Bebe Stores

Bebe Stores, Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Retail (women's fashion)
Founded	January 1, 1976 (1976-01-01) in San Francisco, California, United States
Founder	Manny Mashouf
Headquarters	Brisbane, California , United States
Area served	United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, Lebanon, Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, UAE
Key people	Manny Mashouf (Founder and Chairman), Jim Wiggett (CEO as of 2014)
Products	Women's clothing, accessories, fragrances
Parent	Global Brands Group (for e-commerce and international operations since 2017)
Website	www.bebe.com

Overview

Bebe Stores, Inc. (pronounced /ˈbiːbiː/ and presented in lowercase letters) is a women's fashion retailer that originated in 1976. The company designs and markets a range of women's clothing, accessories, and fragrances under the brand names "Bebe," "Bebe Sport," and "Bebe Outlet."

On April 21, 2017, the company revealed plans to shut down its last 168 physical stores and transition exclusively to online sales.

History

Iranian-American entrepreneur Manny Mashouf established the company in 1976, launching the inaugural Bebe store in San Francisco. This occurred during a period when the women's apparel market was largely segmented into three main categories: junior, bridge, and misses.

The brand name "Bebe" originates from the famous soliloquy in Shakespeare's Hamlet, where Prince Hamlet contemplates: "To be or not to be...". Mashouf conceived the name following a discussion at a social gathering in San Francisco during the 1970s, shortly before founding the label. Initially, the business operated under the name "Babe, Inc." until its initial public offering took place in 1998.

Mashouf has maintained ownership of roughly 55% of the company. In 2015, it was revealed that he intended to divest his 59% share in Bebe.

In 2014, Bebe Stores, Inc. faced a class action lawsuit under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The suit aimed to certify a nationwide class comprising individuals who had provided their mobile phone numbers at one of Bebe’s physical stores and subsequently received text messages from the company between January 2010 and the present. The class period was later set to begin on October 16, 2013, coinciding with the enactment of relevant regulations requiring prior express written consent before sending automated advertisements or telemarketing messages.

By March 2017, Bebe announced plans to shutter all its physical retail locations within that year and transition exclusively to an online retail model.

Since June 2017, Bebe has collaborated with Global Brands Group to sustain its e-commerce platform and international store operations. Additionally, a new lifestyle concept store debuted in New York City in March 2018.

Stores

Bebe's corporate headquarters located in Brisbane

A Bebe retail outlet situated in Aventura Mall, Aventura, Florida.

The brand has managed a total of 312 retail locations, comprising 215 Bebe stores, 32 outlets under the 2b Bebe label, 64 BebeSport stores (including combined Bebe and BebeSport locations), and one store dedicated solely to Bebe accessories. These establishments are spread across the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. Additionally, Bebe maintains international operations in countries such as Lebanon, Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, and the UAE.

Bebe opened its inaugural store in 1976 on Polk Street in San Francisco, initially branded simply as Bebe. In 2003, the company introduced the BebeSport line to cater to customers seeking activewear including sports apparel, tops, sweaters, outerwear, and related accessories. By 2009, all BebeSport outlets were transitioned into PH8 stores; concurrently, BebeSport products became available through both Bebe and 2b Bebe stores. The PH8 concept focuses on casual weekend clothing alongside workout gear and accessories like bags, shoes, and seasonal items. The outlet division known as 2b Bebe specialized in offering clearance items, branded merchandise, and exclusive cuts under its own label for outlet shoppers.

In 2012, Bebe ventured into the bridal market by launching a wedding dress collection across its U.S. stores. This bridal line was initially designed by Project Runway finalist Rami Kashou. Although plans were considered to expand bridal salons further, the initiative was eventually discontinued due to unsatisfactory sales performance.

On April 21, 2017, Bebe announced the closure of its remaining 175 physical retail locations. The company projected that these shutdowns would result in an estimated $20 million charge. While acknowledging anticipated declines in revenue from these closures, specific sales loss figures were not revealed.

By January 2019, Bebe had unveiled a redesigned online shopping platform along with a new loyalty program developed in partnership with external e-commerce provider Branded Online.

Marketing

To enhance brand visibility, the company enlists celebrities to represent its advertising campaigns. In 2007, Brenda Song served as the primary model for Bebe's promotional efforts. Between spring 2007 and spring 2008, actress Rebecca Romijn was featured as Bebe’s brand ambassador, while Eva Longoria represented BebeSport from spring 2007 through spring 2009. Additionally, Mischa Barton was the prominent face in Bebe's 2006 advertising campaign.

In 2007, Bebe engaged the services of advertising firm MD70, with Fredrik Peterhoff providing creative direction, to develop the spring 2009 campaigns for Bebe Holiday, Bebe Sports, and Bebe Accessories. The campaign, photographed by Camilla Åkrans and styled by Julia von Boehm in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, showcased model Anne Marie van Dijk. It was published in the February and March editions of Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour, along with appearances on billboards and phone kiosks across New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. A promotional video accompanied the campaign both in retail locations and on Bebe’s official YouTube channel. In 2019, singer Bebe Rexha became the face of a body-positive campaign titled "Bebe loves Bebe."

Events

Bebe organizes preview events twice yearly where customers are given exclusive access to upcoming collections at select store locations. These occasions are often held in collaboration with national and regional magazines and support charitable causes.

Design and manufacturing

The majority of Bebe’s product designs are created internally, while production is primarily carried out through outsourced manufacturing partners.

Executives

On August 9, 2010, Emilia Fabricant was appointed president of Bebe Stores. Reporting directly to CEO Manny Mashouf, her responsibilities encompassed overseeing design, marketing, merchandising, e-commerce operations, production, and retail planning. She departed in 2012 to join Aéropostale. Subsequently, Mashouf stepped back from daily management to serve as non-executive chairman and brought in Steve Birkhold as CEO. Birkhold brought substantial retail leadership experience from his previous roles as US CEO of Diesel Jeans and CEO of Lacoste. Following Birkhold’s resignation in June 2014, Jim Wiggett—then CEO of Jackson Hole Group—was named interim CEO by the board of directors. On December 15, 2014, Wiggett was officially appointed chief executive officer and joined the company’s board.

See also

• Retail apocalypse
• List of retailers affected by the retail apocalypse

External links

• Official website of Bebe