A comeback for Limited?

Recessions usually kill off many businesses that were weak and struggling during good times. An exception may be Limited Stores, which over the last several years of ownership by Limited Brands had closed one-fourth of its stores and dropped in revenues from $638mil to $493mil. Limited Brands basically gave away 75% ownership to Sun Capital last year.

But Sun is putting money into Limited -- $50mil capital and a $75mil line of credit, and Limited is responding with new store formats and plans for modest expansion (four new stores this year, 10-20 next year), redesigns of existing stores, and introductions of new product categories (lingerie and cosmetics).