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{{More citations needed|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Peruvian Connection Ltd.
| logo = Peruvian Connection logo 2013.png
| caption =
| type = [[Private company|Private]]
| founder = Biddy and Annie Hurlbut
| foundation = 1976
| locations = 8
| products = sweaters dresses jackets coats skirts blankets shirts accessories jewelries home decor items
| location = [[Tonganoxie, Kansas]]
| homepage = [http://www.peruvianconnection.com/ www.peruvianconnection.com]
}}

'''Peruvian Connection''' Ltd. is a [[United States]]–based [[retailer]] of high-end women’s clothing and accessories. Originally started as a [[mail-order catalog]], the company also sells online and through eight retail stores.

== History ==

Peruvian Connection was founded in [[Kansas]] in 1976 by the mother and daughter team, Biddy and Annie Hurlbut. The impetus for the company grew out of trips Annie Hurlbut took to [[Peru]]. It was there that she bought a fitted [[sweater]] with an [[Alpaca fiber|alpaca]] fur-lined collar for her mother’s 50th birthday. Biddy later showed the sweater to a local buyer, who wanted 45 more.<ref>Gaynair, Gillian: [http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2007/10/15/story12.html "Mail-order sweater biz finds cozy home in D.C.,"] Washington Business Journal, 2007-10-12, retrieved on 2008-01-07.</ref>

The business grew slowly but steadily until a style writer from ''[[The New York Times]]'' did an interview with Annie for what would turn out to be a quarter-page article in the paper's Style section. Within three months, Peruvian Connection had 5,000 requests for [[mail-order catalog|catalogs]].

With continued growth in the late 1980s, Hurlbut and her mother opened outlet stores to sell excess inventory. Peruvian Connection now has retail stores in [[New York, New York]];
[[Washington, D.C.]]; [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]]; [[ Aspen, Colorado]]; [[Kansas City, Missouri]]; [[Boston, Massachusetts]]; [[Chicago, Illinois]] and [[London, England]]. A [[United Kingdom]] fulfillment center was opened in 1996 to serve customers in the United Kingdom and [[Europe]].

Today{{When|date=September 2020}}, the company has about 200 employees in the [[United States]], [[South America]] and the U.K. Peruvian Connection catalogs are printed in [[English language|English]] with prices in [[dollars]] or [[pounds sterling]], and in [[German language|German]] with pricing in [[Euros]]. European orders are fulfilled through the United Kingdom branch, with call center operators speaking English or German.

Peruvian Connection is among Working Woman magazine's Working Women 500, a list of the largest women-run businesses,<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2001/06/04/daily13.html "Local owners make national list of largest women-run businesses,"] Kansas City Business Journal, 2001-06-05, retrieved on 2008-01-07.</ref> and is ranked among Internet Retailer’s Top 500 online retailers.<ref>[http://www.internetretailer.com/top500/list.asp "Internet Retailer's Top 500 Guide 2007 Edition,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220174149/http://www.internetretailer.com/top500/list.asp |date=2009-02-20 }} Internet Retailer, Summer 2007, retrieved on 2008-01-07.</ref>

== Merchandise ==

Peruvian Connection focuses on women’s apparel made from the luxury fibers of [[Alpaca fiber|alpaca]] and [[pima cotton]]. Most items are original designs produced by Peruvian Connection staff designers and handcrafted by artisans in [[Peru]]. "We continue to work with the same [[cottage industry#Cottage industry|cottage industries]]," Hurlbut said. "Many of those have invested in their businesses; a lot are women-owned. We have relationships with our supplier base that go back 25 years, and we buy season after season from them."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gaynair |first=Gillian |date=October 15, 2007 |title=Mail-order sweater biz finds cozy home in D.C. |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2007/10/15/story12.html |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==

Official Peruvian Connection websites:
* US: http://www.peruvianconnection.com
* UK: http://www.peruvianconnection.co.uk
* Germany: http://www.peruvianconnection.de

[[Category:1976 establishments in Kansas]]
[[Category:Retail companies established in 1976]]
[[Category:Companies based in Kansas]]
[[Category:Leavenworth County, Kansas]]
[[Category:Online clothing retailers of the United States]]

Peruvian Connection - Revision history

imported>Edward Bednar: MOS:PREFIXDASH