Abercrombie & Fitch, Co.Dan Bianchini, Jessica Kanaan, and Ben Lambert

HistoryHistory• 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.

• 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.

Catalogue Cover in 1909

Catalog in 1909

Target MarketTarget Market

Male and female between the Male and female between the ages of 18 to 22 years oldages of 18 to 22 years old

Privileged young All-Privileged young All-American college scholarAmerican college scholar

Take pleasure in group Take pleasure in group settings and activities settings and activities (camping, boating, dancing, (camping, boating, dancing, partying)partying)

Weaknesses for A&FWeaknesses for A&F

Racial DiscriminationRacial Discrimination Mall LocationsMall Locations Exclusivity Deters a Broader MarketExclusivity Deters a Broader Market Sexual Advertisements promoting Sexual Advertisements promoting

promiscuitypromiscuity

Strengths of A&FStrengths of A&F

Brand RecognitionBrand Recognition Customer LoyaltyCustomer Loyalty Breadth, Depth Breadth, Depth Explicit visuals in Explicit visuals in

promotional tacticspromotional tactics ExclusivityExclusivity

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 Abercrombie & Fitch BrandsBrands

• 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