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. 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 Market Male and female between the ages of 18 to 22 years old Male and female between the ages of 18 to 22 years old Privileged young All- American college scholar Privileged young All- American college scholar Take pleasure in group settings and activities (camping, boating, dancing, partying) Take pleasure in group settings and activities (camping, boating, dancing, partying)

Weaknesses for A&F Racial Discrimination Racial Discrimination Mall Locations Mall Locations Exclusivity Deters a Broader Market Exclusivity Deters a Broader Market Sexual Advertisements promoting promiscuity Sexual Advertisements promoting promiscuity

Strengths of A&F Brand Recognition Brand Recognition Customer Loyalty Customer Loyalty Breadth, Depth Breadth, Depth Explicit visuals in Explicit visuals in promotional tactics Exclusivity 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 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 Wikipedia.org (2007). Abercrombie & Fitch. Retrieved October 12, 2006 from YahooFinance. (2006). Form 10-q for abercrombie & fitch co/de/. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from