Chapter 15: Retailing

Abercrombie & Fitch is a prime example of retailing mainly because it is a retail store. The store itself falls under the category of a chain store as well as the other stores that fall under the company’s general umbrella. There has been discussion about franchising and many people have been interested in opening Abercrombie & Fitch franchise stores but Mike Jefferies, the company CEO has decided that in order to ensure the consumer has the Abercrombie & Fitch experience, all stores should be run by the company in every aspect. In terms of service I would have to say from experience that Abercrombie & Fitch falls in between full service and self service. There are sales associates located all around the store to help the customers find sizes and items. Since the company attracts a lot of European customers, sometimes they expect associates to act as personal shoppers when assisting them, which isn’t something that isn’t done often, so consumers aren’t always receiving the service that they enter the store for.

There’s also a self service part of retailing that Abercrombie & Fitch provides which is their online store. They provide all of their items, including their specialty flagship items and sales items online. They also provide special discounts for online use only to give those that shop online the best deals. Within the last year Abercrombie & Fitch has also created Apple App for the iPhone for both the Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister store where consumers can now purchase items on the go straight from their phone, as well as see what items are new and where the closest store location is.

screenshots of the Abercrombie & Fitch App for iPhone