Chico's goes international

FORT MYERS — Chico's FAS plans to open three White House | Black Market stores in Canada, its first international expansion.

The Fort Myers-based women's retailer says it plans to open the first White House | Black Market branded boutique Oct. 24 at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. Two additional stores will open Oct. 29 and Nov. 12 in Mississauga and Newmarket.

“We believe Canada is a great first foray into the international arena for Chico's FAS, as it represents a natural extension of our brands,” says David Dyer, Chico's president and CEO, in a statement. “From our robust customer file, we already know that there are a significant number of Chico's FAS customers in Canada.”

Chico's operates about 1,400 stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to White House | Black Market, the company operates the brands Chico's, Soma Intimates and Boston Proper.

Chico's shares are publicly traded (symbol: CHS; recent price: $16.22).