a. Brands & Corporate Image
Abercrombie & Fitch - Rooted in East Coast traditions and Ivy League heritage, Abercrombie & Fitch is the essence of privilege and casual luxury. The Adirondacks supply a clean and rugged inspiration to this youthful All-American lifestyle. A combination of classic and sexy creates a charged atmosphere that is confident and just a bit provocative. Idolized and respected, Abercrombie & Fitch is timeless and always cool.
Hollister - Hollister is the fantasy of Southern California. It is the feeling of chilling on the beach with your friends. Young, spirited, and with a sense of humor, Hollister never takes itself too seriously. The laidback lifestyle and wholesome image combine to give Hollister an energy that’s effortlessly cool. Hollister brings Southern California to the world.
Gilly Hicks. Gilly Hicks is the cheeky cousin of Abercrombie & Fitch. Inspired by the free spirit of Sydney, Australia, Gilly Hicks makes cute Push ‘Em Up bras and Down Undies for the young, naturally beautiful and always confident girl; flirty and carefree, with a little tomboy sexiness. Gilly Hicks is the All-American brand with a Sydney sensibility.
a. Sales
On the next page is a Chart that has sates Abercrombie and Fitch sales for fiscal years 2007-2011:
Abercrombie and Fitch has stated the objective of increasing their operating margin back to historical levels of around 15% by Fiscal 2012. They created a roadmap that outlines the factors they need to be aware of in order to achieve this goal.
1.) Originally intended to increase gross margin to 67% by 2012; due to sourcing costs they no longer believe this to be possible. By increasing the ticket price on items and hoping that international growth continues, they hope to offset the costs. Though they worry that the increase in price may affect sales, they do not intend to sacrifice quality to achieve their gross margin goal.
2.)