 |
||
|
|
||
| |||||||||||
Available at a mall near you The mainstay of malls everywhere, The Limited's businesses include not only its namesake stores but 12 other retail chains, including Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Express, Structure, Lerner New York, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lane Bryant and Henri Bendel. Ironically, the company's flagship chain, The Limited, has been losing popularity and is being outpaced by niche market stores such as Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works. Victoria's Secret's popular lingerie catalogue, found anywhere from the desks of high-powered female executives to frat houses across the US (who enjoy the lingerie-clad models, and perhaps the silk boxers), accounts for over 10% of the company's overall annual revenues. The ups and downs of apparel retail Founded by current CEO Leslie Wexner in 1963, the Limited grew rapidly. By the mid-1980s it was one of the hottest stores in malls across the country, and Victoria's Secret was emerging as a leading catalogue retailer. The recession of the early 1990s led to a drastic corporate restructuring in 1993, when the company closed many of its Limited and Lerner stores and introduced its own credit card. The company sold 60% of its credit services unit in 1996. Wexner resumed hands-on leadership of the women's division in 1997, hoping to lift the division's bottom line. Slumping sales forced the retailer to close 200 Limited stores in 1997, and announce plans to close 200 more in 1998. While the company plans to close its 118-store Cacique lingerie chain (a clone of Victoria's Secret), and all but one of its Henri Bendel stores, the successful Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works chains will continue to expand. The Limited is spinning off its 84% stake in lackluster preppy retailer Abercrombie and Fitch.
The Limited's corporate headquarters, located in Columbus, OH, conducts the hiring for corporate positions within each of the company's retail chains. The Limited's headquarters does not, however, post entry-level openings externally. Applicants interested in working at a particular retail location should contact the individual store.
Productivity rules With 13 store chains, The Limited's corporate headquarters is "intensely focused" on "productivity." Many employees find the challenges of this "fast-paced," "high stress" atmosphere "exciting," but some say that the "emotional demands" are too great. Because The Limited emphasizes "corporate flexibility" in order to respond to "rapidly changing markets," recent hires say that they frequently "team up" with more senior management. Meager entry-level pay, but opportunities abound Insiders report great opportunities for women at the retailer. One Victoria's Secret insider notes, "Most of the employees are women, so they're definitely treated well. The CEO of VS, Cindy Williams, is a real doll, and I find it refreshing that she started out on the sales phones and worked her way up." While The Limited's pay scale provides "meager" entry-level salaries, employees comment that pay raises are "frequent" and "substantial." The dress code varies by position, but tends to be "business attire for everyone." Fridays through Sundays are casual. Perks include "excellent medical and dental benefits," stock options, a savings and retirement plan, and clothing discounts at Limited stores.
Human Resources (614) 479-JOBS
Clothing;Lingerie;Toiletries
Sears;TJX;The Gap More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
