Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland, and is still operating as a franchise in seven Middle East countries. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish department store chain Magasin du Nord. In its final years, its headquarters were within the premises of its flagship store in Oxford Street, London. The range of goods sold included middle-to-high-end clothing, beauty, household items, and furniture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath & Body Works, Inc.</span> American retail company

Bath & Body Works, Inc. is an American specialty retail company based in Columbus, Ohio. It owns Bath & Body Works, posted $11.9 billion in revenue in 2021, and was listed as 248 on the 2020 Fortune 500 list of largest United States companies by revenue.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer headquartered at SouthSide Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company that also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear. The Silvermans sold their ownership interests in 1991 to Jacob Price of Knoxville, Tennessee. American Eagle Outfitters is the parent company of Aerie and Todd Snyder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkdale Shopping Centre</span> Shopping mall in North York, Toronto

Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Yorkdale Mall, or simply Yorkdale, is a major retail shopping centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located at the southwest corner of the interchange between Highway 401 and Allen Road, it opened in 1964 as the largest enclosed shopping mall in the world. Yorkdale is currently the third largest shopping mall in Canada by floor space and has the highest sales per unit area of any mall in Canada, with current merchandise sales levels at roughly CA$1,905 per square foot. At 18 million annual visitors, it is one of the country's busiest malls. Many international retailers have ventured the Canadian market initially at Yorkdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Body Shop</span> International cosmetics, skin care company

The Body Shop International Limited, trading as the Body Shop, is a British cosmetics, skin care, and perfume company founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick. In 2017, it stated that its products were sold in about 3,000 stores, some company-owned and others franchised, in 66 countries.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is an American publicly traded consumer retail company that sells kitchenware and home furnishings. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States. The company has 625 brick and mortar stores and distributes to more than 60 countries, with brands including Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm, Mark and Graham, and Rejuvenation. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. also operates through eight corresponding websites and a gift registry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sephora</span> French cosmetics retailer

Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products with nearly 340 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, and includes beauty products such as cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, nail color, beauty tools, body lotions, and haircare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes Crossing Outlets</span> An enclosed shopping mall in the city of Auburn Hills, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit

Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, formerly Great Lakes Crossing, is a shopping mall in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The site of the mall was originally to have been occupied by a different mall called Auburn Mills, which was never built due to financial issues of its intended developer, Western Development Corporation. Great Lakes Crossing was built on the site and opened in 1998. Constructed and owned by Taubman Centers, Great Lakes Crossing Outlets is the largest outlet mall in the state of Michigan. It features 185 stores, with anchor stores including Burlington, Bass Pro Shops, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls; other notable attractions include a 1,000-seat food court, a 25-screen AMC Star movie theater, Round1, Legoland Discovery Center, and Sea Life Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawgrass Mills</span> Shopping mall in Florida, United States

Sawgrass Mills is a shopping mall in Sunrise, Florida, owned by Simon Property Group. With 2,370,610 square feet (220,237 m2) of retail selling space, it is the eleventh largest mall in the United States, the largest single story outlet mall in the U.S., the largest shopping mall in Broward County, the second largest mall in Florida and the Miami metropolitan area after the Aventura Mall, and the third largest shopping mall in the southeastern United States. With over 21 million annual visitors, Sawgrass Mills is one of the most visited attractions in the state of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilton Mall</span> Shopping mall in New York, United States

Wilton Mall is a regional shopping center, located off Interstate 87 exit 15 in the town of Wilton, directly north of Saratoga Springs, New York. The mall features anchor stores such as JCPenney, Dick's Sporting Goods, HomeGoods, in addition to a Healthy Living Market as well as a Planet Fitness. The mall features several additional prominent specialty retailers such as American Eagle, Bath and Body Works, Ulta Beauty, Francesca's, Old Navy, Maurices, Yankee Candle, Shoe Dept., Talbot's, and Zumiez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronado Center</span> Shopping mall in New Mexico, United States

Coronado Center is a shopping mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Built in 1965 by the Homart Development Company, a defunct real-estate division of the department store Sears, the mall has undergone several renovations and expansions in its history which have led to it becoming the largest building by area in New Mexico. Its anchor stores include Macy's, J. C. Penney, Dick's Sporting Goods, Round One Entertainment, with two vacancies formerly occupied by Sears and Kohl's. Other major tenants include Barnes & Noble, H&M, Forever 21, The Container Store, The Cheesecake Factory, and Boot Barn. The mall features over 130 stores, including a food court, and is managed by Brookfield Properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogen Früz</span>

Yogen Früz is a Canadian chain of frozen yogurt and smoothie stores that also serves healthy alternative food products. The chain is run through company-owned, franchised, and non-traditional partnerships. The chain operates worldwide and has been rated one of the top 500 franchises for over 20 years. The global headquarters is in Markham, Ontario in the Greater Toronto Area of Canada.

La Senza Corporation is a Canadian fashion retailer that sells women's lingerie and intimate apparel. The La Senza brand is currently owned by Regent which operates and owns La Senza stores in Canada and the United States and uses a franchise model for the operation of stores outside Canada and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Face Shop</span>

The Face Shop (Korean: 더페이스샵) is a South Korea–based skincare and cosmetics manufacturer, retailer and a franchise business. It is a subsidiary of LG Household & Health Care of LG Corporation. Its products includes body, bath, skin care and make-up aimed at both women and men. Its headquarters is in the LG Gwanghwamun Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria's Secret</span> American lingerie and cosmetics retailer

Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer. Founded in 1977 by Roy and Gaye Raymond, the company's five lingerie stores were sold to Les Wexner in 1982. Wexner rapidly expanded into American shopping malls, growing the company into 350 stores nationally with sales of $1 billion by the early 1990s when Victoria's Secret became the largest lingerie retailer in the United States.

The Oakway Center is a shopping center in Eugene, Oregon. It is one of the three shopping malls in the area. The annual sales are $1 to 2.5 million. Oakway Center is anchored by Bed Bath and Beyond, Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy, and Trader Joe's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alshaya Group</span> Kuwaiti company

Alshaya Group is a multinational retail franchise operator headquartered in Kuwait. It operates nearly 70 consumer retail brands across the Middle East and North Africa, Turkey, and Europe. In addition to its retail operations, the Alshaya Group has holdings in real estate, construction, hotels, automotive and general trading, largely centered in the Middle East.

Wicks 'N' Sticks, often written as Wicks n' Sticks, was a chain of mall-based candle and later home decor stores in the United States.

References

  1. "Number of Bath & Body Works locations in the USA in 2023".
  2. Global Locations. Bath & Body Works Website. Retrieved on 2019-11-19.
  3. 1 2 "Bath & Body Works: 'The McDonald's of Toiletries'". BusinessWeek . 4 August 1997. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  4. Yannetta, Tiffany (2014-12-03). "How Bath & Body Works Became America's Biggest Mall Beauty Brand". Racked. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  5. Yannetta, Tiffany (December 3, 2014). "How Bath & Body Works Became America's Biggest Mall Beauty Brand". Racked.
  6. Shapiro, Eben (1991-10-19). "The Sincerest Form of Rivalry". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  7. "Intimate Brands Inc. starts candle store". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 10, 1999. p. C7. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  8. Elleview.com Archived 2009-05-10 at the Wayback Machine . Elleview.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-26.
  9. "Limited brands 2005 Annual Report" (PDF). annualreports.com. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  10. The Canadian Press. "Bath & Body Works takes plunge into Canada". CBC.ca . July 10, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  11. Mah, Bill. "Body Shop aims to boost its green cred" Archived May 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , The Edmonton Journal . August 8, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  12. "Bath and Body Works Franchise Information". Home-business-expo.com. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
  13. Kowitt, Beth (February 12, 2013). "M. H. Alshaya: The mystery company importing Americana to the Mideast". Fortune . Retrieved April 8, 2020.