Abercrombie Kids

Abercrombie Kids is a children's clothing brand owned by Abercrombie & Fitch, introduced in 1998. Originally targeting high school consumers aged 13–18 as "abercrombie" its focus has shifted to the 7–14 market as "abercrombie kids",[3] the concept is designed as the children's version of its parent company A&F. There are 122 full-price abercrombie kids stores in the US, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom; including standalone retail stores and "carve-outs" in larger Abercrombie & Fitch locations.

History

Abercrombie & Fitch introduced "abercrombie" in 1998 with 9 stores. The purpose was to attract a younger audience to the adult 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 was intended to provide a younger image. The store prototype was as the A&F one, but with variations also intended to appeal to the younger audience. Early abercrombie models include Ronnie Smith, Cassie Ventura, Christina Akatsuka, Christian Valentin, Lindsay Lohan, and model Karlie Kloss.

Stores and expansion

Abercrombie kids stores are designed to give off a "classic cool" effect.

Controversy

Sexually suggestive designs

Humor T-shirts from the brand have resulted in criticism and controversy. Many slogans are taken as degrading to girls (e.g. "I'm not allowed to date unless you're hot"). Some show arrogant messages or disrespectful slogans ("'I will make you an all-star on the walk of shame'"). There were anti-education slogans, such as: 'I'd do your homework, but I don't even do mine'; 'School is for catching up on sleep'. Girls' shirts were 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.[7] 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 more "cute."[8]

In mid-2011, Today Show featured a segment on padded triangle bikini tops being marketed towards 7- to 16-year-old girls. The bikini was criticized as being "sexually ostentatious" and "promiscuous."[9]

Proposed shop on Savile Row

In 2012, A&F announced plans that it would open its Abercrombie Kids shop at No. 3 on Savile Row, next door to Gieves & Hawkes.[10] The building in question has cultural significance because it was the former home of Apple Corps and The Beatles once played on top of the roof. The plans drew criticism and opposition from the tailors of the Row, who were already unhappy about the presence of the main A&F store on Burlington Gardens at the end of the Row to begin with, which eventually led to a protest organized by The Chap magazine on Monday, April 23, 2012.[11][12] During the consultation period, objections were lodged to Westminster City Council and in February 2013 the Council rejected many of A&F's proposals for the store, stating that the plans for fixed screens on the windows, shutting out light to create the nightclub feel, was “deeply flawed” and damaging to the character of the street and that the flagpoles that normally hang from Abercrombie & Fitch stores were “highly inappropriate”[13] and branded the entire plans "utterly unacceptable."[14]

type	Division
industry	Retail
foundation	July 1998
location city	New Albany, Ohio
location country	U.S.
locations	160‡R1R‡
area served	International
revenue	US$ 382.579 million (2010) ‡R2R‡
parent	Abercrombie & Fitch
homepage	www.abercrombiekids.com

History

Stores and expansion