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
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and has since expanded across six continents. In 1997, it became the largest bath shop chain in the United States.
History
Bath & Body Works was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio as the beauty line for
Express, Inc. The company's first store opened in a
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
mall in September 1990. In 1991,
the Body Shop
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, who opened her first store in Brighton, England. The company is now based in London Bridge ...
sued Bath & Body Works, resulting in Bath & Body Works rebranding The brand created a mascot named Kate who serves as a founding figure, with the store layout being modeled as her country house. In 1997, a secondary brand known as Bath & Body Works at Home was launched.
[ Two years later, the company launched the White Barn Candle Company, a division specializing in the sale of scented candles.
Bath & Body Works launched both a seasonal catalog and a website in 2006. In November 2006, the company launched its first television commercial advertisement. Net sales as of January 28, 2006 were $2.3 billion, significantly higher than all other L Brands companies other than ]Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing and beauty products, beauty retailer. Founded in 1977 by a Stanford graduate student and his wife, Roy Raymond, Roy and Gaye Raymond, the company's five lingerie stores were sold to Les Wexner i ...
.
In July 2008, the company announced that it was opening six locations in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. 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
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, who opened her first store in Brighton, England. The company is now based in London Bridge ...
being its main competition.
Bath & Body Works operates more than 1,900 stores. In October 2010, it opened its first stores outside of North America in Kuwait
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
, by the franchise giant M. H. Alshaya Co.
References
External links
Bath & Body Works website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bath and Body Works
Retail companies of the United States
Companies based in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area
Retail companies established in 1990
1990 establishments in Ohio
American corporate subsidiaries