Thursday, December 1, 2011

Chapter 7: Business Marketing

Typically Abercrombie & Fitch isn't a company that associates much with other companies. They don't believe in their items being resold buy distributors such as department stores, because they feel it ruins the unique shopping experience that the consumer receives when they purchase items in their store. In a way that works against the company, being as how they lose out on a ton of sales by not having their items be reachable through a reseller or a third party. It would also help to get the company name out there more and possibly broaden their target market. If someone entered a Bloomingdales not really looking for anything in particular and they happen to stumble across and Abercrombie & Fitch item that they like, it would definitely cause that consumer to continue to come back and purchase items from the company without having to purchase them solely from an Abercrombie & Fitch store.

But there's definitely an upside to Abercrombie & Fitch staying away from business to business selling and resellers. As a consumer you know that of you see an Abercrombie item for sale anywhere besides an actual store, that it's not authentic and you're not getting exactly what you think you are. Which is why Abercrombie is so big on loss prevention and brand protection, because they want to make sure, for the consumers sake that the only place they can purchase Abercrombie items is in an Abercrombie & Fitch store.