Abercrombie kids

Abercrombie & Fitch brand
name = my abercombie
bgcolor = #001e4c
fgcolor = #FFFFFF


type = Subsidiary
establishment = July 1998
headquarters = Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
6301 Fitch Path
New Albany, Ohio 43054
key people = Michael S. Jeffries, Chairman & CEO
industry =
apparel type = "Classic Cool" Apparel
initials = a92

theme =
color scheme = Navy
areas served = USA
store locations = 209 (July 2008)http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/61/617/61701/items/282722/Monthly_Store_Count_History_0708.pdf]
revenue =
net income =
employees =
website = [http://www.abercrombiekids.com/kids/index.html www.abercrombiekids.com] abercrombie (in marketing form), or abercrombie kids (officially), is a American lifestyle brand from Abercrombie & Fitch Co. This brand is the kid's version of the popular Abercrombie & Fitch, with a "classic cool" theme targeted towards elementary/middle school individuals aged 7 through 14. [ [http://www.abercrombie.com/anf/hr/jobs/careers.html AF Careers ] ] Abercrombie kids offers apparel designed after the A&F "Casual Luxury" apparel but with smaller sizes and cheaper prices. Goods are sold in stores and at their website, abercrombiekids.com.

History

Abercrombie & Fitch introduced abercrombie in 1997 with 9 stores. The purpose was to attract a younger audience to the American Abercrombie brand. The name of the concept took the same font of its parent, but with a navy color. The abbreviation from "Abercrombie & Fitch" to "abercrombie" with lowercase letters also provides a children's' image still effective today. The store prototype was as the A&F one, but with variations appealing to a more youthful class. Early abercrombie models include Ronnie Smith, Cassie Ventura, and Christina Akatsuka.

Current operations

tores and expansion

abercrombie kids stores are designed to give off a "classic cool" effect. They are designed as "canoe stores," displaying the a similar floor layout as Abercrombie & Fitch's (the retail space is divided into multiple rooms). However, the kids prototype does bear differences. It has no louvers to cover the windows, has brighter lighting, is smaller in retail space, blasts electronic dance music and pop music from young artists, and displays marketing pictures with young models resembling those at A&F. The signature fragrance, "Cologne 15", is sprayed store wide.

As of 2008, abercrombie operates a total of 209 stores in the United States. abercrombie kids opened its first Canadian store on August 21, 2008 at Sherway Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. It will also come during the fall at the Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, Ontario. As of February 2008, there are stores in every state except for Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

abercrombie kids goods

abercrombie kids' apparel is designed to mimic Abercrombie & Fitch clothing, and the brand carries most the styles that A&F does. The trademarked term, "classic cool", is used to promote the clothing on an in-store and website level from abercrombie and it acts as the more juvenile version of A&F's slogan "Casual Luxury". Jeans bear the same back-pocket-stitching pattern as A&F as well as the same fits respective to sex. The logo moose is prominently displayed on clothing as is the name "abercrombie" as well as the year of establishment, "1892" (Abercrombie & Fitch was itself established in 1892, but in reality, the children's' line "abercrombie" was not started until 1997). Clothing is categorized within the "boys" and "girls" divisions. Price points are on par with those at sister brand Hollister Co.

Humor tees from the brand have always had a following of criticism and controversy. Most slogans are taken as degrading girls (e.g., "I'm not allowed to date unless you're hot", ). They also show arrogant messages or disrespectful slogans ("'I will make you an all-star on the walk of shame'"). They are anti-education slogans as well: "'I'd do your homework, but I don't even do mine'; 'School is for catching up on sleep'). Girls' shirts are sold with slogans that typically show off their looks ("It's better being brunette", etc.). Perhaps the most controversial of all was the line of underwear for young girls with the sayings "Wink Wink" and "Eye Candy" screenprinted on them. [Dial, Karla. "Boundless". [http://www.boundless.org/2002_2003/features/a0000709.html Megan vs. A&F] ] Parents mounted storefront protests in outrage of the sexually-suggestive underwear. CEO and Chairman of the Board Mike Jeffries said to an interviewer that he did not think the underwear to be "bad", but moreso "cute." [cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/01/24/jeffries/index.html|title=The Man Behind Abercrombie & Fitch|last=Denizet-Lewis|first=Benoit|publisher=Salon.com|accessdate=2007-12-08]

The brand carries the following fragrance collections: "Chase" cologne and "Spirit" perfume, and "Cologne 15" and "Perfume 15". The brand released the "abercrombie" cologne and perfume set previous to 2006; however, it was retired Christmas 2007. Chase and Spirit were released Christmas 2006 and were followed by Cologne 15 and Perfume 15 being released Christmas 2007.

Future plans

Expansion

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. plans on launching 17 new Abercrombie Kids stores for the United States by the end of 2008. [ [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=61701&p=irol-newsArticle_print&ID=1108745&highlight= Abercrombie & Fitch Co. - Investor Relations - News Release ] ]

The Abercrombie Kids brand will begin its international expansion, following its sister brands Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister Co., in Canada. The first store has opened at Sherway Gardens with the opening postponed by a few days. Toronto Eaton Centre will also be opening an abercrombie kids store in the fall 2008. abercrombie kids may soon follow the international expansion outside of North America.

Flagship

Abercrombie & Fitch has begun planning openings of non-A&F flagships for their brands. The Company will open the first Hollister Co. flagship in SoHo 2009. abercrombie kids will follow this trend with the opening of the first ever abercrombie kids flagship on Fifth Avenue by 2010. The kids flagship will be near its Abercrombie & Fitch sister flagship and around such luxury boutiques as Chanel, Fendi, and Prada. [cite web|url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=61701&p=irol-newsArticle_print&ID=1146758&highlight=|title=Abercrombie & Fitch Reports First Quarter Results;|publisher=Abercrombie & Fitch Co.|accessdate=May 28, 2008 ]

References

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