Women’s footwear and fashion retailer LK Bennett is to enter the US market, with plans to open up to 100 stores, it is understood.

LK Bennett, which has 100 UK stores, is set to launch in four Bloomingdale’s stores in Manhatten, as well as in shopping centres in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and and Virginia.

The 400-600 sq ft concessions will sell clothes, shoes and accessories. It has set up a US subsidiary LK Bennett Inc, run by president Tony DiMasso, former chief operating officer of Jimmy Choo.

LK Bennett, which was was sold to Phoenix Equity Partners and Sirius Equity for an undisclosed sum in July 2008, also plans to expand into continental Europe and the Far East and is in talk to set up franchises in Malaysia, China and the Middle East. It plans for its international business to account for 30% of its turnover in the next two to three years.

The company is set to open further stores in London this year in locations such as Covent Garden and Kings Road.

Next month the business will launch an ad campaign called “Life is the Occasion”, which aims to capture women in their working environment.

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