2009年10月14日星期三

Abercrombie Doesn't Change

Is this a good strategy? Only time will tell. In a sense, however, it is a riskier strategy, as short-term earnings are sacrificed in exchange for a future benefit of uncertain magnitude. Same-store sales are down a staggering 30% year over year, as consumer preferences have shifted towards cheaper brands. Despite the large sales drop, inventories are running some 15% above what they were at this time last year, which is undoubtedly contributing to the fact that the company has had to increase its debt load from $43 million one year ago to its current level of $157 million.
There are risks to be aware of, however. If the recession deepens, abercrombie and fitch wholesale cost structure could prove inflexible. While we have seen that evenhealthy retailers have been able to renegotiate their leases lower, the sheer magnitude of ANF's future lease obligations ($2.8 billion, larger than the company's market cap!) cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, the company does have room to reduce prices and increase short-term profits should this happen.
In this retail environment, where consumers selectively scour for bargains, it is tempting for retailers to reduce prices in order to drive sales and reduce inventory. One company bucking this trend is cheap abercrombie outlet (ANF), whose stated number one priority through this downturn is to "protect the brands". By holding prices steady while competitors discount, management hopes cheap Ambercrombie emerges from the recession as a superior brand that consumers are willing to pay a premium for.
But the company appears poised to be able to weather the economic storm. cheap Ruehl No.925 is still profitable despite the huge drop in sales thanks to its massive gross margins: buying apparel items manufactured in Asia and South America and selling them in North America for many times their cost has proven very fruitful for many companies which appeal to the fashion-conscious, and that's not likely to change.

2009年10月13日星期二

Abercrombie & Fitch store in the San Fra

Days after hitting store shelves, new Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirts featuring caricatured faces with slanted eyes and rice-paddy hats had Asian Americans in the Bay Area and beyond demanding a public apology from the retailer.
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Asian Americans recoiled upon seeing abercrombie outlet ...Customers at the Abercrombie & Fitch store in the San Fra... View Larger Images
The Midwestern clothier, which targets the young, affluent and active, said it was surprised by the mounting controversy over the T-shirt designs.
One has a slogan that says, "Wong Brothers Laundry Service -- Two Wongs Can Make It White." Beside the prominent lettering are two smiling figures in conical hats harking back to 1900s popular-culture depictions of Chinese men."We personally thought Asians would love this T-shirt," said Hampton Carney,with Paul Wilmot Communications in New York, the public relations firm where abercrombie referred a reporter's call.
"I wouldn't know how they could think that," said Austin Chung, 23, of Palo Alto, business manager for the quarterly Asian-focused magazine Monolid. "Abercrombie & Fitch is producing popular culture, and they cater to the views of the majority. You have to ask yourself, who benefits, who gets empowerment, from these kinds of images? It denigrates Asian men."
As word of the new T-shirts in Ruehl No.925 stores spread yesterday among university students and on far-reaching e-mail lists, plans shaped up for a late-night meeting in a Stanford dorm lounge.The subject: What to do about the series of themed T-shirts the retailer -- known for edgy advertising and skin-bearing advertising -- introduced Friday in stores and on its Web site.
"Wok-N-Bowl -- Let the Good Times Roll -- Chinese Food & Bowling," one design reads, with a stereotypical image similar to the figures on the Wong Brothers shirt."Abercrombie and Fitch Buddha Bash -- Get Your Buddha on the Floor," reads another shirt that shares display space in the youth-oriented, casual-clothing store.'TRULY AND DEEPLY SORRY'
The shirts were designed to appeal to young Asian shoppers with a sense of humor, Carney told The Chronicle yesterday.
The shirts were available for sale yesterday in the Abercrombie store at San Francisco Shopping Centre on Market Street. Whether they will remain on the shelves was unclear yesterday, the spokesman said.

2009年10月12日星期一

Abercrombie & Fitch is a successful company

Today Abercrombie & Fitch is a successful company. Their image has drastically changed throughout the years from a store for outdoorsman to the advertising of naked teenagers. The company also publishes the A&F quarterly, which is not just selling clothes, it is selling a lifestyle.
Abercrombie & Fitch began in 1892 under the name David T. abercrombie and fitch. It was a small waterfront shop and factory in New York City. 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. Ezra Fitch, a lawyer in New York crossed paths with abercrombie & Co. in his search for outstanding outdoor gear. In 1900 Abercrombie became Abercrombie & Fitch and Ezra became a partner.
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 outlet 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. Ezra Fitch retired and in 1977, the store went bankrupt. After a few owners, A&F was bought by Limited Inc. in 1988.

2009年10月4日星期日

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