Limited posts 8 percent drop in Jan same-store sales

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Limited Brands Inc (LTD.N) said on Thursday that sales at established stores fell 8 percent in January.

The operator of the Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works chains said that total sales fell to $625.8 million for the four weeks ended February 2, from $1.06 billion for the five weeks ended February 3, 2007.

Analysts, on average, had been expecting the retailer to post a same-store sales decline of 7.2 percent.

(Reporting by Aarthi Sivaraman; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)