Is Limited Open Today?

About Limited Hours

The Limited was a women's clothing retailer that operated mall-based stores across the United States for over four decades before closing all of its remaining locations in January 2017. At its peak in the 1990s, the company ran more than 750 stores and was one of the most recognizable brands in women's fashion retail. If you're looking for The Limited store hours today, the chain no longer has any physical locations. But the brand's history and what happened to it afterward are worth knowing - especially if you remember shopping there.

The Limited Store Hours Before Closing

When The Limited was still open, most stores followed standard mall hours since nearly all locations were inside shopping malls or shopping centers. That typically meant opening at 10:00 AM and closing at 9:00 PM Monday through Saturday, with Sunday hours of 11:00 AM or noon to 6:00 PM or 7:00 PM. Hours varied by mall - stores in larger shopping centers with extended hours would stay open later, while locations in smaller malls sometimes closed at 8:00 PM on weekdays. During the holiday season from late November through December, most locations extended hours along with their malls, opening as early as 8:00 AM and staying open until 10:00 PM or later.

What Happened to The Limited?

The Limited was founded in 1963 by Leslie Wexner, who opened the first store in Columbus, Ohio. Wexner started with just a $5,000 loan and focused exclusively on women's sportswear at a time when most department stores carried everything. The concept worked. By the late 1970s, The Limited had expanded to hundreds of locations and was one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Wexner built The Limited into a retail empire by launching and acquiring other brands. Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Express, Lane Bryant, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Henri Bendel were all part of the same parent company. The strategy was to create specialized brands that each targeted a different customer segment rather than trying to be everything to everyone under one roof.

But The Limited brand itself started losing ground in the 2000s. The core concept of mid-priced women's workwear and casual clothing faced intense competition from fast-fashion chains like H&M and Zara, which could deliver trendy styles at lower prices and turn over inventory much faster. Department stores like Macy's and Nordstrom also competed for the same customer with stronger brand recognition and broader selections. Meanwhile, online shopping was pulling customers away from malls entirely.

In 2007, Wexner's company (renamed L Brands) sold The Limited brand to a private equity firm, Sun Capital Partners, for what was reportedly a modest sum. Under new ownership, the chain continued to shrink. Store counts dropped from around 250 to fewer than 100. The product line struggled to find a clear identity - not cheap enough to compete with fast fashion, not distinctive enough to justify higher prices, and not trendy enough to attract younger shoppers.

By late 2016, The Limited announced it would close all remaining stores. The last locations shut down in January 2017, ending a 53-year run in retail. About 4,000 employees lost their jobs. The brand briefly attempted an online-only comeback through a licensing deal with Belk, but that effort faded quickly.

The Limited Holiday Hours History

Before closing, The Limited followed typical mall-based retail holiday schedules. Stores were open on most holidays including New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Columbus Day with regular or slightly reduced hours. The chain typically closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Easter Sunday. On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, stores usually closed early, around 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM. Black Friday was one of The Limited's biggest traffic days, with many locations opening as early as 6:00 AM.

Where to Shop Instead of The Limited

If The Limited was your go-to for women's workwear and casual clothing, several retailers have filled that gap. Gap offers similar mid-priced casual basics with a wider range of styles. Express, which was originally an offshoot of The Limited itself, carries comparable workwear and going-out clothes at similar price points. Nordstrom and Macy's carry brands in the same quality tier with more selection. For budget-friendly alternatives, Ross Dress for Less, Burlington, and Target's in-house clothing lines (like A New Day and Universal Thread) offer women's clothing at lower prices. Kohl's is another option with frequent sales and a decent women's section.

The Wexner Retail Legacy

The Limited's biggest legacy isn't the clothing brand itself - it's the retail empire Les Wexner built around it. Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works both started as divisions of The Limited's parent company and grew into massive standalone businesses. Express and Lane Bryant also spun off as independent chains. Abercrombie & Fitch was rescued from near-obscurity when Wexner acquired it in 1988 and repositioned it for younger shoppers. The strategy of building a portfolio of focused retail brands rather than one giant store was genuinely innovative for its time and influenced how retail companies think about brand architecture.

The Limited's decline was less about the company making catastrophic mistakes and more about the middle market of women's retail getting squeezed from both ends. Fast fashion moved faster and cheaper from below, while premium brands offered better quality and cachet from above. That same squeeze hit many mid-tier retailers in the 2010s, from Sears to JCPenney to Bed Bath & Beyond. The story of The Limited is really the story of what happened to mid-market retail in America - and why so many mall staples from the 1990s don't exist anymore.