Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch NYSE: ANF, is a "casual luxury" clothing retailer. A&F encompasses four brands: Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and RUEHL 925. The merchandise is sold in the brands' retail stores, catalogs, and online. more...

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As of 2006, the company operated around 900 stores in all U.S. states except Wyoming, and six stores in Canada and plans to continue expanding in Europe, Mexico, and Japan. The chain is headed by Mike Jeffries

Founded in 1892, the company was for many decades mainly an elite excursion goods retailer. After many years of success, the company struggled financially from the late 1960s until it was purchased by The Limited in 1988 and repositioned as a lifestyle brand.

History

Early years

During the beginning of the 20th century, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. was one of the most popular retail stores for Britain's elite sporting expeditions. The company was known for outfitting some of America's most influential leaders and celebrities on their sporting excursions. Every president from Theodore Roosevelt to Gerald Ford is said to have been outfitted by the company in some capacity (Teddy Roosevelt was an especially enthusiastic Abercrombie & Fitch customer, and he frequently visited the store in preparation for his famous African affairs). Other famous people to pass through Abercrombie & Fitch's doors include Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, John Sloan, Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable, Harpo Marx, John Steinbeck, and author Ernest Hemingway (who is said to have bought the gun he used to commit suicide at Abercrombie & Fitch).

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

The partnership, however, didn't end up well. David Abercrombie was more conservative, content to continue the store as it was, selling professional gear to professional outdoorsmen. Ezra Fitch, on the other hand, was more of a visionary. He was positive that the future of the business lay in expansion, selling the outdoors and its delights to more of the general public. The two quarreled frequently, even as the company grew increasingly successful. In 1907, Abercrombie sold his share in the company to Fitch and returned to manufacturing outdoor goods. Fitch continued the business with other partners and was, for the first time, able to direct the company in a manner to his pleasing.

Fitch determined that the store ought to have an outdoor feeling. Stock was not hidden behind glass cabinets. Instead, it was displayed as if in use. He set up a tent and equipped it as if it were out in the middle of the wilds of the Adirondacks. A campfire blazed in one corner, where an experienced guide was always in attendance, imparting valuable information to interested customers. Part of Fitch's strategy to expand the company was the creation of a mail-order catalog. In 1909, Abercrombie & Fitch mailed out over 50,000 copies of its 456 page catalog, which included outdoor clothing, camping gear, articles, and advice columns. The cost of the catalog nearly bankrupted the company, but it proved to be a profitable marketing device. By 1913, the store moved to a more fashionable and easily accessible midtown address just off Fifth Avenue, expanding its inventory to include sport clothing. A&F became the first store in New York to supply such clothing to women as well as men. In 1917, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. moved yet again to a twelve-story building on Madison Avenue. The store occupied the entire available space, making it the world's largest sporting goods store. Outside, a sign proclaimed, "Where the Blazed Trail Crosses the Boulevard."

Read more at Wikipedia.org