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Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F) is an American clothing retailer that specializes in causal apparel and personal care for both men and women. Targeting a younger demographic, the company also operates 2 sister brands that sell similar merchandise: Abercrombie Kids and Hollister Co.[1] As of 2017, A&F operates 674 stores worldwide including Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, and China.[2]

A&F was established in 1892 by founders David T. Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch.[3] The company initially specialized in sporting goods until it evolved to a casual outfitter for teenagers. It was not until former CEO, Mike Jeffries, acquired the brand in the late 1990s in which A&F became known for preppy outfits mixed with street style influences.[4] Today, the company’s main headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio.[5]

The teen retailer is infamously known for its overly sexualized advertisement campaigns, and controversial remarks made by Jeffries regarding the image of the ideal A&F customer.[3] However, the company is most notable for their dimly lit stores that sell high quality products, boasting their logo and their signature fragrances. 

As of 2016, A&F Chairman, Arthur Martinez, stated that the company plans on undergoing a major rebranding to evolve the image and products of the brand to target an older demographic.[6]

History

Main article: History of Abercrombie & Fitch

File:1909 A&F Catalog.png
Cover of 1909 A&F catalog.

The company was founded by David T. Abercrombie in 1892. Abercrombie opened his first store in Manhattan, New York under the name David T. Abercrombie Co. The company primarily sold hunting and fishing goods, later to be popularly known as an elite outfitter of sporting and execration equipment. In 1900, Ezra Fitch purchased a portion of the company causing the store to be named Abercrombie & Fitch in 1904. Abercrombie resigned in 1907, while Fitch continued to operate the business until 1928. [3] A&F was one of the most successful businesses in 1939 where people such as Ernest Hemingway, Amelia Earhart, and Teddy Roosevelt were seen wearing outfits from "The Greatest Sporting Goods Store in the World", a slogan the company created. The company filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 1976. By 1977, the company shut its only location, which was the flagship store located at Madison Avenue and East 45th Street, New York.[7]

In 1978, Jake Oshman, owner of Houston-based retailer, Oshman's Sporting Goods, relaunched A&F as a mail-order retailer specializing in hunting wear and novelty items. Throughout the 1980's, under Oshman's direction, A&F opened stores in Beverly Hills, Dallas, and New York City. [8] Oshman eventually sold A&F to Limited Brands, an American clothing-chain operator, in 1988.

File:AF Interior.png
Interior of first A&F store in New York City.

Limited Brands hired CEO Michael Jeffries in 1992 to oversee and direct A&F to a more mainstream, casual outfitter that targeted younger consumers. In 1996, A&F left Limited Brands and became a separate, publicly traded company. Under the supervision of Jeffries, A&F became one of the largest apparel firms in the United States.

With the success of Abercrombie & Fitch, Jeffries launched Abercrombie Kids in 1998, Hollister Co. in 2000, Ruehl No. 925 in 2004, and Gilly Hicks in 2008.

After 22 years with the company, Jeffries resigned from his CEO position in 2014. As of 2015, A&F announced to pursue a rebranding strategy to evolve the image of teen retailer and its subsidiaries once again.[9] In the 2016 Holiday Season, A&F launched their rebranding strategy to the public by introducing new products and a new store prototype.[10]

Brands

As of 2017, Abercrombie & Fitch operates 3 concept brands. These subsidiaries compete with other popular teen retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters and Aéropostale.

Abercrombie Kids

Abercrombie Kids is the children's subsidiary of A&F. Established in 1998, the company sells similar clothing styles as the adult store to children ages 7 to 14. The kids store is marketed as "Prep-school by Abercrombie & Fitch" and frequently referred to a more youthful, "classic cool" style compared to the other brands in the company. Abercrombie Kids mainly competes with 77Kids by American Eagle and P.S. by Aéropostale.

Hollister Co.

Hollister Co. is aimed towards teenagers ages 14 to 18. A&F deems it the "Fantasy of Southern California" that they have created through their stores' atmospheres, and the products carried. The brand carries almost identical pieces as the parent brand, but sold at significantly lower prices.

Gilly Hicks

Gilly Hicks targets female consumers by primarily selling underwear, loungewear, perfumes, and body care. Established in 2007, the company was referred to Abercrombie & Fitch's "Cheeky Cousin" and created a fantasy of Sydney, Australia through its products. As of 2013, the company decided to shutter all 23 stores, however, the company revived the brand in 2016 as an online exclusive to the Hollister Co. website. In 2017, A&F plans on opening small Gilly Hicks boutiques within Hollister Co. Stores worldwide. Gilly Hicks mainly competes with Victoria's Secret's offshoot brand, PINK, as well as American Eagle's Aerie.

Ruehl No. 925

Ruehl No. 925 was targeted to an older demographic ranging from 22 to 35. The company marketed Ruehl as the "Post-Grad" embodiment of its parent company. This concept was themed after a home in Greenwich Village, New York. Established in 2004, the brand operated 29 stores within the United States, until 2010, when the brand was closed.

Brand Protection

The company launched a brand protection program in 2006 to combat the counterfeiting of A&F merchandise across each subsidiary. A&F partnered with legal teams and the CIA to develop strategies and improve practices to eliminate counterfeit products globally.

Brand Identity

Brand Identity

Under the direction of Jeffries, A&F became infamously known for their strict brand identity. The company aimed to produce an All-American image that was rooted with affluence. As products were designed with high quality materials, Jeffries coined the term "Casual Luxury" in the early 2000s which defined the company for over a decade.[9] Striving to become a luxurious lifestyle brand, the company opened major flagship stores in affluent neighbourhoods such as Fifth Avenue, New York City, and Champs-Elysées, Paris. Opening these stores were associated with an increase in prices, which furthered the affluent image of the company.[11]

Products

As CEO, Jeffries thought of each subsidiary as a movie, where each brand told their own story. He strived to create the ultimate lifestyle brand for teens and did not want the company to just sell clothes.[9] A&F sells a range of products from clothing, fragrance and body care to magazines and music, which would cultivate the image Jeffries envisioned.

A&F has been described to sell neo-preppy clothing branded with the company's moose logo or name on every piece.[12] Clothing is usually compared to collegiate apparel as the company was heavily driven by a prep school, athletic image. Items are designed to incorporate the season's trends and styled to appeal to a younger demographic.

The company plans to rebrand their products by focusing more on street style trends and cutting back on pieces boasting the brand's name and logo. Headed in a new direction, the company plans on catering to an older demographic.[13] This involves the introduction of a signature handbag line and focusing on a premium denim collection.

Marketing and Advertising

File:A&F Marketing.png
A&F Marketting shot by Bruce Weber for the Back-to-School 2010 Season.

The company is best known for their provocative greyscale campaigns shot exclusively by fashion photographer, Bruce Weber.[14] A&F quickly became known for its shirtless male models found in every store and overly sexualized campaigns targeted to teenagers.[15] Because products were emblazoned with the company's name or the moose, their logo, A&F rarely advertised as the company believed that customers who wore the clothing was sufficient advertising. When the company did advertise, images shot by Weber would be used on billboards and magazines.

Stores

Canoe Stores

Canoe style storefront.

The company refers to mall-based locations as canoe stores, as it is described to be a replica of Jeffries' cottage in Ohio.[9] This prototype is found for both adult and kids stores. These stores boasted dark hard wood floors and furniture, grey walls and stainless steel fixtures. Each store consists of large frames displaying the current season's marketing, as well as several plants positioned around the store. These stores would pay homage to the sporting goods era of 1892 by displaying a large canoe hanging from the ceiling, as well as a large taxidermy moose head displayed at cash wrap.

File:A&F Flagship.png
A&F flagship store located at 5th Avenue, New York City.

Flagship Stores

The company's flagship stores are designed to mimic the first A&F store opened in 1892. Products are displayed in glass fixtures and original sporting equipment from that era are displayed as well. These multilevelled stores display murals painted by Mark Beard, instead of grey walls in the canoe stores.[16] However, like canoe stores, large frames, plants, and the taxidermy moose head are found throughout the vicinity. These locations carry a wider range of products at higher prices.

Boutiques

File:AF New store concept.png
New boutique style storefront located at Polaris Fashion Mall.

A part of the company's rebranding strategy is to create a new store concept that will give the brand a new identity. Opened in January 2017, at Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus Ohio, the new store consists of a new storefront containing light brown hardwood and the original A&F logo from 1892. Plants, frames, and dark furniture have been replaced with rustic metal fixtures that present the current season's collection. These boutique style stores are smaller compared to the canoe stores of the 2000s. The company plans to roll out this concept for the company's future.[17]

International Expansion

A&F began to expand internationally in 2005 by opening Canadian locations in Toronto and Edmonton. In 2007, the company entered the European market and opened a flagship store in London. Since then the company expanded throughout Europe operating stores in Milan, Copenhagen, Paris, Madrid, and Brussels. The company entered Asia in 2009 opening branches in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Seoul. The company opened several locations in the Middle East and Mexico during 2015.

Jeffries specifically selected upscale neighbourhoods to set up shop to introduce the A&F as a luxury brand to international consumers.[9] Stores outside of the United States drew in crowds and generated more profit compared to American branches. However, in 2015 A&F converted the Fukuoka flagship into an outlet store carrying all subsidiaries and closed the Hong Kong flagship due underperforming sales.[18]

Store Closures

In 2010, A&F revealed that it will be closing stores due to underperforming businesses. Because online shopping has dominated the retail industry, contributing to decreased mall traffic, the company shuttered 350 locations by the end of 2016. In addition to store closures, the company plans on remodelling existing locations to include the kids subsidiary within the adult stores to boost sales. [19] As of 2017, the company plans on closing down 60 more stores.[2]

Humanitarian projects

A&F Cares

In 1999, A&F founded a human rights project to promote diversity and inclusion. The company released the A&F Cares website in 2010 which presents the company's code of conduct that outlines issues regarding child labour, harassment, discrimination, and health and safety.[20] The website also details the company's endeavours to promote energy sustainability initiative within stores and home office.[21]

The A&F Challenge

The A&F Challenge is an annual fundraising event held in the home office campus in New Albany. Each year, the event draws in large crowds to participate in running and biking marathons, enjoy live entertainment and shop limited edition apparel not released to stores.[22] The money fundraised is given to local hospitals or charities. In 2007 the Challenge raised $10 million for the Ohio State University Medical Center's Program for Health for cancer prevention and treatment for women.[23] As of 2011, A&F has been fundraising for the SeriousFun Children's Network.[24]

Partnership with SeriousFun Children's Network

A&F partnered with SeriousFun in 2011 to help raise money to send children to summer camp for free. In addition to the A&F Challenge, the company generates funds for the organization by selling a limited edition SeriousFun collection across all its brands. Employees are encouraged to participate by fundraising and applying to become camp counsellors. As of 2016, the company raised $15 million for the network.[25]

Scholarships

In 2007, A&F partnered with the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) in Atlanta, Georgia to establish the Abercrombie & Fitch Global Diversity & Leadership Scholar Awards. Exclusively for members of the NSHSS, the scholarship requires applicants to write an essay explaining their views on diversity New Exeand inclusion.[26]

Controversy

A&F Quarterly

File:AF Quarterly.png
A&F Quarterly for the 1996 Back-to-School Season.

Main article: A&F Quarterly

The A&F Quarterly was a publication that the company released every season from 1997 to 2003. The magalog contained nude photography, articles about sex, recipes for alcoholic beverages, as well as current products and prices.[27] Due to its sexually explicit nature, conservative and religious groups boycotted the publication. The magalog was relaunched for the back-to-school 2010 season.[28]

Look Policy

The company is infamously known for having their employees look a certain way. Each season, Jeffries would create a look book outlining the company's expectations from their brand representatives. The look book acted as a guide that dictated the way associates appeared during work.[29] The look policy became controversial when employees' hours were being reduced for not complying to the guidelines and not purchasing A&F items.[30] Jeffries guidelines were becoming problematic when rules began to discriminate against ethnicity and religious beliefs. In turn several lawsuits were filed including González v. Abercrombie & Fitch in 2004, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores in 2009.[31] [32] The look policy was defunct in 2015. [33]

Target Demographic

In 2013, comments Jeffries made in a 2006 Salon interview went viral and caused widespread outcry over Abercrombie's marketing practices.[34] Jeffries stated that the brand was exclusionary against overweight individuals and only targeted to attractive, cool kids.[35] On May 17, 2013, Jeffries issued an apology regarding his quote and assuring customers that the company is against discrimination and bullying.[36]

Rebranding

New Executives

Following the retirement of Jeffries in 2014, A&F appointed Fran Horrowitz to become the new CEO of the company in 2017.[37] Previously the president of Hollister Co., Horrowitz boosted the subsidiary's sales and plans on doing so for A&F.[38]

Marketing

File:AF Rebranding.png
A&F rebranding advertisement in Times Square, New York City.

The main goal of the company is to have a more inclusionary approach when targeting customers. A&F has toned down Jeffries' overly sexualized image by eliminating shirtless store greeters, the A&F quarterly and in store imagery shot by Bruce Weber. The company hired Katia Kuethe, the former creative director at Kate Spade and Lucky Magazine.[39]

In November 2016, the new image of A&F was introduced to the public via Instagram. The company rid their Instagram account of all previous posts and posted an image that stated, "People have a lot to say about us. They think they've got us figured out." This same image would be found in stores and on billboards across the United States.

Because social media has become an influential factor driving sales, A&F has recruited several bloggers and fashion influencers to style outfits and post these images on social media with hopes to boost sales. In fact, the company now urges customers to upload images of themselves in the latest styles under certain hashtags to be featured on the company's social media sites and even win money.

Stores and E-Commerce

With numerous store closures, the company decided to combine kids and adult stores to boost sales as well as remodel and introduce a new store concept in 2017. However, as online shopping becomes a dominant trend in the retail industry, the company launched the A&F App. The app, available on smart phones and tablets, enables customers to purchase items directly on their devices in which items will be delivered to their homes or picked up in stores. The app also contains a "Scan In-Store" feature where a customer can scan the barcode of a particular item in which the app will provide detailed information regarding the specific product. The company plans on boosting business by providing several ways to buy their desired products.

Associates

Associates are no longer referred to as "Models" or "Impact", but rather Brand Representatives or Stock Associates respectively. Through the associates, the company is eliminating their exclusive personality as portrayed in the past. Since the 2016 Holiday season staff are trained with the "GIFT Approach" which requires associates to greet customers, inquire their needs, figure out solutions and thank them for shopping. Horrowitz stated that the company can boost sales "just by being nicer". In addition, A&F wants to increase diversity in stores by hiring people of all backgrounds, instead of solely focusing on a caucasian demographic, similar to their past.

Products

A&F's products remain the same, but a new design team has been hired to update fits and introduce new styles. As of 2016, Kristina Szaz, former design director at Karl Lagerfeld and Tommy Hilfiger, was appointed to lead the women's design team.[40] The same year the company hired Aaron Levine as head of menswear, who is best known for his menswear collections at Club Monaco and Jack Spade.[41] The same year, they appointed Levine as senior vice president for both menswear and womenswear.[42]

With a new design team, the company plans on introducing their archive collection, which consist of popular, best selling products in the past, as well as introducing a wider range of sizes. The company is slowly phasing out their logo and producing non-branded pieces. Further, A&F now carries clothing from other brands that are exclusively sold through their website.

References

  1. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch Careers". www.anfcareers.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  2. ^ a b "Let's Pour A Mall Slushie Out For The 60 Abercrombie & Fitch Stores Closing This Year". Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  3. ^ a b c "The bizarre history of Abercrombie & Fitch — and how the retailer is transforming yet again". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  4. ^ Mackenzie, Macaela. "Abercrombie's New Collection Is Taking Us Back to the Early 2000s". Allure. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  5. ^ "Four Iconic Businesses: One "BRAND"" (PDF). Retrieved February 9, 2008.
  6. ^ Gustafson, Krystina (2016-05-26). "Abercrombie chairman bets you're tired of $5 T-shirts". CNBC. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  7. ^ "Remembering Abercrombie & Fitch for What It Was". A Continuous Lean. 2014-01-13. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  8. ^ J., KLEINER, DIANA (2010-06-15). "OSHMAN'S SPORTING GOODS". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved 2017-03-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b c d e "The Aging of Abercrombie & Fitch". Bloomberg.com. 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  10. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch Continues Rebranding Efforts with Holiday Ad Campaign". Fashionista. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  11. ^ Denizet-Lewis, Benoit. "The man behind Abercrombie & Fitch". Salon. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  12. ^ "Why I'm Nostalgic for the Old Abercrombie & Fitch". Fashionista. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  13. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch's Rebrand Continues With First Campaign From New Creative Director". Fashionista. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  14. ^ English, Vogue. "#Flashback: Bruce Weber's 1990s campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch". Vogue English. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  15. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch - Photos - Most controversial ads of all time". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  16. ^ "Mark Beard's Art at the Abercrombie and Fitch Fifth Avenue Flagship Store". nyclovesnyc.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  17. ^ Chuck, Palmer (February 24, 2017). "Abercrombie & Fitch: The New Experience?". Linkedin. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  18. ^ "Why Abercrombie & Fitch Is Pulling Out of Hong Kong". Fortune. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  19. ^ Gustafson, Krystina (2016-11-18). "More store closures may be ahead for Abercrombie & Fitch". CNBC. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  20. ^ "A&F Cares | Code of Conduct". www.anfcares.org. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  21. ^ "A&F Cares | Sustainability | Environment". www.anfcares.org. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  22. ^ "A&F Challenge 2016 | The Tradition". A&F Challenge. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  23. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch gives a party vibe to its fundraiser". CityScene Magazine. 2015-09-01. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  24. ^ "A&F Challenge 2016 | SeriousFun". A&F Challenge. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  25. ^ Fisher, Tara. "Abercrombie & Fitch Co. announces $15 Mil commitment to SeriousFun!". Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  26. ^ "The National Society of High School Scholars". www.nshss.org. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  27. ^ "A&F Quarterly: The Story of Abercrombie's Highbrow, Controversial, Sort of Amazing Magalog". Racked. 2014-10-01. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  28. ^ "The Resurrected A&F Quarterly Contains More Male Nudity Than Female Nudity". The Cut. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  29. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch Employees Describe Its Tyrannical 'Look Policy'". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  30. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch Faces New Lawsuit Over Employee "Look Policy"". Complex CA. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  31. ^ "EEOC Agrees to Landmark Resolution of Discrimination Case Against Abercrombie & Fitch". www.eeoc.gov. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  32. ^ Liptak, Adam (2015-06-01). "Muslim Woman Denied Job Over Head Scarf Wins in Supreme Court". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  33. ^ Rooney, Ben (2015-04-24). "Abercrombie makeover: No more shirtless models". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  34. ^ News, Headlines & Global (2013-05-09). "Mike Jeffries Abercrombie: Retail Chain Ignores Plus-Sized Women; 'Doesn't Want Large People in His Store'". Headlines & Global News. Retrieved 2017-03-17. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  35. ^ Denizet-Lewis, Benoit. "The man behind Abercrombie & Fitch". Salon. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  36. ^ "Abercrombie And Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries Apologizes". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  37. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch names merchandising head as CEO". Reuters. 2017-02-01. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  38. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch: New CEO Fran Horowitz". Fortune. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  39. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch Hires Former 'Lucky' Creative Director". Fashionista. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  40. ^ "Abercrombie & Fitch Hires New Women's Designer from Karl Lagerfeld". Fashionista. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  41. ^ Carvell, Nick. "Aaron Levine is making Abercrombie & Fitch cool again. Seriously". British GQ. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  42. ^ Palmieri, Jean E. (2016-12-14). "Aaron Levine to Oversee Women's for Abercrombie & Fitch". WWD. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
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