Charming Shoppes
Former American apparel-retailing holding company known for operating Fashion Bug, Lane Bryant, Cacique, and Catherines.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Charming Shoppes, Inc. was an American specialty-apparel retail holding company headquartered in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Its retail portfolio focused primarily on women's clothing, with a particularly strong presence in plus-size apparel. The company operated a multi-brand structure rather than presenting a single uniform store concept: Fashion Bug served a broad value-oriented women's market, while Lane Bryant, Cacique, and Catherines concentrated more directly on specialty and plus-size customers. The business originated in 1940 and later became a publicly traded company in 1971. For much of its history, Fashion Bug was the group's principal operating chain. The chain expanded through shopping centers, strip malls, and enclosed malls, eventually reaching more than 1,200 locations at its peak. Its merchandise included women's apparel and accessories across misses, junior, and plus-size ranges, with pricing and store locations aimed substantially at middle- and lower-income consumers. Charming Shoppes broadened its portfolio through acquisitions and brand development. It acquired Modern Woman in 1999 and purchased Catherines Inc. in January 2000. The Catherines transaction brought Catherines Plus and several other plus-size concepts into the group, including Added Dimensions, The Answer, and PS...Plus Sizes, Plus Savings. The company acquired Lane Bryant in 2001, adding one of the best-known U.S. specialty plus-size apparel chains to its retail platform. Lane Bryant subsequently included the Cacique lingerie and intimate-apparel business, and Charming Shoppes launched Lane Bryant Outlet in 2006. At its height, the company sold merchandise through more than 2,300 U.S. stores and through catalogs and online channels. Its operations were generally described in two segments: retail stores, including store-linked e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer commerce. The direct-to-consumer segment included Figi's, a catalog and online food-gift business that was not part of the company's core apparel identity. Charming Shoppes announced the sale of Figi's to Mason Companies in October 2013, after the corporate group had already been acquired by Ascena Retail Group. The company faced the structural pressures common to legacy mall and shopping-center retailers, including store rationalization, brand overlap, and the migration of apparel purchasing toward online channels. It announced the closure of Fashion Bug stores in June 2012; the final locations closed in February 2013. Other acquired concepts were converted into Catherines or Fashion Bug formats, or discontinued. A short-lived U.S. joint venture with Britain's Monsoon plc introduced Monsoon and Accessorize stores in approximately ten pilot mall locations beginning in 2002, but the partnership ended and the stores were closed in 2007. On May 2, 2012, Ascena Retail Group, the parent of Dressbarn, announced an agreement to acquire Charming Shoppes and its assets. The transaction was valued at approximately $900 million and was to be funded through cash and borrowings. The acquisition transferred Charming Shoppes' principal retail brands into Ascena's portfolio. Charming Shoppes ceased to operate as an independent corporate entity, although Lane Bryant and Catherines continued as recognizable retail brands under subsequent ownership structures.
History
Charming Shoppes began in 1940 and became a public company in 1971. Its retail history was closely associated with Fashion Bug, a women's apparel chain that grew to more than 1,200 stores and served customers through shopping centers, strip malls, and enclosed malls. Fashion Bug carried women's fashion clothing and accessories in misses, junior, and plus-size ranges, with a value-oriented market position. The company expanded from a single dominant chain into a multi-brand holding company through acquisitions and conversions. Modern Woman, a plus-size women's chain with approximately 125 stores, was acquired in 1999. In January 2000, Charming Shoppes acquired Catherines Inc., bringing Catherines Plus and related concepts into the portfolio. Added Dimensions and The Answer had previously been associated with Virginia Specialty Stores and were operated by Charming Shoppes for a period before most locations were converted to Catherines stores. PS...Plus Sizes, Plus Savings, another Catherines-related concept, was also converted into other group formats. Charming Shoppes acquired Lane Bryant in 2001. Lane Bryant became the group's principal specialty plus-size apparel brand, operating more than 900 stores and selling clothing for plus-size women. The portfolio also included Cacique, its intimate-apparel business. In July 2006, the company introduced Lane Bryant Outlet as an additional retail format. The company experimented with international brand partnerships as well. In 2002, it formed a joint venture with Monsoon plc of the United Kingdom to bring Monsoon and Accessorize to U.S. enclosed shopping malls. Approximately ten pilot stores opened in Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The partnership was discontinued, and the stores closed in 2007. By the early 2010s, Charming Shoppes operated a large U.S. retail and direct-to-consumer network. Its retail-store segment included Lane Bryant, Lane Bryant Outlet, Fashion Bug, and Catherines Plus, together with related e-commerce. Its direct-to-consumer segment included catalogs and online sales under the Figi's name, a food-gift retailer that sat outside the company's core apparel focus. The company announced the closure of Fashion Bug stores in June 2012, and the last stores closed in February 2013. On May 2, 2012, Ascena Retail Group announced that it would acquire Charming Shoppes in a transaction valued at approximately $900 million, financed through available cash and credit-facility borrowings. The acquisition ended Charming Shoppes' independent corporate existence and placed its principal apparel brands within Ascena's broader specialty-retail portfolio. In October 2013, the company announced the sale of Figi's to Mason Companies. The legacy corporate brand subsequently became defunct, while some of its former retail brands continued under later ownership and corporate arrangements.
- 2013
Figi's sold
[1]The company announced the sale of Figi's to Mason Companies, removing the direct-to-consumer food-gift operation from the portfolio.
- 2012
Acquisition announced by Ascena Retail Group
[1]Ascena announced a proposed approximately $900 million acquisition of Charming Shoppes and its assets.
- 2007
Monsoon partnership ends
[1]The Monsoon and Accessorize joint venture ended and its U.S. pilot stores were closed.
- 2006
Lane Bryant Outlet launched
[1]Charming Shoppes introduced the Lane Bryant Outlet format as an extension of its specialty plus-size retail network.
- 2002
Monsoon and Accessorize U.S. pilot
[1]A joint venture with Monsoon plc opened approximately ten pilot stores for the Monsoon and Accessorize brands in the United States.
- 2001
Acquisition of Lane Bryant
[1]Lane Bryant joined the portfolio and became a major specialty plus-size apparel business within Charming Shoppes.
- 2000
Acquisition of Catherines Inc.
[1]The acquisition brought Catherines Plus and related concepts, including Added Dimensions, The Answer, and PS...Plus Sizes, Plus Savings, into the company.
- 1999
Acquisition of Modern Woman
[1]Charming Shoppes acquired Modern Woman, a plus-size women's clothing chain, and converted many stores to other group formats.
- 1971
Became publicly traded
[1]The company went public, providing a capital-market structure for its subsequent retail expansion.
- 1940
Company founded
[1]Charming Shoppes was established in the United States and developed from a women's apparel retail operation.
Products and positioning
A U.S. multi-brand women's apparel retailer and holding company with a strong emphasis on value-oriented and plus-size fashion, serving customers through stores, catalogs, and e-commerce.
Plus-size women's apparel
Lane Bryant
Lane Bryant was Charming Shoppes' major specialty plus-size fashion chain. It offered women's clothing through a nationwide store network, online channels, and later the Lane Bryant Outlet format. The brand addressed apparel needs for plus-size customers and was one of the most prominent assets acquired by Charming Shoppes.
Intimate apparel
Cacique
Cacique was the intimate-apparel business associated with Lane Bryant. It extended the group's plus-size positioning into lingerie and related products and was sold through the Lane Bryant retail and direct-to-consumer ecosystem.
Plus-size women's apparel
Catherines Plus
Catherines Plus was a specialty plus-size retailer aimed particularly at women approximately 40 to 65 years old. Its assortment included career and casual clothing as well as accessories, and it operated more than 500 stores during the period described in the reference material.
Value-oriented women's apparel
Fashion Bug
Fashion Bug was the chain historically associated with the founding and growth of Charming Shoppes. It sold women's clothing and accessories across misses, junior, and plus-size ranges through shopping-center and mall locations. The company announced its closure in 2012, and the final stores shut in February 2013.
Direct-to-consumer food gifts
Figi's
Figi's was a catalog and online food-gift business operated in Charming Shoppes' direct-to-consumer segment. Although it was outside the group's principal apparel focus, it contributed catalog-related revenue until its sale to Mason Companies was announced in 2013.
Brand decisions
2013
Sale of Figi'sM&ABackground
Figi's was a non-apparel direct-to-consumer business within the company's portfolio.
Action taken
Charming Shoppes announced the sale of Figi's to Mason Companies.
Aftermath
The transaction separated the food-gift catalog and e-commerce operation from Charming Shoppes' apparel businesses.
2012
Fashion Bug wind-downStrategyBackground
Charming Shoppes rationalized its store portfolio while concentrating on its specialty and plus-size brands.
Action taken
The company announced the closure of Fashion Bug stores in June 2012.
Aftermath
The remaining Fashion Bug locations closed by February 2013.
2012
Sale to Ascena Retail GroupM&ABackground
Ascena Retail Group pursued Charming Shoppes to expand its specialty-apparel portfolio with Lane Bryant, Catherines, and related assets.
Action taken
Ascena announced an acquisition valued at approximately $900 million, funded through cash and credit-facility borrowings.
Aftermath
Charming Shoppes ceased to exist as an independent corporate entity and its principal brands were integrated into Ascena's portfolio.
Transaction value. $900 million (2012 announced transaction)
2006
Launch of Lane Bryant OutletProduct launchBackground
The company expanded the Lane Bryant retail architecture with a lower-priced outlet format.
Action taken
Charming Shoppes launched Lane Bryant Outlet stores in July 2006.
Aftermath
The outlet format became part of the Lane Bryant retail segment.
2002
Pilot U.S. expansion of Monsoon and AccessorizeStrategyBackground
Charming Shoppes sought to diversify its mall presence through a partnership with U.K. retailer Monsoon plc.
Action taken
The partnership opened approximately ten pilot locations for Monsoon and Accessorize in several northeastern and mid-Atlantic states.
Aftermath
The partnership ended and the stores were closed in 2007.
Recent events
- 2013
Charming Shoppes sells Figi's[1]
M&A
Charming Shoppes announced the sale of its Figi's direct-to-consumer food-gift business to Mason Companies.
- 2012
Ascena Retail Group announces agreement to acquire Charming Shoppes[1]
M&A
Ascena Retail Group announced a proposed acquisition of Charming Shoppes and its assets in a transaction valued at approximately $900 million.
- 2012
Charming Shoppes announces Fashion Bug store closures[1]
Other
The company announced that it would close its Fashion Bug stores as part of the restructuring of its retail portfolio; the remaining locations shut by February 2013.
Sources1 sources
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