Right from the runway is the Express way. Express operates some 650 stores throughout the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico that sell trendy private-label apparel and accessories targeted to men and women between the ages of 20 and 30. (The chain's fashions are styled to have an international influence and modern appeal.) The stores are located primarily in malls. Express also sells denim and lingerie and operates a growing online business. The chain's international footprint is growing through franchise agreements in the Middle East and Latin America. Launched by Limited Brands (later renamed L Brands) in 1980, Express was taken public in 2010 by the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital.