Limited Brands Timeline

2011

• $2 per share special dividend
• Chairman & CEO Leslie H. Wexner named Columbus CEO magazine's 'CEO of the Year' and Columbus Monthly magazine's 'Man of the Year'
• Victoria's Secret Direct-Rio Rancho named 2011 'Business of the Year' by the Rio Rancho Economic Development Commission for its ongoing community involvement
• $1 per share special dividend
• In the Komen Race for the Cure in Columbus, Ohio, Team Limited Brands was 7,271 members strong - the world's largest team in Komen history
• Wexner family and the Limited Brands Foundation donate record-setting $100 million to The Ohio State Univeristy to benefit the James Cancer Center, the OSU Medical Center, the Fisher College of Business, the Wexner Center for the Arts and many other important schools and programs
• Victoria's Secret Pink announces partnership with all 32 NFL teams
•  Authorized new $500 million share repurchase program (which includes $31 million remaining under the company's existing $200 million share repurchase program) 
•  Increases regular annual dividend 33% to $0.80 per share 

2010

• $3 per share special dividend
• Limited Brands commits to give $2.5 million over the next five years to support Pelotonia and the research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
• Announcement of Victoria's Secret flagship store in London (to open in 2012)
• Sold remaining stake in Limited Stores
• Creation of Limited Brands Canada, a Montreal-based company that will support all Limited Brands retail stores and strategic expansion in Canada
• Under franchise partnership with M.H. Alshaya, Co. opened first Bath & Body Works stores in the Middle East (first outside North America)
• $1 per share special dividend and $200 million share repurchase program announced
• Victoria's Secret PINK reaches $1 billion in sales 
• Canadian La Senza Girl stores close

2009

• First six Victoria's Secret Travel and Tourism stores debuted in airports and tourist destinations around the world
• Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works and Henri Bendel launch Facebook pages
• Creation of African-American and Latino associate resource groups in Columbus, Ohio and New York, NY home office locations
• Henri Bendel opens six stores focused on accessories and giftables
• Bath & Body Works wins International Service Excellence Award
• Body By Victoria is the biggest bra launch in the history of Victoria's Secret
• First Victoria's Secret store opens in Hawaii
• Victoria's Secret Pink opens first four stand-alone stores in Canada
• Victoria's Secret Pink launches Pink Nation, an exclusive club where members get free goodies and the inside scoop on the latest Pink news
• Kylie Bisutti of Simi Valley, Calif., wins first-ever online Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Model Search
• Victoria's Secret launches Sexy Little Things NOIR fragrance and wins the Fragrance Foundation's FIFI award for Fragrance of the Year

2008

• Victoria's Secret launches website in Spanish
• Bath & Body Works expands into Canada with six stores
• Victoria's Secret makes history with 30 second Valentine's Day ad that aired during second half of Super Bowl XLII
• Victoria's Secret Pink launches its exclusive Collegiate Collection

 

2007

• Limited Brands completes the sale of the majority interest in the apparel brands, Express and Limited Stores
• Limited Brands celebrates 25th anniversary as a NYSE listed company. * Increases share repurchase program to $1 billion
• Limited Brands acquires La Senza Corporation, a leading Canadian and international intimate apparel retailer based in Canada

2006

• Limited Brands' collective value for share repurchase programs over last 10 years reaches approximately $6.3 billion
• Announces additional $100 million share repurchase in July
• Completes 4.7 million share repurchase valued at over $113 million

2005

• Completes 17 million share repurchase program valued at $390 million
• Increases annual dividend 25% to $0.60 per share

 

2004

• Limited Brands completes sale of its remaining interest in Galyan's Trading Company
• Limited Brands issues a $500 million special dividend ($1.23 per share)
• Limited Brands completes share repurchases that collectively exceed $3 billion
• Increases annual dividend 20% to $0.48 per share

2003

• Limited Brands completes sale of its remaining interest in Alliance Data Systems
• Limited Brands named the world's most admired specialty retailer by FORTUNE magazine in its annual compilation of outstanding companies in the world

2002

• Limited Brands announces definitive agreement to sell Lerner New York / New York & Company
• The Limited, Inc. changes its name to Limited Brands to further emphasize the company's commitment to building a family of the world's best fashion retail brands
• Intimate Brands, Inc. is recombined into The Limited, Inc.

2001

• The Limited, Inc. announces the integration of Structure into Express as a dual gender brand for both men and women
• Limited Brands completes sale of Lane Bryant to Charming Shoppes

 

1999

• The White Barn Candle Co. is launched by a traditional barn raising in New York City's Bryant Park
• The Limited, Inc. completes spin-off of Limited Too and sells majority of interest in Galyan's Trading Co. 

1998

• Victoria's Secret launches e-commerce site VictoriasSecret.com, profitable since day one
• The Limited, Inc. completes split-off of Abercrombie & Fitch
• 50 Bath & Body Works Home stores are converted to The White Barn Candle Co. stores to begin a home fragrance brand test
• Intimate Beauty Corporation is created to develop and build a portfolio of distinct beauty businesses. Victoria's Secret Beauty is the first brand in its portfolio

1995

• Initial Public Offering of Intimate Brands, Inc. establishes it as a fully independent company

1990

• First Bath & Body Works store opens in Boston
• First Structure store is opened. Two years later it becomes its own division

1988

• Limited Too, fashion for girls, is unveiled in The Limited stores
• Acquisition of 25 Abercrombie & Fitch stores and one catalogue

1987

• Express Men's brand is sold in 16 Express stores. Two years later it is renamed Structure

1985

• Acquisition of 798 Lerner stores
• Acquisition of Henri Bendel store located on Fifth Avenue in New York City

1982

• Victoria's Secret store and catalogue are purchased for $1 million
• Acquisition of 207 Lane Bryant stores and Brylane, a mail order division
• The Limited, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "LTD"

1980

• First Limited Express opens in Chicago. Two years later, Express becomes the first separate division of Limited Brands

1977

• The Limited moves into its Morse Road headquarters in Columbus, Ohio

1969

• The Limited's first public stock offering is issued over-the-counter. 47,600 shares are offered at $7.25 per share

1963

• The Limited opens its first store in Kingsdale Mall in Columbus, Ohio