Christopher & Banks Corporation

What Christopher & Banks Corporation does

Christopher & Banks Corporation is a US-based specialty retailer of women's apparel and accessories, founded in 1956 and headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota. The company sells across three size categories — Missy (4–16), Petite (4P–16P), and Women's Plus (14W–24W) — with additional petite-plus and tall-plus variants, targeting women seeking inclusive, proportionally cut, value-priced clothing and accessories. The omnichannel business distributes through physical retail stores across the United States and a Shopify-powered e-commerce website (christopherandbanks.com), supplemented by an email/SMS marketing program, social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter, a monthly Digital Catalog, and a Style Studio content platform providing outfit inspiration.

The core assortment spans tops (blouses, knit tops, tees, sweaters, jackets, vests), bottoms (jeans, pants, crops, capris, shorts, skirts), dresses and skirts, and jewelry/accessories. Two registered proprietary brands anchor differentiation: 'Signature Slimming' bottoms featuring a hidden tummy-smoothing panel, no-gap elastic waistband, and stretch denim, and 'Relaxed. Restyled.®' activewear. The company is structured as C&B IP LLC, an entity that holds the trademarks and intellectual property following prior corporate restructuring of the historical public company (previously NYSE: CBK). No public listing, ticker, or institutional investor is currently disclosed.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through direct-to-consumer retail sales of apparel and accessories, with no subscription model. Pricing spans roughly $5–$75 per item, with core apparel in the $20–$60 range. The promotional posture is heavy, with offers of 25% off new arrivals and up to 80% off clearance, plus free shipping on orders $59.99+. Customer acquisition relies on a $10-off email/SMS signup incentive and social media engagement, while back-office operations run on ADP for HR and payroll. The company reports 10,000+ employees, consistent with a multi-hundred-store specialty retail footprint.

Name

Christopher & Banks Corporation

Legal name

C&B IP LLC

Website

https://christopherandbanks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Christopher & Banks Corporation is a US-based specialty retailer of women's apparel and accessories, selling Missy (4–16), Petite (4P–16P), and Women's Plus (14W–24W) sizes through Shopify e-commerce and physical stores, with proprietary Signature Slimming bottoms and Relaxed. Restyled.® activewear lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Specialty Apparel Retail

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (4581)

SIC

Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Petite & Plus-Size Specialty Department Stores (CRAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Plus Size & Extended Sizes Apparel Retail (CRAAABAJ)

Keywords

• Women's apparel retail
• Specialty clothing
• Plus size fashion
• Petite clothing
• Women's fashion

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Apparel Sales: Christopher & Banks generates revenue through direct retail sales of women's clothing and accessories via e-commerce website and physical store locations. Products are sold at full price with periodic promotional sales (25% off new arrivals, up to 80% off clearance). Revenue is transactional with one-time purchases; no subscription model is evident.
2. Email/Text Marketing List: Company offers a $10 off promotional incentive for customers to join email and text marketing list, suggesting a customer acquisition and retention marketing model that may support future sales through targeted promotions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Christopher & Banks Corporation is a women's specialty apparel retailer that sells tops, bottoms, dresses, sweaters, jackets, and accessories in Missy (sizes 4-16), Petite (sizes 4P-16P), and Women's Plus (sizes 14W-24W) categories. The company distributes through its own e-commerce website (christopherandbanks.com) and physical retail store locations across the United States, with proprietary branded lines including Relaxed. Restyled.® activewear and Signature Slimming bottoms featuring a tummy-smoothing fit technology.

Product overview

Christopher & Banks Corporation operates an omnichannel women's specialty retail business offering apparel and accessories across three size categories: Missy (sizes 4-16), Petite (sizes 4P-16P), and Women's Plus Size (sizes 14W-24W). The core product portfolio spans tops (blouses, shirts, knit tops, sweaters, jackets, vests), bottoms (jeans, pants, capris, shorts, skirts), dresses, and accessories (jewelry, sunglasses, socks). Key branded lines include Relaxed. Restyled.® (activewear lifestyle collection) and Signature Slimming (fit technology with tummy-smoothing features). The company also provides Style Studio content and a Digital Catalog for styling guidance. The e-commerce platform is powered by Shopify, enabling online shopping alongside physical retail store locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Relaxed. Restyled.®: Activewear collection featuring lightweight layers, soft fabrics, and easy pairings for life on the move

Products and services

• Missy Apparel (Sizes 4-16) Standard misses sizing collection covering sizes 4 through 16, including tops, bottoms, dresses, skirts, jackets, and accessories designed for everyday and work-appropriate wear.
• Petite Apparel (Sizes 4P-16P) Petite sizing collection covering sizes 4P through 16P, offering proportionally cut clothing designed for shorter frames including tops, bottoms, and accessories.
• Women's Plus Size Apparel (14W-24W) Plus size collection covering sizes 14W through 24W, offering the full range of tops, bottoms, dresses, skirts, and accessories in extended sizing, with additional petite-plus and tall-plus configurations.
• Relaxed. Restyled.® Activewear Lifestyle activewear line featuring soft fabrics, lightweight layers, and easy pairings designed for comfort and movement, available across Missy, Petite, and Women's Plus sizes.
• Signature Slimming Bottoms Bottoms collection featuring hidden tummy-smoothing panel, no-gap elastic waistband, and comfortable stretch denim, available in jeans, pants, capris, skimmers, bermudas, and ponte styles.
• Jewelry & Accessories Fashion jewelry and accessories including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, sunglasses, hats, gloves, socks, and hosiery, with collections like statement jewelry, seasonal pieces, and novelty items.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify provides the e-commerce platform powering christopherandbanks.com, enabling product catalog management, shopping cart functionality, checkout processing, customer accounts, and order tracking. The company uses Shopify for all e-commerce operations.
• ADPminorOthersADP provides workforce management solutions including payroll and HR systems. The company's careers page links to ADP for recruitment, indicating use of ADP for back-office HR and payroll operations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Talbots: Talbots is a direct peer specializing in women's classic apparel across misses, petite, and plus sizes with both e-commerce and physical store presence, targeting a similar demographic of style-conscious women seeking versatile wardrobe staples.
• Maurices: Maurices is a direct competitor offering women's apparel in misses, plus, and petite sizes with a mall-based store footprint and value pricing strategy closely aligned to Christopher & Banks' go-to-market approach.
• Catherines: Catherines (now part of FullBeauty Brands) specializes in plus-size women's apparel with both e-commerce and physical stores, directly competing in the same plus-size segment that Christopher & Banks serves with its Women's Plus line.
• Lane Bryant: Lane Bryant is a leading plus-size women's specialty retailer with omnichannel operations, directly competing with Christopher & Banks' Women's Plus (14W-24W) collection and serving a similar customer need for stylish extended-size apparel.
• Torrid: Torrid is a plus-size women's apparel retailer serving sizes 10-30 with omnichannel retail and a younger demographic focus, competing for overlapping plus-size customers while bringing a different brand positioning than Christopher & Banks.
• Chico's FAS: Chico's FAS operates Chico's, White House Black Market, and SOMA, women's specialty apparel brands sold through retail stores and e-commerce targeting women 35+, making it a comparable specialty apparel platform with similar demographic focus.
• Cato Corporation: Cato Corporation operates a chain of women's specialty value apparel stores (Cato, Cato Plus, It's Fashion, It's Fashion Plus) covering misses, plus, and junior sizes, closely mirroring C&B's size-tier strategy at value price points.

Others

• Shopify: Shopify is the e-commerce platform provider powering christopherandbanks.com and serves as a critical infrastructure partner rather than a direct competitor, enabling Christopher & Banks' omnichannel retail operations.

Emerging players

• Eloquii: Eloquii is a digitally-native plus-size women's apparel brand offering trend-forward fashion in sizes 14-28, representing an emerging DTC competitor that intersects with Christopher & Banks' plus-size segment via a younger, online-first customer.

Broad incumbents

• Ann Taylor (Knitwell Group): Ann Taylor, part of Knitwell Group, is a broader women's specialty apparel incumbent offering career and casual wear with strong petite offerings, competing for the same misses and petite customer segment at slightly higher price points than Christopher & Banks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cbanksstyle
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoGJS--Vny4NLC4AKx67O6w
• Facebookfacebook.com/christopherandbanks
• Instagraminstagram.com/christopherandbanks
• Pinterestpinterest.com/cbcjbanks
• TikToktiktok.com/@christopherbanksofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Christopher & Banks Corporation