The current Caciques in the portfolio are side by side with existing Lane Bryant stores. The 50 store openings make up about a third of the 155 to 160 units Lane Bryant parent company Charming Shoppes plans to open this year.

The side-by-side units are being referred to as Cacique Double Platinum by the company and will have store entrances with both chains' nameplates. These units will average 7,000 sf, compared to the average Lane Bryant location, which comes in at 5,500 sf.

Cacique is rolling out its chain as other companies are putting forth new lingerie concepts. Fort Myers, FL-based Chico's FAS continues to roll out its Soma chain, geared toward women over 35 years old, while Limited Brands' Victoria's Secret will be testing stand-alone Pink stores, which target younger consumers.

In all, Charming Shoppes, based in Bensalem, PA, operates approximately 2,220 stores across the country under the Catherines Plus Sizes, Fashion Bug and Lane Bryant banners. Executives are projecting sales of $3.05 billion to $3.1 billion for the year, up from $2.75 billion in 2005.