Marketing Brand Report
1
CONTENTS Page 4
Executive Summary
Page 5
Introduction to Abercrombie & Fitch
Page 7
Macro-Economic Analysis
Page 9
Current Market Position
Page 11
Competitors
Page 15
Current Consumer Demographic
Page 17
Product Selection
Page 19
Social Media & Influencer Marketing
Page 21
Marketing Mix
Page 25
Creative Proposal Strategy
Page 41
Bibliography
Page 43
Appendix
2
3
4
Executive Summary The purpose of the brand marketing report is to analyse Abercrombie & Fitch, as it appears to have lost touch with customers in the UK over recent years. According to a published annual report in 2018 of the Abercrombie & Fitch London store’s full accounts, the face value of the statement suggests that the company achieved a lower profit than the previous financial period which ended in 2017. The profit for the financial period ending in February 2018 was £292,000 compared to 2017’s profit of £339,000. A combination of primary and secondary sources were used to compile this brand marketing report on Abercrombie & Fitch. To conduct research, qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Qualitative methods included sources such as self-conducted surveys and books such as ‘Marketing Fashion’ by Harriet Posner, alongside quantitative data such as Mintel statistics. By exploring various aspects of the fashion retailer such as their products, consumers and how they function within the wider marketplace, the main findings that were discovered from primary and secondary research were particularly connected with Abercrombie & Fitch’s brand accessibility, brand awareness and also who their target market is. These particular findings contributed to a proposal of recommendations which involve improvements and changes to Abercrombie & Fitch.
5
Introduction to Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie & Co. was originally founded by David Abercrombie in 1892 as a specialty outerwear clothing retailer. Abercrombie Co. became Abercrombie & Fitch when Ezra Fitch partnered with the company in 1904. In 1978, the company was sold to Oshman’s Sporting Goods, after filing for bankruptcy in 1976 due to financial trouble. In 1988, Abercrombie & Fitch was taken over by Limited Brands, and a new brand vision for the American fashion retailer was established focusing on ‘luxury casualwear’. Michael Jeffries became CEO in 1992 until his retirement in 2014 and whilst under his power, the American retailer became iconic for its controversial use of nudity to advertise the brand, alongside promoting the idea that Abercrombie & Fitch was an exclusive brand that wasn’t welcome in everyone’s wardrobe. Using a “sex sells” approach has proven effective in building brand awareness and a talking point, however the controversy of using nudity has also shown to cause backlash over time as it is viewed by some as morally wrong. In 2005, Abercrombie & Fitch opened their first store in the UK situated in Mayfair, London. They have since opened two more stores located in Manchester and Ashford.
Abercrombie & Fitch re-established themselves in 2016 with a new brand image promoting individuality and inclusivity. This new brand strategy doesn’t appear to have been as successful as they perhaps hoped, as customers continue to associate Abercrombie & Fitch with Jeffries’ vision of an exclusive audience with the use of controversial promotional materials. Despite the brand’s best efforts to adjust their image towards a more positive portrayal, popularity and awareness of Abercrombie & Fitch’s image has disappeared in recent years and less familiar to the customer. The key aim to focus on is how to achieve and build public awareness of Abercrombie & Fitch, as this will increase sales as a result. This problem within the brand has been the starting point towards research which has contributed to the development of the creative proposal strategy.
6
7
Macro-Economic Analysis Employment laws and minimum wages impact Abercrombie & Fitch. They have faced back lash in the past because of a strict “look policy” implemented on employees’ appearance. This policy could lead to unintentional discrimination and breaching the Equality Act 2010.
L E G
Various policies have been implemented by Abercrombie & Fitch to improve social and environmental sustainability. They only ethically source animal products and fibres that use humane animal treatment procedures from legitimate vendors. They also follow the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 as they do not allow forced labour, slavery or human trafficking.
S O
E N V
ABERCROMBIE L
An economic factor of Abercrombie & Fitch is globalisation. Stores can be found across 19 countries including Belgium, France and China. Globalisation can benefit foreign communities as it creates jobs, therefore reducing international unemployment rates.
C O N O M I C
I A L
A social impact for Abercrombie & Fitch are generational shifts as they would have to adapt marketing tactics if they continue targeting the same age range. Currently they would have to market their brand so that it would effectively reach Gen Z (McCrindle), however during the 1990s, they would have adapted their marketing so that it targeted the end of Gen X/ Yupsters (Howe & Strauss) as well as Gen Y/Millennials (Howe & Strauss).
R O N M E N T A L
8
T E C H N O L O G
P O L I T I
Corporation Tax rate is deducted from store profits. The Corporation Tax rate for company profits as of 2018 is 19%, however this is set to decrease by 2% to 17% by the end of the decade.
& FITCH C A L
A L
Abercrombie & Fitch can benefit through technology as it can impact how they produce and develop marketing strategies. Information technology through e-commerce and social media can give Abercrombie & Fitch insights into consumer behaviour relating to product demand and audience engagement.
9
STRENGTH
Current Market Position
Abercrombie & Fitch’s unique selling point promotes the store experience to customers. Their latest prototype stores have a new fitting room design using technology to create a unique customer experience. The new design includes a touch-screen control panel to adjust lighting colour, brightness and music volume.
Abercrombie & Fitch’s product range isn’t developed unlike competitors. Products have remained the same through the years with not much differentiation between seasons. As a result, their products can be seen as outdated from time to time.
WEAKNESS
Only 38.6% of participants aged 1824 think that Abercrombie & Fitch is affordable to them. This suggests that although it is considered to be a ‘luxury’ brand, it remains to be too expensive for their target market of a younger audience.
The A&F Club entitles club members to various benefits, such as exclusive offers and getting rewarded points when purchasing products. This gives Abercrombie & Fitch an advantage because it creates brand loyalty with new and existing customers.
10
THREAT
Currently there are stores across 19 countries. Globalisation gives Abercrombie & Fitch the opportunity to introduce their classic American style into new markets as they expand. Introducing an element of foreign culture into new foreign markets has potential to grow their consumer base.
Only having 3 stores across the UK creates limited access to customers who want to visit Abercrombie & Fitch as it may be expensive for customers who have a longer distance to travel than those living in surrounding areas of the current stores. Therefore customers may detach from the brand and become more loyal to competitors who have stores more locally.
OPPORTUNITY
Abercrombie & Fitch have an opportunity to develop their digital strategy as 100% of participants aged 18-24 claimed they don’t follow Abercrombie & Fitch on any social media platforms. This opportunity is key if they are to reach their Gen Z market.
Promoting Abercrombie & Fitch as an ‘exclusive’ brand came with their “look policy” for employees. The policy that was put together has faced media backlash with lawsuits claiming the brand to be breaching discrimination laws. This has threatened the brand’s image by losing customers as some believe this is morally wrong, and have disconnected with Abercrombie & Fitch.
11
Competitors Abercrombie & Fitch is perceived as a contemporary luxury casualwear retailer who is still labelled as an exclusive brand, despite efforts to promote individuality. It is associated with laid-back styles and considered to be trendy within the market. They face competition from high-street brands as well as more upmarket brands. External competitors that I have focused on are Gap, Jack Wills and H&M, as well as Hollister who is an internal competitor. These brands share various characteristics with Abercrombie & Fitch, such as price, theme or clothing style. There are many more brands competing with Abercrombie & Fitch such as Urban Outfitters and Forever 21. Abercrombie & Fitch is considered to be a more exclusive retailer compared to H&M who target a mass market. 56.8% of 18-24 year olds believe Hollister to be Abercrombie & Fitch’s biggest competitor, followed by 25% stating Jack Wills. This could be a result of the three brands sharing similar characteristics, such as pricing and target market.
MASS MARKET
AFFORDABLE
EXPENSIVE
12
EXCLUSIVE
13 CURRENT BRAND MARKET POSITION
14
15
Current Consumer Demographic
16 Abercrombie & Fitch currently targets 21-24 year olds, consisting of university students and individuals entering employment. Primary research suggests that the target demographic obtains a lower disposable income as only 38.5% aged 21-24 think Abercrombie & Fitch is affordable. They prefer socialising with others in more sophisticated settings, such as bars instead of pubs. They enjoy affordable luxury holidays, as well as skiing. Their shopping habits combine bricks and mortar with online shopping. When shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch they shop in store as they enjoy the ‘shopping experience’. The current target market is Generation Z. They are immersed into digital as a way of life and are aware of social media platforms. According to primary research, 60% aged 21-24 use Facebook the most, followed by 40% aged 21-24 using Instagram.
17
Product Selection
18
Abercrombie & Fitch focuses on selling luxury American casual wear to customers. Products are more expensive than a typical high-street store. For example, t-shirts start at £18 ranging up to £40. Knitwear starts at £30 and exceeds as much as £118. The pricing for Abercrombie & Fitch is noticeably higher than a typical high-street store such as H&M, who sells t-shirts ranging from prices as little as £3.99 up to £34.99. Abercrombie & Fitch’s product pricing reflects the high quality of their garments and accessories, which is also true to the ‘luxury casualwear’ image that they aim to continue to portray as an upmarket fashion brand. Although Abercrombie & Fitch provides high-quality fashion and accessories, the brand is criticised to be out-dated as designs continue to remain the same with majority of clothing incorporating the iconic moose symbol or brand logo. Although they may not introduce new lines each season to replicate the latest trends, they highlight products such as knitwear and denim which are considered as ‘timeless classics’ for any consumer.
19
Social Media & Influencer Marketing “The biggest reason for following a beauty/grooming brand, celebrity or blogger is for inspiration; whether it is taking inspiration from the products/techniques they use or being inspired by how they look. Instagram’s latest feature allowing retailers, bloggers and celebrities to tag products in images enables followers to go directly from inspiration to purchase” (Mintel 2017).
Reasons for following a beauty brand/celebrity/blogger, by gender, June 2018 Based on 586 internet users aged 16+ who like/follow a beauty/grooming brand/retailer, blogger/vlogger or celebrity Source: Lightspeed/Mintel
According to Mintel (Data Report, 2017), “Facebook remains the most popular social media site” amongst young people, with “77% of 16-24 year olds” using the platform. As for Instagram and Snapchat, “60% and 61% of 16-24 year olds” use these platforms as “the appeal is their visual effects.” Social media platforms are an effective way for Abercrombie & Fitch to reach their target demographic, as they are Generation Z.
Abercrombie & Fitch use various methods to promote their brand. For example, the use of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Currently there are no official Abercrombie & Fitch influencers on social media such as Instagram, which the brand has clearly identified to be working with through the use of product endorsements.
20 Initial figures for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were gathered manually between 30/12/18 - 14/01/19. Due to the display on Instagram the exact figure for followers was only shown as 3.7M followers, making exact calculations difficult. On the 19/02/19 a new data source was found called www.socialblade.com which contained legacy statistics for social media sites. Unfortunately the figures for the time period which these figures covered varied, so a comparison was difficult to make. Despite this, it was possible to extract data to form a graph giving a visual representation of social media followers and likes, and give an indication of which sites are most successful and how
the relaunch of Abercrombie & Fitch all inclusive campaign has affected their target demographic. Facebook and Twitter has seen a gradual loss in Followers however this could be due to the change in demographics, where the original demographic is leaving, and being replaced by the new demographic. Facebook saw an increase in follower totals around the relaunch of “Fierce� but continues to lose Likes. Instagram is by far the most successful social media platform for Abercrombie & Fitch, continuing a positive gain in Followers.
21
Marketing Mix PLACE
PRICE
Abercrombie & Fitch distributes products online and physically in stores. There are only three stores in the UK which are located in London, Manchester and Ashford. They use online channels such as their e-commerce website and social media platforms. Competitors such as H&M and Jack Wills also use physical and online methods to distribute products to customers, however they have stores in more locations across the UK. This creates greater access for customers to visit competitors instead of Abercrombie & Fitch.
Abercrombie & Fitch products are set at a higher price point to portray the brand being of a higher quality. This combination of higher price point and higher quality branding is set to attract customers expecting exclusivity when purchasing and owning Abercrombie & Fitch products. High-street competitors such as H&M portray a more fast-fashion brand image which produces lower quality products.
PRODUCT
PROMOTION
Consumers of Abercrombie & Fitch seek and expect a premium quality product. Individuals who shop at Abercrombie & Fitch desire a classic casual style, with a more luxury appeal than high-street stores such as H&M. Abercrombie & Fitch’s clothing styles are simplistic fitting the casual brand image. Despite previous criticism facing their clothing sizing, Abercrombie & Fitch currently offer womenswear up to a UK size 18, and menswear up to a XXL.
Abercrombie & Fitch rebranded in 2016 with an updated image “allowing consumers around the world to express their own individuality and style.” They no longer feature the predominant Caucasian “attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends,” as well as half-naked models. Now, their advertising campaigns embrace and encourage diversity. A recent campaign used Instagram to cast the campaign shoot. It lived up to its new attitude of promoting individuality and promotes a more welcoming brand image to customers.
22
“The 30 men and women involved were encouraged to style themselves and act naturally, which is a world away from the mall brand once known for their shirtless sales associates� (Elle, 2018).
23
CURRENT MARKETING
24
25
Creative Proposal Strategy 1. PROPOSED BRAND MARKET POSITION
Despite rebranding in 2016 to promote individuality, 61.5% still think there is a representation of exclusivity towards who can wear Abercrombie & Fitch clothes (self-conducted survey). Therefore the brand should alter their brand image and adjust their position in the market to a more upmarket portrayal.
Abercrombie & Fitch should reposition in the market with new competitors within the market, that are also recognised as upmarket clothing brands who provide high quality products similar to Abercrombie & Fitch. They should focus on competitor brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss as opposed to H&M and Gap.
Exclusivity can strongly be associated Realigning with arrogance and “THEY SEEM TO AIM AT elitism, which immediately A VERY ELITE GROUP depicts a negative image OF PEOPLE. PEOPLE for Abercrombie & Fitch. WHO ARE RICH, SLIM Despite their best efforts AND PRETTY.” to promote inclusivity, this Participant of self-conducted survey image of exclusivity would lose customers as it is not inviting to everyone, only a certain group. Therefore, the brand should focus on a more ‘upmarket’ brand image as this is a more positive approach to promote the public image of Abercrombie & Fitch. It doesn’t portray an element of arrogance and elitism. It invites all customers and portrays an inclusive representation of the brand, which supports their 2016 brand relaunch.
with new competitors in the upmarket sector of the market would portray the desired brand image that they aim to associate with towards customers.
exclusive ADJECTIVE
Catering for or available to only a few, select customers; high class and expensive.
vs
upmarket ADJECTIVE
Relatively expensive and designed to appeal to affluent consumers.
27
Abercrombie & Fitch should aspire to maintain their American contemporary casualwear image, which promotes individuality and inclusivity. They should continue to maintain a brand image of producing quality garments and accessories, in order to maintain a sense of luxury within the market. As a result of
maintaining their semi-luxury image, they should aim to align themselves alongside other mainstream luxury brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren and Jack Wills. The use of a more luxury brand image within the market could appeal and attract new customers alongside existing customers.
28 PROPOSED BRAND MARKET POSITION
29 2. PROPOSED CONSUMER DEOMGRAPHIC
Within the textile and fashion industry, it is recorded that 82.8% of sales continue to be made instore, therefore only 17.2% sales are conducted online (ONS 2018). Abercrombie & Fitch only have three stores in the UK, located in London, Manchester and Ashford. “The vast majority of people continue to shop in-store for fashion (87%)”, according to Mintel’s consumer research. This could result in customers detaching from the brand if it isn’t physically accessible alongside their online platforms. Customers of Abercrombie & Fitch would prefer shopping instore to ensure that they are getting high quality products as “the biggest barrier to entry online is the inability to try products on ahead of purchase, followed by difficult understanding product quality and sizing when shopping online” (Mintel, Oct 2018). Opening three new permanent stores would be a multi-million investment for Abercrombie & Fitch, therefore it would be more cost-efficient for the brand to introduce pop-up stores across the UK. This would be more dynamic and allow Abercrombie & Fitch to visit lots of locations, resulting in lower costs as well as creating easier customer access. The
store experience would be a priority when creating new stores, as “retailers that can offer the best in-store shopping experience will stand out from the crowd and be best placed to succeed” (Mintel 2018). This will generate increased access between Abercrombie & Fitch and the customer. It would be in the brands best interest to be situated in more affluent areas, such as Edinburgh, Oxford and Bath. Pop-up stores would have various time frames in different locations; 3 key stores with a 6-month duration in Edinburgh, Birmingham & Oxford, alongside locations such as Leeds, Durham and Cheltenham accommodating pop-up stores for a 3-month period. By avoiding putting pop-up stores in every town and city, it maintains the appeal of Abercrombie & Fitch being a more upmarket brand that sells luxury products.
31
71.2% of participants believe that the store experience matters to them and influences their decision to shop with a brand Self-conducted survey
32 FITTING ROOMS RETURNS RAILS
PROTOTYPE FITTING ROOMS
MIRROR CORNER
MEN’S DENIM
MALE MODELS (DENIM)
FEMALE MODELS (DENIM)
WOMEN’S DENIM WOMEN’S DENIM
WOMEN’S DISPLAY TABLE
MEN’S DISPLAY TABLE
MALE MODELS MEN’S DISPLAY TABLE
FEMALE MODELS
MEN’S DISPLAY TABLE
WOMEN’S
MEN’S
MEN’S DENIM
WOMEN’S DISPLAY TABLE
WOMEN’S DISPLAY TABLE
MEN’S HANGING RAIL MEN’S DISPLAY TABLE
MIXED MODELS
WOMEN’S DISPLAY TABLE
WOMEN’S HANGING RAIL
33
34 PROPOSED CONSUMER DEMOGRAPHIC
Abercrombie & Fitch should expand their target market so that it covers 18-24 year olds as opposed to their current target audience of 21-24 year olds. Therefore they would continue to aim the brand towards Generation Z. Their shopping habits will be a combination of physical and online. The proposed consumer’s occupation will not necessarily be a student at University-level, as entering employment is becoming more of a norm. Therefore the new consumer would be a mix of students and employment individuals. Alongside the existing Abercrombie & Fitch stores, they should introduce new stores in Birmingham and Edinburgh as this would create easier access to the brand for consumers.
35 3. PROPOSED MARKETING
Abercrombie & Fitch should focus on their online presence alongside the introduction of pop-up stores around the UK. This would be the best strategy to engage and attract their target demographic aged 1824. 38.6% of consumers aged 18-24 prefer to shop online only, alongside a further 38.6% equally preferring to shop in-
store and online (self-conducted survey). Abercrombie & Fitch should utilise their social media platforms and primarily focus on their Instagram platform alongside Facebook and YouTube, as these are the three most popular social media platforms amongst female users aged 16-24 (Mintel 2018).
Social and media networks used, by gender and age, March 2018 Based on 999 female internet users aged 16+ Source: Lightspeed/Mintel
Abercrombie & Fitch would benefit from working with British fashion influencers through Instagram as 3 out of 5 16-24s (64%) look online for inspiration before purchasing clothes (Mintel Oct 2018). They should target people who resemble Abercrombie & Fitch’s casual style, as
followers of these influencers would also most likely associate with various style characteristics of Abercrombie & Fitch. Their Instagram output should include content such as “Outfit of the Day” inspiration and promotional material for
36 popular pieces such as jumpers and jeans. They should also use IGTV to create video content to promote styling inspiration and how to style one piece in different ways, similarly to Instagram influencers such as FASHIONINFLUX. IGTV would support their brand image which promotes individuality, as people can self-express through various ways of styling a garment
or accessory. Similarly, to the use of IGTV they should also expand their YouTube platform to create video content such as season look books and clothing campaigns to influence and provide inspiration to customers, as 80% of female users aged 16-24 use YouTube. @cinziabayliszullo
@fashioninflux @naomigenes @samiramighty
@sophiatuxford
@oliviadbuck
37
38 Abercrombie & Fitch’s latest advertising campaign to promote ‘Fierce’ fragrance has been successful in promoting a more diverse brand image, and this approach should be continued for all future campaigns that they do. By developing this advertising approach to further promote diversity, it supports Abercrombie & Fitch’s commitment to promote inclusivity. As part of this diversity campaign promoting the casual fashion, they should use a hashtag to promote the campaign digitally to capture customers, both new and existing. Not only will the campaign focus on inclusivity, but also individuality with the use of self-expression through fashion. Promoting Abercrombie & Fitch as an all-inclusive, self-expressive fashion label will shift the brand into a positive light from the stereotypical white skinny models once used for marketing campaigns whilst under Mike Jeffries’ direction.
39
40 PROPOSED MARKETING
Abercrombie & Fitch should primarily focus on using Instagram as their key platform to create a strategy that will increase interaction with new and existing customers, as this seems to be the most popular social media platform used by Gen Z. They would also benefit from working with influencers via Instagram and IGTV, as well as YouTube. This could attract new customers to the brand as well as existing customers, as they will most likely follow influencers’ latest fashion and styles. The brand should introduce influencer discount codes in order to encourage more sales when doing product placements. Abercrombie & Fitch should also create a more interactive website for the consumer, as it doesn’t appear to stand out from its competitors.
41
Bibliography Bendoni, W. K. (2017). Social Media for Fashion Marketing: Storytelling in a digital world (1st ed.). New York: Bloomsbury Visual Arts Bergstein, R. (2017). How Abercrombie & Fitch Went From Aspirations To Out-Of-Touch www.forbes.com/sites/rachellebergstein/2017/05/10/how-abercrombie-fitch-went-from-aspirational-to-out-oftouch/?fbclid=IwAR1BDD-njOTTNZPb1o8OFDqw6bNcnvNPxjJLCtwMt0xFxLRQ4BDbm8AFXvE#447cc2 be1fa0 Carreon, J. (2018). Abercrombie & Fitch Used Instagram to Cast Their Latest Campaign www.elle.com/fashion/g22117391/abercrombie-and-fitch-instagram-denim-campaign/ Carroll, N. (2017). Online Retailing – UK – July 2017 / Mintel Dover, S. (2018). Clothing Retail – UK – October 2018 / Mintel Fenner, J. (2016). Say Hello to the Brand New, More Inclusive Abercrombie & Fitch www.gq.com/story/abercrombie-new-brand-logo Goody, A. (2016). Youth Fashion – UK – December 2016 / Mintel Khanom, R. (2018). Beauty Influencers and Educators – UK – August 2018 / Mintel Lea-Greenwood, G. (2013). Fashion Marketing Communications (1st ed.). Chichester: Wiley Moss, A. (2018). Technology Habits of Generation Z – UK – September 2018 / Mintel Nolen, J. L. (2010). Abercrombie & Fitch. www.britannica.com/topic/Abercrombie-and-Fitch Palmieri, J. E. (2019). Abercrombie & Fitch’s New Ads Address Overcoming Adversity www.wwd.com/business-news/media/abercrombie-fitchs-new-ads-address-overcoming-adversity-1202992253/ Partington, R. (2019) UK corporation tax cut to cost billions more than thought. www.theguardian.com/ politics/2019/jan/28/uk-corporation-tax-cut-to-cost-billions-more-than-thought Peterson, H. (2016). Abercrombie CEO Is Out. www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-ceo-is-out-2014-12?r=US&IR=T Posner, H. (2015). Marketing Fashion: Strategy, Branding & Promotion (2nd ed.). London: Laurence King Ritson, M. (2016). Mark Ritson: Abercrombie & Fitch’s revival will be due to brand revitalisation, not brand repositioning www.marketingweek.com/2016/03/15/mark-ritson-abercrombie-fitchs-revival-will-be-due-to-brand-revitalisation-not-brand-repositioning/
42 Schlossberg, M. (2016). These before-and-after photos show how much Abercrombie & Fitch has changed www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-and-fitch-then-and-now-2016-1?r=US&IR=T Segran, E. (2018). Abercrombie’s Plot To Win Over Gen Z, Where Everyone’s A Cool Kid www.fastcompany.com/40511151/inside-abercrombies-plot-to-win-over-gen-z-where-everyones-a-cool-kid Sender, T. (2017). Fashion Online – UK – Online 2017 / Mintel Sender, T. (2018). Womenswear - UK - May 2018 / Mintel Tempesta, E. (2015). The end of an era: Abercrombie and Fitch vows to stop using shirtless models in its stores while promising it will ‘diversify’ its overtly-sexy image. www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3054517/Abercrombie-Fitch-vows-stop-using-shirtless-models-stores-revealing-plans-try-diversify-overtly-sexy-image.html Topping, A. (2009). Disabled worker wins case for wrongful dismissal against Abercrombie & Fitch. www.theguardian.com/money/2009/aug/13/abercrombie-fitch-employee-case-damages Unknown (2018). Comparing “bricks and mortar” store sales with online retail sales: August 2018 / Office For National Statistics https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry/articles/comparingbricksandmortarstoresalestoonlineretailsales/august2018 Unknown (2016) Marketing to Generation Z / WGSN 2018. Abercrombie & Fitch Ltd: Annual Report & Financial Statements February 2018 / Companies House
43
Appendix SELF-CONDUCTED SURVEY Market Research: Abercrombie & Fitch
44
Oldfashioned, traditional. Posh Privileged white elitist Fashionable, Quality, Models are too skinny and perfect
T-shirt from them and it was a pound from the charity shop 10/10 Brand, young, expensive? Expensive , stylish , trendy
Expensive Casual wear Never heard of it Good quality clothing Dark, comfy cosy Shop Surf Jeans
Smart Older People
Chilled out style
American relaxed simple
Stylish, Brand, Expensive
Young trendy skinny
Expensive low quality
trendy young different
Preppy Expensive Boring
Posh
Casual Laid back Relaxed
Posh snobby middle-class
Old, posh, clean
Fantastic pricey fashionable
Naked models, out of date, un cool Young
Expensive Trendy expensive overrated Attractive models Expensive American
Jeans Toplessness Surfing Old, posh, clean
Really nice clothes
Dark smells nice
Overpriced trendy unethical
Outdated. Quality. Expensive
Expensive, American, Good quality
Comfy, wintery, snuggly
Young, American, college
Fashion, men and women and clothes
American
Not a clue I have one
Casual, beach, model
Overpriced pricey, childish, elitist (you think only people who have money shop there) Expensive , good quality and cute Over-priced Brandorientated ‘Teen’ Young quality fashion
45 SELF-CONDUCTED SURVEY Abercrombie & Fitch: Focus Group Questionnaire
46 - trendy clothes - less expensive - more variety Don’t know as I don’t ever shop from there Make it more accessible for people of all body types More shops around uk and less expensive I would change the respectable price for a singular item, Abercrombie and Fitch prices are out of the roof compared to their biggest competitors I don’t shop there as it is overpriced for everyday clothes Make the online experience better. It’s a little pricey and actually there aren’t really any stores in Leicestershire so it’s not very often I would buy from this brand. be less like Hollister More affordable More recent trends
Cheaper, higher sales volumes at lower profit increases total profit I would decrease the snobbery associated with the brand More up to date classic style with better advertising Make it more affordable for others Better quality Abercrombie & Fitch is aimed at a certain type of audience/class of people. The clothes need to be more diverse to suit different ranges of individuals as everyone is unique and different. The sizing is unrealistic for today’s market and although obesity should not be promoted, nor should being unhealthy by being too slim.
I think abercrombie and Fitch is quite expensive but it is good quality! More suitable prices Price and the dark lighting in the shops More advertising on social media so I can see what clothes are available In comparison to high street stores the brand isn’t as affordable to young people who work part time and/or are in education Cheaper, can’t afford most things New designs Needs to be updated Some more less casual stuff... be a Ralph Lauren, not a Jack Wills Lowering the price so it’s more affordable. More variety
Better pricing
Cheaper
have more shops across the country
Bring back the models
Price, branding, accessibility
Would reduce price as rather expensive, but the price is fitting with quality
Charlotte Roulstone