Abercrombie & Fitch, Co.
Dan Bianchini, Jessica Kanaan, and Ben Lambert
History
• Abercrombie & Fitch first opened in 1892 by the hands
of David Abercrombie who was later joined by a wealthy
lawyer and loyal Abercrombie customer, Ezra Fitch.
• Originally, A & F catered to the outdoor needs of the
sporting elite: supplying hunting, fishing & camping
gear.
• Continued disputes led to the split of David
Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch, whose vision was more
expansive.
Catalogue Cover in 1909
• With a broader market, supplying men’s and women’s
clothing, as well as a more diverse range of sporting
merchandise, Fitch was on a high pedestal in the business
industry.
• In 1970, A & F filed bankruptcy and was later sold to
The Limited, Inc.
• Current CEO, Mike Jeffries, had a vision to reinvent the
company as a high-end retailer, focusing on trendy
collegiate apparel.
Catalog in 1909
Target Market
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Male and female between the
ages of 18 to 22 years old
Privileged young AllAmerican college scholar
Take pleasure in group
settings and activities
(camping, boating, dancing,
partying)
Weaknesses for A&F
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Racial Discrimination
Mall Locations
Exclusivity Deters a Broader Market
Sexual Advertisements promoting
promiscuity
Strengths of A&F
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Brand Recognition
Customer Loyalty
Breadth, Depth
Explicit visuals in
promotional tactics
Exclusivity
Marketing Mix: Product Line
• High quality, edgy casual clothing for the collegiate young adult
consumer
• Exceptional denim product, trendy tanks & tees, sweaters, and
outerwear
• Two Product Lines: Abercrombie & Fitch and Ezra Fitch
• Classic, “casual luxury,” All-American lifestyle
Marketing Mix: Place Strategy
• Limited Marketing Channel: exclusive distribution strategy
• Product is manufactured and sold through exclusive retail outlets
• Abercrombie stores range from 8,000 ft.2 to 22,000 ft.2
• Strategically places their stores in high volume areas, typically in
urban centers and regional super centers (ultimately a destination
store)
• Factors that determine placing of store location include visibility,
accessibility, and surrounding competition
Abercrombie & Fitch Brands
• abercrombie kids
• Hollister, Co.
• Ruehl No. 925
References
•Abercrombie & Fitch. (2004). A&F careers. Retrieved October 6, 2006, from
http://www.abercrombie.com/anf/hr/jobs/careers.html.
•Driscoll, M. (2006, October 30). Abercrombie & fitch: power shopper. Business Week. Retrieved
November 1, 2006 from
•Levy, M., & Weitz, B.A. (2007). Retailing Management.New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
•Manning-Schaffel, V. (2004, November 1). Abercrombie & fitch – second skin. Brandchannel.com.
Retrieved February 10, 2007 from
http://www.brandchannel.com/print_page.asp?ar_id=200&section=webwatch.
•Wikipedia.org (2007). Abercrombie & Fitch. Retrieved October 12, 2006 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abercrombie_&_Fitch.
•YahooFinance. (2006). Form 10-q for abercrombie & fitch co/de/. Retrieved November 1, 2006,
from http://biz.yahoo.com/e/060608/anf10-q.html