Chico’s Expanding to Foreign Markets

Chico’s FAS Inc. (Fort Myers, Fla.) said it will have its first international store by the spring, in Mexico, and be in Canada, as well, by the fall.

A store at Perisur, a mall in southern Mexico City, will be opened through a franchise agreement with El Puerto de Liverpool, S.A.B. de C.V. (Mexico City). A second freestanding unit will open in Villahermosa, in southern Mexico.

In addition, reports Women’s Wear Daily, Liverpool plans to roll out six branded Chico’s shops in its stores during the first half of the year.

WWD says the stores’ design will be based on a new prototype, a sophisticated combination of warm tones and subtle animal prints, woven entry doors, luggage details on fixtures and layers of artifacts used as props.

“Mexico is a great first foray into the international arena for the Chico’s brand,” said Bill Bine, Chico’s vp of international operations. “It represents an important part of the overall global expansion of Chico’s FAS.”

The retailer has also said it will launch stores in Canada by the fall. “We have a very strong Canadian base known to us through our web site,” said Chico’s president Cinny Murray. “We’re going to Toronto. The customer is there.”