Analysis of The Limited, Inc.HistoryThe Limited, Inc. was founded by Leslie H. Wexner on August 10, 1963, beginning with a store located in Columbus, Ohio. During its first year of operation, this store had sales of $157,000. Its strategy was to offer a “limited” assortment of fashionable, quality sportswear at mid-range prices. The "limited" concept worked well and in the late 1970s Wexner launched a dual strategy of market development and product development. New stores were opened and gained appeal to women of different ages, sizes and budget limits. The Limited, Inc. is comprised of a unique family of brands. Since its official opening in 1963, the company now has more than 5,633 stores and 13 retail locations. Companies that fall under The Limited, Inc. include: Express, Lerner New York, Lane Bryant, Henri Bendel, Structure, Limited Too and Galyan's Trading Company. The Limited, Inc. also owns 83% of Intimate Brands, Inc., IBI, which includes Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret. Instead of offering a wide variety of clothing types, stores offer a limited assortment in large quantities. quantities and a variety of colors. The company emphasizes rapid inventory turnover so that only the latest fashion trends are available in stores at any time. Since 1997, Limited, Inc. has been a $9.2 billion specialty retailer selling women's, men's and children's clothing; lingerie; personal care products and sporting goods through its 5,633 stores and a catalog. Recent years have seen significant changes in the sector. In May 1998, The Limited, Inc. completely divested itself of Abercrombie & Fitch shares. They gave shareholders the choice to exchange their Limited shares for A&F shares in a process known as a modified Dutch tender. Today, The Limited, Inc. operates through four distinct business groups: Women's Brands, Emerging Brands, Intimate Brands and Supporting Businesses. .Women's Brands: Express: Express underwent a rebuild in the early 1990s to have a more sophisticated European image instead of the neon-lit high-tech store of the mid-1980s. The company now describes its Express stores as offering “a new fashion trend for young women in their twenties”. The merchandise includes “youthful and vivacious fashions of good taste and quality.” A private brand created for the Express is called Compagnie...... middle of paper ......are both involved in market penetration. The first strategy would be to create additional market share through innovative and stylish advertising. The next market penetration strategy would be to develop new advertising campaigns to compete with competitors' new advertisements. The last strategy suggested would be that of prospective integration. This strategy would allow Henri Bendel stores to be established in more large cities. These five strategies were highlighted using the TOWS matrix. Evaluation of Alternative Solutions The five suggested solutions are within the capabilities of The Limited, Inc., although some are better than others. The cost of all these solutions would be very high, which is why the company can only take advantage of a few of these solutions. Financing these projects is the main problem. All of these solutions would also require extensive research. This research would be involved in the initial phases of each of the proposed solutions. These are the two biggest.