LC Waikiki

LC Waikiki (stylised LCW) is a Turkish ready-to-wear clothing and lifestyle retailer headquartered in Istanbul. The brand was founded in France in 1988 and became Turkish-owned in 1997 after acquisition by Tema Tekstil (Taha Group). The name combines LC for the French phrase Les Copains (“friends”) with “Waikiki,” referencing the beach in Hawaiʻi.

History

Founded in Paris in 1988 by Georges Amouyal, LC Waikiki was acquired by Turkey's Tema Tekstil in 1997 and restructured in Istanbul. The company’s early identity featured a chimpanzee mascot, prominent in its 1990s branding. Its 1,000th store opened in Kyiv in 2020.

Operations

LC Waikiki reported net sales of approximately US$4.92 billion (₺144.7 billion) and exports of US$1.2 billion*for 2024, employing around 55,000 staff and managing over 1,200 stores. Independent media coverage cites a turnover of about US$7.04 billion (₺207 billion) in 2024 a 55 % year-on-year increase.

According to the LC Waikiki website, retail stores are in the following countries:

• The Americas: Chile, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and now in El Salvador's Multiplaza shopping center.
• Africa: Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Dem. Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Reunion (FRANCE), Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia.
• Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, , Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
• Europe: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Cyprus, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia.
• Middle East: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE.

Global Presence

As of 2024, LC Waikiki operates ~1,300 stores across 61 countries on five continents, including new entries in Chile, Guatemala, Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia, and Mongolia.

E-Commerce

In 2024, LC Waikiki’s e-commerce site lcwaikiki.com achieved first-party net online sales of US$163.1 million, primarily within the fashion sector.

Ownership

Ownership breakdown: Küçük Family 47.49 %; Dizdar Family 35.22 %; Kısacık Family 7.21 %; Amouyal Family 6.50 %; Others 3.59 %.

References