History

Finally in 1988, Oshman’s sold the company name and operations to The Limited, a clothing chain based in Columbus Ohio.

Now A&F sells mostly clothes instead of sporting and excursion products and describes its niche as an aspirational “casual luxury” lifestyle brand.

Abercrombie and Fitch was founded in 1892 in Manhattan New York by David T. Abercrombie and Ezra H. Fitch. It was an outfitter of sporting and excursion goods such as shotguns, fishing rods, tent etc. Then in 1976 Abercrombie and Fitch filed for bankruptcy, closing its Manhattan store in 1977.

1892

1976

1988

In 1978-79 The name was then revived when Oshman’s Sporting Goods bought the name and mailing list. They re-launched A&F as a mail order retailer for hunting wear and novelty items.

...2012

Brand ValuesA b e r c r o m b i e a n d Fi t c h i s a l i f e s t y l e b r a n d . I n t h e i r w o r d s t h e y a r e ‘ a s p i r a t i o n a l ’ t h e y c a t e r f o r o n l y t h e p r e p p y , I v y l e a g u e l i f e s t y l e w i t h n o r e a l v a r i a t i o n i n s t y l e t h e s e a r e a l l q u a l i t i e s t h a t m a ke t h i s b r a n d e x t r e m e l y r e c o g n i s a b l e . . .

T h e y l i v e a n d b r e a t h e t h e l i f e s t y l e t h r o u g h e v e r y a s p e c t o f t h e i r b r a n d . I n t h e i r s t o r e t h e s t a ff a r e r e a l l y m o d e l s . T h e b l a c k a n d w h i t e a d v e r t i s e m e n t s / p h o t o s o f y o u n g p e o p l e l i v i n g t h e l i f e s t y l e t h e y w a n t y o u t o b u y i n t o . T h e s h o p p i n g t h e a t r e e x p e r i e n c e , d a r k l i g h t i n g , i c o n i c s c e n t a n d s o o n a l l c r e a t e t h a t l i f e s t y l e a n d a t m o s p h e r e . . .

Product Lifecycle Some products go out of fashion shortly after it going mainstream but some once increased in popularity eventually reach a plateau and stay in fashion and continues being worn by a certain demographic. This is exactly the case with almost all A&F products. The people wanting the ‘aspirational lifestyle’ will always wear the brand and stay loyal.

A while after the innovators have began wearing an item small groups ill gradually find it acceptable and begin to adopt the trend themselves and so on and so on, it becomes mainstream.

Abercrombie and Fitch has a quarterly magazine in which they will promote new fashions and the loyal customer will roll with it and wear what they’re told as they have bought into the brand.

The beginning of Abercrombie and Fitch's products lifecycle often starts with something edgy, out there and is advertised with ‘politically incorrect’ ads. This is for innovators to want and start making fashionable, they will pay more for a product to be the first one to have it and set the trend.

Target AudienceA b e r c r o m b i e a n d Fi t c h i s a i m e d a t b o t h g e n d e r s a g e d 1 8 t o 2 2 .

T h e y a r e a l l a b o u t e x c l u s i v i t y a n d w i t h t h a t t h e y s u b c o n s c i o u s l y l i m i t w h o b u y s t h e r e c l o t h e s b u y p r o m o t i n g t h e i m a g e o f b e a u t y a n d p e r f e c t i o n a n d t h i s g i v e s s u p p o s e d l y ‘ l e s s a t t r a c t i v e ’ p e o p l e a f e e l i n g t h a t t h e y a r e n ' t w o r t h y o f t h e b r a n d t h e r e f o r t h e t y p e o f p e o p l e t h e y w a n t t o c o m e f o r w a r d a n d b u y i t d o . T h e s e b e i n g t h e p r e p p y , i v y l e a g u e t y p e d e m o g r a p h i c w h o c a n a ff o r d t h e c l o t h e s a n d w i l l b u y i n t o t h e b r a n d l i f e s t y l e .

T h e y c a t e r f o r t h e ‘ c o o l k i d s w i t h l o t s o f f r i e n d s ’ s a y s C E O M i ke J e ff r i e s .

Pricing StrategyT h e r e a r e t h r e e d i ff e r e n t b r a n d s o p e r a t e d b y A & F • A b e r c r o m b i e a n d Fi t c h • H o l l i s t e r • G i l l y H i c k s

T h e r e s t r a t e g i z i n g i s c h a r g i n g m o r e f o r A & F p r o d u c t s t h a t a r e n o b e t t e r p r o d u c t v a l u e t h a n a H o l l i s t e r i t e m b u t H o l l i s t e r a r e h a l f t h e p r i c e . A l t h o u g h t h e t w o b r a n d s c a t e r f o r t h e e x a c t s a m e a u d i e n c e p e o p l e w i l l a l w a y s p a y m o r e f o r A & F k n o w i n g t h a t t h e s a m e i t e m c a n b e p u r c h a s e d f o r a l o t l e s s .

A n A b e r c r o m b i e a n d Fi t c h l o g o i s w o r t h a l o t m o r e t h a n a H o l l i s t e r l o g o .

Product Life Cycle T h e A & F b r a n d n a m e h a s b e e n u s e d m a n y t i m e s a n d h a s g o n e t h r o u g h m a n y s t a g e s i n c l u d i n g b a n k r u p t c y b u t t h e c u r r e n t A & F b r a n d i s a t i t ’ s m a t u r i t y s t a g e .

I t s g o n e t h r o u g h a l l s t a g e s i n t h e U S a n d w a s g r o w i n g l a r g e l y w i t h i n t h e U k i n 2 0 1 0 . A n d n o w i n 2 0 1 2 i t i s s t i l l s t e a d i l y g r o w i n g i n p o p u l a r i t y b u t n o t a s m u c h c r a z e a b o u t i t a s i t w a s a y e a r o r s o .

A l t h o u g h l o y a l c u s t o m e r s h a v e s t u c k w i t h t h e b r a n d s i n c e t h e s t a r t a n d s t i l l w i l l .

Marketing And PR A b e r c r o m b i e a n d Fi t c h u s e c l a s s i c a l c o n d i t i o n i n g w i t h i n t h e i r m a r ke t i n g a n d t h i s i s m a s s i v e l y e ff e c t i v e f o r t h e i r b r a n d a s a s s o c i a t i n g t h e i r c l o t h i n g w i t h p e r f e c t i o n , b e a u t y a n d s e x u a l i s a t i o n e v e r y o n e w h o w a n t s t h a t l i f e s t y l e s e e ’ s t h e l o g o a n d t h i n k s a l l t h o s e t h i n g s .

Place And Distribution M o s t A & F s t o re s a re l o c a t e d i n t h e U . S b u t h a v e s i n c e b r a n c h e d o u t w o r l d w i d e a n d h a v e m a n y s t o re s a c ro s s t h e g l o b e . S i s t e r b r a n d s s u c h a s H o l l i s t e r a re e v e n m o re a c c e s s i b l e .

T h e re c l o t h i n g i s a l s o a v a i l a b l e o n l i n e o n a l l A & F b r a n d s w e b s i t e s .