Sales through Asos
British online retailer Asos will be the first retailer to sell Abercrombie & Fitch clothing outside of its own stores or online shop, even though CEO Mike Jeffries refused to confirm its clothing will be on sale at other retailers. Its sister brand Hollister will remove the typically dark windows to allow more light to penetrate the stores.
The chain was forced to change several things as sales were severely dropping, while its image among younger people is no longer what it used to be. A lot of younger customers have switched to (cheaper) competitors, like H&M and Forever 21.
Small loss
Abercrombie & Fitch published its first quarter numbers on Thursday, which has resulted in a 4 % like-for-like turnover loss. That performance was better than the expected 5.9 % drop and was the smallest loss since 2012’s fourth quarter.
To lower costs, Abercrombie & Fitch will close nearly 70 stores in the United States, all of which have reached the end of their rental agreement. In total, A&F has some 840 stores in the United States.
The company has run a pilot in several stores which let more light into the stores and these stores have noticed a considerable sales growth. Abercrombie & Fitch said it will remodel 75 to 100 Hollister stores this year.
