[3] Bath & Body Works was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio as the beauty line for Express, Inc.[4] The company's first store opened in a Cambridge, Massachusetts mall in September 1990.

[citation needed] The brand created a mascot named Kate who serves as a founding figure, with the store layout being modeled as her country house.

[8] Net sales as of January 28, 2006 were $2.3 billion, significantly higher than all other L Brands companies other than Victoria's Secret.

With the company acquiring Canadian-based La Senza, they felt it was the opportunity to move into a growing Canadian market, with The Body Shop being its main competition.

[12] In October 2010, it opened its first stores outside of North America in Kuwait, by the franchise giant M. H. Alshaya Co.[13]