Victoria's Secret plans first London flagship

Limited Brands Inc. plans to open a flagship lingerie store at the corner of New Bond and Brook streets by 2012. It is the first full-line overseas store planned by the Central Ohio lingerie purveyor and the latest in a series of international moves by the Columbus-based retailer.

The company Tuesday declined to answer questions about the 16,500-square-foot store, saying details would be provided in an August discussion for securities analysts.

Limited Brands began its international expansion in 2008, when it took Bath & Body Works into Canada. That network has grown to 37 stores with 23 more expected to open this year in the provinces.

The company followed with an expansion of Pink, its underwear and lounging clothes retailer for young women, which has grown to five shops in Canada with three scheduled to open this year. The company also will put Victoria s Secret into Canada, with four stores scheduled to open there this year.

The company has a partnership with Kuwait-based M.H. Alshaya Co., which will bring at least six Bath & Body Works stores to the Middle East.

The company last year partnered with Alshaya, Switzerland s Dufry AG and its East Rutherford, N.J.-based subsidiary Hudson Group to open travel and tourism shops under the Victoria s Secret nameplate at airports and other tourist locations. Those shops are smaller than the company s traditional stores and merchandise focuses more on beauty products and accessories than on lingerie.