...Abercrombie and Fitch Case Analysis MGT625 April 11, 2012 Elizabeth Payne Abstract Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F) is a typical mall front store. They have been in the business for a century and are not going anywhere. A&F sees their fair share of mock items and lawsuits. However, through it all, A&F has made it to be successful, overcome threats, and open similar chains to target a wider range age market. Introduction Abercrombie & Fitch was founded in 1892 as a unique clothing store. Over the century in business they have made a distinct target for young adults. The fashion giant specializes in apparel for ages 18 through 22. “The 118-year-old retailer has been acknowledged for operating a top-notch internal system that expertly managed transactions, communicated with vendors and streamlined its supply chain operations to fulfill assortments across more than 1,000 stores,” (Amato-McCoy, 2011, para 3). The brand mainly produces casual apparel; anything from jeans to tee-shirts, summer dresses, and flip flops. They are iconic to the American young adult population around the globe. A&F is primarily found in the USA but has ventured into other global markets. The company has been praised and criticized for their marketing approach and brand style. Environmental Threats A&F faces environmental threats based on the nature of their business. They are in the business of selling and marketing clothes to young adults. Other well-known...
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...Abercrombie & Fitch Executive Brief of External Environment From 2011 Annual Report Company Profile: Specialty in clothing retailer; operate store and direct to consumer operations; under Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie kids, Gilly Hicks, and Hollister brands; 1045 store in North America, Europe, and Asia. $3.5B net sales; 85,000 associates; HQ: New Albany, OH. PESTLDG Analysis Political/ legal Donation to lobbying of $120,000, issue health care reform. Abercrombie & Fitch does not give a many contributions to lobbying. This could be because they will like something change in the Obama Health care law. Abercrombie & Fitch is no estranger to legal problem. In 2002 has two pulled a t-shirt that said “ Wong Brothers Laundry Service – Two Wongs Can Make It White” An Asian American student at Stanford University organized a successful boycott. In 2009, they settle a Discrimination lawsuit in 2009 for $40 million dollars to thousand of minority plaintiffs claimed that African American, Asian, and Hispanic workers were steered to the backroom instead to the sales floor. In 2008, an assistant manager filed a lawsuit against Hollister chain because she was asked to wear short skirt to keep with acceptable work attitude. This can damage the company image. Abercrombie & Fitch No Stranger to Look related lawsuit. In 2008, Muslim teenager was told during an interview that her head scarf would violate Abercrombie & Fitch’s strict but secretive “ Look...
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...Abercrombie & Fitch Marketing Assignment Executive Summary Established in 1892, Abercrombie & Fitch marketing strategy has always been to target those between the ages of 18 and 22. A&F’s gross sales have been $539 million in 2008; however sales have dropped by 5% from the previous year due to the recession. In order for sales to improve our marketing consulting team has developed an internal analysis, which identifies, assesses, predicts, and accommodates the human resources, technology, finances and operations that A&F possesses. The internal analysis explains how these possessions, which have helped the organization until present time, can be used to help increase sales during this recession. Furthermore, the report analyzes A&F externally showing what kind role each factor, such as price and quality, plays in A&F and its competitors. The external analysis describes the political, economic, social, and technological factors in A&F’s environment and how each of these factors can be used for the benefit of the company during this recession. To further clarify A&F’s positioning, a perceptual map has been developed in which A&F shown as a high priced and high quality retail organization. It can be noted at this point that all of A&F’s competitors are willing to promote its employees and give discounts while A&F chooses not to, and yet they have the highest drop in sales growth. Moreover, the report’s most important part being the...
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...range of in-depth workplace diversity curricula for the Abercrombie & Fitch training program. 1. What are the instructional goals and objectives? 2. What are the definitive tasks to be performed which will incorporate this training into the day to day company processes? 3. What are the learning outcomes, and expected results? “The task analysis was to identify the important work-related tasks, knowledge, skills, and behaviors, abilities which determined if the content and activities are consistent with trainee on-the-job experience; and to develop measurable and relevant content, objectives and methods”. (SHRM Education Series Perform a Task Analysis). This has played a vital role for management to not only be aware, but to gain an understanding about the training structure behind the processes of what management, along with Abercrombie & Fitch Company employees will be learning and developing in. By management having the opportunity to understand the course of action, management will now be in an advantageous position to discuss training with employees more extensively and bring alignment to the Abercrombie & Fitch Company mission, goals and organizational expectations more definitely and clear. Person Analysis: In light of the facts previously gather which has been that diversity training has not been a standard training process, for the Abercrombie & Fitch Company. Therefore, employees were of only one demographic...
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...Abercrombie & Fitch: The Altering of Cultural Norms A Senior Project Presented to The Faculty of the Communication Studies Department California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts By Emily Nichole Pahler Dr. Bernard Duffy Senior Project Advisor Signature Date T. C. Winebrenner Department Chair Signature Date ©2009 Emily Nichole Pahler TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction……………………………………………………………………………........1 Justification……………………………………………………………………………........1 Critical Method Described………………………………………………………………….4 Object of Criticism…………………………………………………………………..…….13 Interpretation of A&F………………………………………………………………..…….16 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………21 Works Cited…………………………………………………………………………..........23 Appendices………………………………………………………………………………...26 i 1 INTRODUCTION Abercrombie and Fitch is a store that targets a specific audience to make their customers feel young and beautiful. The young adult population is lured into stores like Abercrombie and Fitch because of the store’s sex appeal. Young and beautiful adults are ready at the door ready to greet customers (see figure 1). In order to understand the impact of Abercrombie and Fitch on the young adult population, semiotics, the media, research studies and autoethnography will be utilized. Nonverbal and verbal communication is also analyzed throughout this paper through visual aids and marketing tag lines....
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...III. Executive Summary Abercrombie & Fitch is one of the most famous apparel retail industry that have done a wonderful job to stay in the market position despite the changing trends and lifestyles that generations have nowadays. It’s hard to keep intact with fashion trends because once you cannot cope up with the changing lifestyle of your consumers, you can expect to have a decrease in your sales and market share in other countries. The industry offers a lot of new and existing potential competitors especially in the fashion industry; you’re not just competing within the U.S. brands but also with European brands that are getting popular in all over the world. They are also products that can substitute with branded apparel, some teenagers who are experiencing financial problems can just buy an imitation one just for a cheap price and even the quality’s great, no one will notice that it was a fake one. Young generations nowadays are conscious of what they have and what things they don’t have, especially with apparel, because the trend nowadays is when you are wearing that kind of shirt and it is a high class brand, you’re in with the trend and you are considered one of the coolest kids in your school. While the organization culture of A&F is very different from other brands because they are the only company who hires people based on their looks and how they act and not with the skills. They are always saying that they don’t treat them as salespeople; they are the image that...
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...Abercrombie & Fitch ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CASE STUDY COMPANY PROFILE Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a leading specialty retailer encompassing three concepts Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie, and Hollister Co. The company focuses on providing high-quality merchandise that compliments the casual classic American lifestyle. The merchandise is sold in retail stores throughout the United States and through catalogs. The company also operates an e-commerce website at www.abercrombie.com, a kids website at www.abercrombiekids.com, and publishes a magalog called the A&F Quarterly. Abercrombie & Fitch, which targets ages 18 through college, went public in October 1996 and spun-off from The Limited in May 1998. abercrombie kids (ages 7 - 14) was introduced in 1997. The latest concept, Hollister Co. was introduced in July 2000, and targets 14 - 18 year olds. BUSINESS CHALLENGE For the past two years Abercrombie has entrusted its order management, customer service and fulfillment needs of the direct side of the business to CommercialWare. CommercialWare’s robust CWDirect solution successfully captures a wealth of transactional data from the thousands of orders processed. The real challenge for Abercrombie is to turn this vast amount of transactional data into information that can be used to make better business decisions, and do so in a cost effective manner. Abercrombie was looking to easily answer the fundamental questions that would help them to grow their direct business: What are my best...
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... Abercrombie and Fitch ( ANF) Company overview Description The company incorporated in Delaware in 1996 . Abercrombie and Fitch is an apparel retailer specializing in trendy merchandise for young men , women , and children. The Adirondacks supply a clean inspiration to this peppy , youthful all American life style . The company 's strategy is to offer multiple styles of clothing for young shoppers . The portfolio consists of Abercrombie and Fitch , Abercrombie kid , Hollister , and Gilly hick. Each brand targets a different general style . The company has positioned itself as a one stop shopping place for the entire family. In the other hand , the company maintains the same styles and offerings on their e-commerce sites. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 946 stores in the United States and 99 stores outside of the U.S. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to January 31, typically resulting in a fifty-two week year, but occasionally giving rise to an additional week, resulting in a fifty-three week year. (Fiscal years are designated in the consolidated financial statements and notes by the calendar year in which the fiscal year commences). The Company’s in-store marketing is designed to convey the principal elements and personality of each brand. The store design, furniture, fixtures and music are all carefully planned and coordinated to create a shopping experience that reflects the Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie kids...
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...Abercrombie's Ruehl NO. 925 Abercrombie & Fitch Company was founded in 1892 in New York City by David T Abercrombie and Ezra H. Fitch. Abercrombie, a former prospector, miner, trapper, and railroad surveyor, originally produced camping equipment in lower Manhattan; Fitch, one of his customers, was a successful lawyer in Kingston, New York, who loved the outdoors. The two men put their interests and opened a sporting goods store. By 1910, the company began selling women clothing, and became the first store in New York to supply clothing to women as well as men. Abercrombie & Fitch Company is a clothing retailer marketed toward the young people, from children to young adults. Abercrombie considers its clothing a "lifestyle brand," others have railed against its often sexually explicit tees and over-the-top marketing campaigns. The company oversees more than 800 stores nationwide, of which about 175 are its children's brand, abercrombie, and 260 are Hollister Company stores. Its latest in a concept, Ruehl, debuted in Ohio in 2004 appealing to more mature buyers. Abercrombie & Fitch is following a differentiated marketing strategy that appeals to the four target markets: Abercrombie Kids is geared for (7 to 14 year olds), Hollister targets (14 to 18 year olds), Abercrombie & Fitch aims for (18 to 22 year olds), Ruehl NO. 925 (22 to 35 year olds). Differentiated marketing aims at two or more distinct consumer groups, with different retailing approaches for each...
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...Abercrombie and Fitch The A&F catalogue is arguably one of the most talked-about ad campaigns in history. Parents hated it which is why kids were drawn to it. Jeffries brought in photographer Bruce Weber to shoot racy ads. The pictures in the quarterly catalogs were criticized by the media and protested by many religious groups for promoting teen sex. Most of the pictures featured scantily-clad teen models in precarious positions. The catalog actually stopped being published in 2003 but it was reinstated last year. The ads used in store windows also drew a ton of criticism and in one case led to a store owner being sued for displaying them. A&F was one of the hardest hit retailers during the recession but instead of lowering prices like most of his competitors he raised prices to preserve the brand and strengthen profits which payed off eventually. He has also drawn some attention for his emphasis on his youthful looks and style as well as his affection for using the word dudein interviews. http://www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-fitch-history-2011-4?op=1&IR=T Abercrombie is trying to offer a more fashionable assortment similar to the cheap, trendy styles found at Forever 21 and H&M. But Abercrombie's clothes cost more than its fast-fashion competitors. Overall, the company seems confused about what it wants to be: A trendy fast-fashion company, an athleisure brand, or a preppy street-wear retailer, according to Neil Saunders, the CEO of Conlumino...
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...| ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH CO.A MARKETING APPROACH | Student Name | [Date] | [Course title] | | | ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH CO.A MARKETING APPROACH | Student Name | [Date] | [Course title] | | Abstract Marketing is considered as the key to the success or failure of any product or services which are provided by the company. In order to beat their competitors organisations keep on launching events and brand promotion campains. Also, with changing customer behavior it is very important for a company to keep his marketing strategies unique in order to attract more and more customers regularly. The study in this report moves around the different type of marketing strategies and models used by organisations these days along with the case study of Abercrombie and Fitch Co. to create their brand value and getting an international recognition among the top appeareal companies around the world. The paper is studied with respect to the most important related departments of a business marketing finction: services, human resources and finance. Furthermore, the case study of another retail business giant apple is studies to conclude about the research and findings. The structure of report includes discussion about the problem in martketing and analysis. The proposed solutions to the research post findings is also included in the thesis. Previous study for marketing research about Apple is also include in the report to conclude the research. Table of Contents Chapter...
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...Abercrombie and Fitch: International expansion external and internal analysis Name Here Business Mgmt Name Here Date Here Executive Summary This case study was identified to examine why international sales volume of Abercrombie and Fitch have increased over the past three years and to recommend further international expansion to increase sales volume. The research draws attention to the fact that in 2009, the US stores generated 81.2% of Abercrombie and Fitch’s net sales. The shares of international stores and direct-to-consumer net sales were very small in comparison. Over the next two years the US stores decreased net sales percentages while net sales increased. Further investigation reveal that the US market shrinkage in terms of overall company net sales percentage coincided with the increase in international sales and direct-to-consumer sales and the overall company net sales percentage over the same time period. Since the economic downturn in the US economy in 2008 the disposable income for Abercrombie and Fitch clients appeared to decrease. Additionally individuals were utilizing disposable income for other items such as technology, cell phones and other gadgets. These two items appeared to be the major causes of the decreased company percentage in net sales of Abercrombie and Fitch in the US. During the same two year period the international stores and direct-to-consumer net sales increased dramatically. This was an increase of 342% for international...
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...ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH OVERVIEW Abercrombie and Fitch Co. (ANF) is a specialty retailer that operates stores selling casual apparel, sportswear apparel, personal care products and accessories for men, women and kids under the Abercrombie and Fitch, Abercrombie, Hollister and RUEHL brands. With a customer base that is primarily under thirty years old, ANF was established in 1892 by David Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch. ANF operates in the US, the UK and Canada and is headquartered I New Albany, Ohio with over 20,000 employees. As a “near to luxury” retailer, ANF operates in an apparel industry which straddles high to low end merchandise. Its’ main competitors include : American Eagle, Aeropostale, Gap and J- Crew. Their focus on capturing a young market has created a rivalry, which forces them to be innovative and creative in delivering fashionable mechandise. As a result, their competitive strategy involves not only marketing their products through stores, but via catalogs and e- commerce activites. SWOT ANALYSIS, ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH A scan of the internal and external environment is essential in any firm’s strategic planning process. A SWOT analysis defines the internal and external environmental issues with which a firm must address in its strategic planning process. This type of analysis specifies the internal and external factors that are favourable and or unfavourable to the firm achieving its business objectives. It guides the firm in matching its resources and other...
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...Case Study Analysis 1: Aeropostale, Period 2010 – 2012 November 4, 2013 Executive Summary This financial analysis report examines our company Aeropostale and a few of our close competitors within the teen retail industry in order to evaluate company performance and financial health. The 3 year financial analysis covers GAP (GPS), Abercrombie and Fitch (ANF), Ralph Lauren Polo (RL) and Aeropostale from income statements / balance sheets with resultant calculations on the subjects of revenue, gross profit, return on equity, liquidity, financial leverage and market valuation from year 2010 to year 2012. There are many areas that require improvement as financial calculations have revealed negative company health. Improvements must come from the product itself with improved design and marketing. Background With approximately 980 stores throughout the United States and Canada, Aeropostale is a proud with its designing, marketing and retailing of teen casual apparel and accessories. We have been a shopping mall based specialty retailer of casual apparel for young men and women with control over our proprietary brands for sourcing, marketing and selling our own merchandise. As of 2012, media analysts have indicated that Aeropostale stores are smaller in size compared to Gap’s stores, and generate significantly higher revenue per square feet. Moreover, before cotton prices climbed in 2011, Aeropostale locations generated about $150 in EBITDA per square feet compared to...
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...JANE M. SAMPLE 123 Main Street | Arlington, VA 12345 | 877.875.7706 | info@greatresumesfast.com Versatile and motivated bilingual professional with expertise in finance, translation and marketing including stock market analysis, English and Korean translation and event coordination. Numerous skills and comprehensive knowledge readily support a variety of professional undertakings. Displays dedication and determination in all endeavors with diligent attention to detail for optimal end results. Core Skills & Knowledge: Marketing Product Promotion Event Coordination Translation Client Relations Market Analysis Team Leadership Support Services Finance Management PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTANT INTERNSHIP June – July 2008 Hana Financial Group Seoul, Korea Established in 1971, Hana Financial Group is the 3rd largest commercial banking group in South Korea whose subsidiaries are involved in banking, securities, and investment. Executed stock market research and analysis and designed the World’s currency chart on a daily basis. Created PowerPoint presentations to present the analysis of global financial issues to team members. Provided support for numerous duties including collating reports, filing information, faxing and organizing data. TRANSLATOR March – April 2007 Seoul, Korea Edu-People Academic Institution Designed sample TOEFL questions and English vocabulary for junior high school students. Translated English writing into Korean, and Korean...
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