Bath & Body Works Inc. (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) has announced plans for six Canadian stores to open this fall. The six stores, the retailer’s first north of the border, will be at the West Edmonton Mall; Fairview Mall and Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto; Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga, Ont.; Stone Road Mall in Guelph, Ont.; and White Oaks Mall in London, Ont.
The expansion was paved by the acquisition in 2007 of La Senza Corp. (Dorval, Que.), Canada’s largest lingerie chain. “Our acquisition of La Senza . . . allows Canada to be our stepping stone into international expansion,” said Leslie Wexner, chairman and ceo of Limited Brands Inc. (Columbus, Ohio), Bath & Body Works’ parent organization.
La Senza has 326 stores in Canada. Laurence Lewin, president and co-founder of the company, added that “thanks to our years of Canadian retail experience, we understand the needs and desires of our Canadian consumers.”