{{Short description|Turkish clothing company}}
{{Infobox company | name = LC Waikiki | logo = LC Waikiki logo.svg | image = LC Waikiki, Nertili shopping centre, Gjakova, 2025.jpg | image_caption = LC Waikiki store in Gjakova, Kosovo | type = Private | industry = Retail | founded = {{Start date and age|1988}} | founder = Georges Amouyal | hq_location_city = Istanbul | hq_location_country = Turkey | num_locations = {{Increase}} 1,300 (2024)<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkish clothing giant LCW hints at potential to reopen Syria stores |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/business/economy/turkish-clothing-giant-lcw-hints-at-potential-to-reopen-syria-stores |work=Daily Sabah |date=23 December 2024 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref> | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Vahap Küçük (chairman); Mustafa Küçük (CEO) | products = Clothing | revenue = {{Increase}} US$4.92 billion | revenue_year = 2024 | owner = LC Waikiki Mağazacılık | num_employees = {{Increase}} 55,000 (2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://corporate.lcwaikiki.com/en-us/about-us |website=LC Waikiki Corporate |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref> | subsid = XSIDE; LCW Home | website = {{URL|http://www.lcw.com}} | footnotes = Exports: US$1.2 billion (2024).<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://corporate.lcwaikiki.com/en-us/about-us |website=LC Waikiki Corporate |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref> }}
'''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).<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://corporate.lcwaikiki.com/en-US/History |website=LC Waikiki Corporate |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref> The name combines ''LC'' for the French phrase ''Les Copains'' (“friends”) with “Waikiki,” referencing the beach in Hawaiʻi.<ref>{{cite news |title=How LC Waikiki Made a Turkish Sheepherder Super Rich |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-09/how-lc-waikiki-made-a-turkish-sheepherder-super-rich |work=Bloomberg |date=9 March 2016 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref>
== History == Founded in Paris in 1988 by Georges Amouyal, LC Waikiki was acquired by Turkey's Tema Tekstil in 1997 and restructured in Istanbul.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://corporate.lcwaikiki.com/en-us/about-us |website=LC Waikiki Corporate |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref> The company’s early identity featured a chimpanzee mascot, prominent in its 1990s branding.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Akcan |first1=Burçe |last2=Kazaz |first2=Arzu |date=2022 |title=Deneyimsel Pazarlama Stratejisi Olarak Oynanabilir Reklamlar |journal=Yeni Medya |volume=2022 |issue=12 |pages=53–78 |doi=10.55609/yenimedya.1102659 |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/2371089 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref> Its 1,000th store opened in Kyiv in 2020.<ref>{{cite press release |title=LC Waikiki opens 1,000th store in Kyiv |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/ae/news-releases/lc-waikiki-aims-to-become-one-of-the-three-most-successful-fashion-retail-brands-of-europe-by-2023-301010784.html |publisher=PR Newswire |date=26 February 2020 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref>
== 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://corporate.lcwaikiki.com/en-us/about-us |website=LC Waikiki Corporate |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref> Independent media coverage cites a turnover of about US$7.04 billion (₺207 billion) in 2024 a 55 % year-on-year increase.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkish clothing giant LCW hints at potential to reopen Syria stores |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/business/economy/turkish-clothing-giant-lcw-hints-at-potential-to-reopen-syria-stores |work=Daily Sabah |date=23 December 2024 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref>
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, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Reunion (FRANCE), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia. * Asia: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. * Europe: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Cyprus, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia. * Middle East: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkish clothing giant LCW hints at potential to reopen Syria stores |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/business/economy/turkish-clothing-giant-lcw-hints-at-potential-to-reopen-syria-stores |work=Daily Sabah |date=23 December 2024 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Preuss |first=Simone |title=LC Waikiki opens first store in Uganda, plans further expansion in Africa |url=https://fashionunited.com/news/retail/lc-waikiki-opens-first-store-in-uganda-plans-further-expansion-in-africa/2021010437268 |work=FashionUnited |date=3 January 2021 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Perú: LC Waikiki llega al centro comercial Plaza Norte |url=https://www.peru-retail.com/peru-lc-waikiki-centro-comercial-plaza-norte/ |work=Perú Retail |date=9 July 2021 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Turkish retail giant LC Waikiki will launch in Chile |url=https://blog.investchile.gob.cl/lc-waikiki-chile |website=InvestChile |date=8 November 2024 |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref>
== 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=lcwaikiki.com: eCommerce revenue analytics |url=https://ecommercedb.com/store/lcwaikiki.com |website=ECDB |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref>
== Ownership == Ownership breakdown: Küçük Family 47.49 %; Dizdar Family 35.22 %; Kısacık Family 7.21 %; Amouyal Family 6.50 %; Others 3.59 %.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us – Shareholders |url=https://corporate.lcwaikiki.com/en-us/about-us |website=LC Waikiki Corporate |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Turkish brands Category:Clothing companies established in 1988 Category:Companies based in Istanbul Category:Retail companies of Turkey