Jan. 30, 2014 7:44 AM
Written by:Tim Engstrom
A Chico's customer enters the Coconut Point Mall store on Wednesday. / Andrew West/News-Press
Chico’s fashions are going to come full circle this year as the brand expands into Mexico through a franchise agreement with a major department store company there, the company announced Wednesday.
Chico’s plans to open a stand-alone store in Perisur Mall, Mexico City, this spring followed by a second store in Villahermosa, Tobasco, and six stores inside Liverpool department stores in the first half of the year.
Chico’s stores are operated by Fort Myers-based Chico’s FAS, which also operates stores and websites under the brands White House/Black Market, Soma Intimates and Boston Proper with about 1,500 locations in all.
The company began with a single Chico’s store on Sanibel in 1983, where founders Marvin and Helene Gralnick sold Mexican folk art and cotton sweaters from Mexico. Chico was a bilingual parrot owned by a friend and the FAS was shortened from Folk Art Specialties.
The parent company opened its first international stores last year with three White House/Black Market stores in Canada. The stores in Mexico are first international stores for the Chico’s brand.
“We believe Mexico is a great first foray into the international arena for the Chico’s brand. It represents an important part of the overall global expansion of Chico’s FAS, Inc.,” Bill Bine, Chico’s vice president of international operations, said in a news release.
The design of the Chico’s stand-alone boutiques will be based on a new store prototype featuring woven entry doors, luggage details on fixtures and layers of artifacts as props, the company said.
Chico’s plans to open a stand-alone store in Perisur Mall, Mexico City, this spring followed by a second store in Villahermosa, Tobasco, and six stores inside Liverpool department stores in the first half of the year.
Chico’s stores are operated by Fort Myers-based Chico’s FAS, which also operates stores and websites under the brands White House/Black Market, Soma Intimates and Boston Proper with about 1,500 locations in all.
The company began with a single Chico’s store on Sanibel in 1983, where founders Marvin and Helene Gralnick sold Mexican folk art and cotton sweaters from Mexico. Chico was a bilingual parrot owned by a friend and the FAS was shortened from Folk Art Specialties.
The parent company opened its first international stores last year with three White House/Black Market stores in Canada. The stores in Mexico are first international stores for the Chico’s brand.
“We believe Mexico is a great first foray into the international arena for the Chico’s brand. It represents an important part of the overall global expansion of Chico’s FAS, Inc.,” Bill Bine, Chico’s vice president of international operations, said in a news release.
The design of the Chico’s stand-alone boutiques will be based on a new store prototype featuring woven entry doors, luggage details on fixtures and layers of artifacts as props, the company said.
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