Limited Brands Timeline

2013

• In the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Columbus, Ohio, Team Limited Brands was 8,543 members strong - the world's largest corporate team in Komen history
• Increased annual dividend 20% to $1.20 per share
• Fortune Magazine's Most Admired Companies: Ranked #1 Specialty Retail, Apparel category

   2012

• Fortune Magazine's Most Admired Companies: Ranked #1 Specialty Retail, Apparel category 
• Paid a $3 per share special dividend on Dec. 26
• Opened first Victoria's Secret full-assortment stores in London - New Bond Street and Westfield Stratford City
• Authorized a $250 million share repurchase program, which includes $49.6 million remaining under the previous $500 million program
• Paid a $1 per share special dividend on Sept. 7
• In the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Columbus, Ohio, Team Limited Brands was 7,873 members strong - the world's largest corporate team in Komen history

2011

• Fortune Magazine's Most Admired Companies: Ranked #1 Specialty Retail, Apparel category 
• Paid a $2 per share special dividend on Dec. 23
• Chairman & CEO Leslie H. Wexner named Columbus CEO magazine's 'CEO of the Year' and Columbus Monthly magazine's 'Man of the Year'
• Paid a $1 per share special dividend on Jul. 1
• In the Susan G. 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
• Authorized new $500 million share repurchase program (which includes $31 million remaining under the company's existing $200 million share repurchase program) 
• Increased regular annual dividend 33% to $0.80 per share 

2010

• Paid a $3 per share special dividend on Dec. 21
• 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
• Under franchise partnership with M.H. Alshaya, Co. opened first Bath & Body Works stores in the Middle East (first outside North America)
• Paid a $1 per share special dividend on Apr. 19
• Authorized a $200 million share repurchase program
• Victoria's Secret PINK reaches $1 billion in sales
• Victoria's Secret PINK enters into partnerships to launch exclusive co-branded collections with Major League Baseball and the National Football League 
• Canadian La Senza Girl stores close

2009

• Debuted first six Victoria's Secret Beauty and Accessory stores in airports and tourist destinations around the world
• Launched Facebook pages for Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works and Henri Bendel
• Created African-American and Latino associate resource groups in home office locations of Columbus, Ohio and New York, NY
• Opened six Henri Bendel 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
• Opened first Victoria's Secret store in Hawaii
• Victoria's Secret PINK announces partnership with the Collegiate Licensing Company to launch exclusive collegiate co-branded collection  
• Opened first four Victoria's Secret PINK 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
• First-ever online Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Model Search won by Kylie Bisutti of Simi Valley, Calif.
• 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 launched website in Spanish
• Opened six Bath & Body Works stores in Canada
• 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 launched its exclusive Collegiate Collection

2007

• Limited Brands completed the sale of the majority interest in the apparel brands, Express and Limited Stores
• Limited Brands celebrated 25th anniversary as a NYSE listed company. * Increases share repurchase program to $1 billion
• Limited Brands acquired 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
• Announced additional $100 million share repurchase in July
• Completed 4.7 million share repurchase valued at over $113 million

2005

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

2004

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

2003

• Limited Brands completed 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 announced definitive agreement to sell Lerner New York / New York & Company
• The Limited, Inc. changed 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. announced the integration of Structure into Express as a dual gender brand for both men and women
• Limited Brands completed 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. completed spin-off of Limited Too and sells majority of interest in Galyan's Trading Co. 

1998

• Victoria's Secret launched 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. established 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