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Charming Shoppes is a specialty and plus size clothing retail holding company based in
*Fashion Bug — Fashion Bug was the chain that founded Charming Shoppes—and, for many years, was their only brand. The chain, at one point, grew to over 1200 stores nationwide. The stores sold women's fashion apparel and were located in strip shopping centers, catering to middle and lower-class segments. It offered fashion apparel and accessories in plus, misses' and junior size ranges. In June 2012, Charming Shoppes announced that Fashion Bug stores would be closing; the final stores closed in February 2013.
*Added Dimensions and The Answer — Two chains which were acquired as part of Catherine's in January, 2000. These chains operated plus-size women's stores in the Northeastern and Southeastern US and had previously been a part of Virginia Specialty Stores, which was acquired by Catherines Inc. in 1992. Charming operated the 77-store chain until 2002, and then announced it would close 80% of the locations, and convert the remaining 20% into its Catherines brand.
*Modern Woman — Modern Woman was a 125-store chain of plus-size women's clothing stores, operating primarily in strip shopping centers in the US. The chain was acquired by Charming in 1999. The stores were mostly converted to the Catherine's Brand, and the remainders to the Fashion Bug Plus brand.
*PS...Plus Sizes, Plus Savings — These stores were created by Catherines Inc. in 1980 and acquired by Charming Shoppes when they acquired Catherines Inc. in January, 2000. The stores were converted to other Charming brands.
*Monsoon and Accessorize — Opened as a joint venture between Charming Shoppes Inc. and Monsoon plc of the UK, the partnership aimed to bring the 2 successful UK brands to traditional enclosed shopping malls in the US. Approximately 10 pilot locations were opened in malls in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania in 2002. The partnership ended and the stores were shuttered in 2007.
Charming Shoppe's history and organization
Charming Shoppes
{{Ascena Retail Group Clothing retailers of the United States American companies established in 1940 Retail companies established in 1940 Retail companies disestablished in 2012 Companies based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania 1940 establishments in Pennsylvania 2012 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Ascena Retail Group
Bensalem, Pennsylvania
Bensalem Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The township borders the northeastern section of Philadelphia and includes the communities of Andalusia, Bensalem, Bridgewater, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, Flushing, Oakford, Si ...
; a suburb of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. Its subsidiaries include Lane Bryant
Lane Bryant Inc. is an American women's apparel and intimates specialty retailer focusing on plus-size clothing. The company began in 1904 with maternity designs created by Lena Himmelstein, Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin. Lane Bryant, Inc., i ...
, Cacique, Fashion Bug, and Catherines Plus. Clothes were sold from over 2300 retail stores in the United States, as well as numerous catalogs and online sites. In 2012, the company and assets were acquired by Ascena Retail Group
Ascena Retail Group, Inc., is an American retailer of women's clothing. Ascena also owns Lane Bryant clothing store brand, and is the parent company of Ann Inc., operator of Ann Taylor and Loft stores.
Chairman Emeritus Elliot Jaffe and his wife ...
.
History
Charming Shoppes was founded in 1940, it went public in 1971, and was ranked 927th on the 2012Fortune 1000
The Fortune 1000 are the 1,000 largest American companies ranked by revenues, as compiled by the American business magazine '' Fortune''. It only includes companies which are incorporated or authorized to do business in the United States, and f ...
.
On May 2, 2012, Ascena Retail Group, the parent company of DressBarn
Dressbarn.com (branded as dressbarn) is an online retailer owned by Retail Ecommerce Ventures. Its predecessor is the former chain of women's clothing stores owned by Ascena which operated as Dressbarn from 1962 until 2019. Since 2020, it is owne ...
, announced that it would acquire Charming Shoppes with a $900 million transaction through a combination of cash in hand and $325 million of borrowings from credit facilities.
Services and products
The Company's operation were divided into two segments: Retail Stores and Direct-to-Consumer. *The Retail Stores segment derived its revenues from sales through retail stores and store-related e-commerce sales under its Lane Bryant (including Lane Bryant Outlet), Fashion Bug, and Catherines Plus Sizes brands. **Lane Bryant
Lane Bryant Inc. is an American women's apparel and intimates specialty retailer focusing on plus-size clothing. The company began in 1904 with maternity designs created by Lena Himmelstein, Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin. Lane Bryant, Inc., i ...
— A retailer of specialty plus-size fashion, Lane Bryant was acquired by Charming Shoppes in 2001. With more than 900 stores nationwide, Lane Bryant stores sell clothes for plus size women. In July 2006, Charming Shoppes launched Lane Bryant Outlet.
**Catherines Plus — A plus-size specialty retailer with more than 500 stores throughout the country, the Catherines brand targets women 40–65 years old and sells clothing and accessories for career and casual wear.
*The Direct-to-Consumer segment derives its revenues from catalog sales and catalog-related e-commerce sales under its FIGI’S title, a leading food gift retailer. On Oct 16, 2013 the company announced that it had closed the sale of Figi's, to Mason Companies, Inc.
Defunct brands
*Fashion Bug — Fashion Bug was the chain that founded Charming Shoppes—and, for many years, was their only brand. The chain, at one point, grew to over 1200 stores nationwide. The stores sold women's fashion apparel and were located in strip shopping centers, catering to middle and lower-class segments. It offered fashion apparel and accessories in plus, misses' and junior size ranges. In June 2012, Charming Shoppes announced that Fashion Bug stores would be closing; the final stores closed in February 2013.
*Added Dimensions and The Answer — Two chains which were acquired as part of Catherine's in January, 2000. These chains operated plus-size women's stores in the Northeastern and Southeastern US and had previously been a part of Virginia Specialty Stores, which was acquired by Catherines Inc. in 1992. Charming operated the 77-store chain until 2002, and then announced it would close 80% of the locations, and convert the remaining 20% into its Catherines brand.
*Modern Woman — Modern Woman was a 125-store chain of plus-size women's clothing stores, operating primarily in strip shopping centers in the US. The chain was acquired by Charming in 1999. The stores were mostly converted to the Catherine's Brand, and the remainders to the Fashion Bug Plus brand.
*PS...Plus Sizes, Plus Savings — These stores were created by Catherines Inc. in 1980 and acquired by Charming Shoppes when they acquired Catherines Inc. in January, 2000. The stores were converted to other Charming brands.
*Monsoon and Accessorize — Opened as a joint venture between Charming Shoppes Inc. and Monsoon plc of the UK, the partnership aimed to bring the 2 successful UK brands to traditional enclosed shopping malls in the US. Approximately 10 pilot locations were opened in malls in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania in 2002. The partnership ended and the stores were shuttered in 2007.
References
Sources
Charming Shoppe's history and organization
External links
Charming Shoppes
{{Ascena Retail Group Clothing retailers of the United States American companies established in 1940 Retail companies established in 1940 Retail companies disestablished in 2012 Companies based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania 1940 establishments in Pennsylvania 2012 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Ascena Retail Group