Abercrombie and Fitch

HOLLISTER CO., RUEHL NO.925, ABERCROMBIE KIDS, GILLY HICKS

Abercrombie & Fitch is a "Casual Luxury" American lifestyle brand which was founded in 1892 under the name David T. Abercrombie Co. It was a small waterfront shop and factory in downtown Manhattan, New York. The founder, David Abercrombie, was a former trapper, prospector, topographer, and railroad surveyor. His love for the great outdoors influenced his store, Abercrombie & Co., and was dedicated to camping, fishing, and hunting gear. His clientele consisted mostly of hunters and explorers. A wealthy New York lawyer Ezra Fitch also was one of his regular customers. In 1900, Fitch left his law practice and bought a major share into the growing company, thus becoming co-founder. There afterwards, Abercrombie Co. moved into larger quarters at 314 Broadway, and Fitch began to implement experimental ideas on how to renovate the store. In 1904, Fitch's surname was incorporated and so the official name was changed to Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

Long arguments formed between the two men regarding the future of Abercrombie & Fitch. Abercrombie wanted to continue selling gear to professional outdoorsmen, while Fitch wanted to focus the store on the general public. Abercrombie resigned in 1907 leaving the store in the hands of Ezra Fitch. Fitch wanted the store to have an outdoor feeling. He set up a tent in the middle of the store, and a campfire blazed in a corner. The clerks hired at A&F were not professional salesmen, they were true outdoorsmen. Inventory expanded as did the store. A&F became the first store in New York to supply such clothing to women as well as men. A&F began publishing a magazine which contained 456 pages of outdoor gear and clothing. Now there were 50,000 prospective customers for A&F. Abercrombie & Fitch soon became the largest sporting goods store in the world. It had struggled financially from the late 1960s until it was acquired by Limited Brands in 1988.

Today Abercrombie & Fitch is a successful company. Its image has drastically changed over the next few decades from a store for outdoorsmen to being marketed as an upscale teen apparel merchandiser. Michael S. Jeffries(its current Chairman & CEO) says the brand is "all about sex", something "United States is cynical about". The company also publishes the A&F quarterly, which is not just selling clothes, it is selling a lifestyle.

http://www.abercrombie.com