Abercrombie Kids
Encyclopedia
Abercrombie kids is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 lifestyle brand
Lifestyle brand
A lifestyle brand is a brand that attempts to embody the values and aspirations of a group or culture for purposes of marketing.Each individual has an identity based on their choices, experiences, and background...

 by Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....

. Targeting consumers aged 7–14, the concept is designed as the children's version of A&F and is marketed as "Classic Cool". The children's sized casual wear is inspired by that of A&F and made available in store and on the online abercrombiekids.com.

History

Abercrombie & Fitch introduced abercrombie in 1997 with 9 stores. The purpose was to attract a younger audience to the American 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 children's image. The store prototype was as the A&F one, but with variations also intended to appeal to the younger audience. Early abercrombie model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....

s include Ronnie Smith, Cassie Ventura, Christina Akatsuka, Christian Valentin, Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...

, and model Karlie Kloss
Karlie Kloss
Karlie Elizabeth Kloss is an American model and ballet dancer.Kloss is ranked 4th on the Top 50 Models Women List by . Vogue Paris declared her one of the top 30 models of the 2000s.- Early life and discovery :...

.

Stores and expansion

Abercrombie kids stores are designed to give off a "classic cool" effect. They are designed as "canoe stores," displaying a similar floor layout as Abercrombie & Fitch's (the retail space is divided into multiple rooms). However, the kids prototype does bear differences. It has no louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...

s to cover the windows, has brighter lighting, is smaller in retail space, blasts electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...

 and pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 from young artists, and displays marketing pictures with young models resembling those at A&F. The signature fragrance, "Clutch", is sprayed store-wide.
As of 2011, abercrombie operates a total of 179 stores in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. abercrombie kids opened its first Canadian store on August 21, 2008 at Sherway Gardens
Sherway Gardens
Sherway Garden is a large shopping mall located in Etobicoke with over 200 stores. It is located on the south-east intersection of The Queensway and The West Mall in the west end of the city on the Mississauga border...

 in Toronto, Ontario. Another abercrombie kids store opened at Toronto Eaton Centre
Toronto Eaton Centre
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the now-defunct Eaton's department store chain that once anchored it. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one...

 in Toronto, Ontario around the end of November. As of February 2011, there are stores in every state except for Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

 (closed), Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

 (closed in 2005), West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

, and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...

.

On October 29, 2009, the brand opened its first flagship store in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

. It is located within the Abercrombie & Fitch Milanese flagship at 12 Corso Matteotti.

Abercrombie kids goods

abercrombie kids' apparel is designed to mimic Abercrombie & Fitch clothing, and the brand carries most the styles that A&F does. Most abercrombie kids clothes that have the labeled moose on them are to resemble their parent company "Abercrombie & Fitch" but the kids signature moose is smaller to symbolize that they are children. The trademarked term, "classic cool", was used to promote the clothing on an in-store and website level from abercrombie and it acted as a more juvenile version of A&F's slogan "Casual Luxury". The "classic cool" trade mark was retired in 2007 along with Abercrombie and Fitch's "Casual Luxury". Jeans bear the same back-pocket-stitching pattern as A&F as well as the same fits respective to sex. The logo moose is prominently displayed on clothing as is the name "abercrombie" as well as the year of establishment, "1892" (Abercrombie & Fitch was itself established in 1892, but in reality, the children's' line "abercrombie" was not started until 1997). Clothing is categorized within the "guys" and "girls" divisions. Price points are on par with those at sister brand Hollister Co.

The brand carries the following fragrance collections: "Phelps" cologne, "Chase" cologne and "Cologne 15," as well as "Emerson," "Spirit" perfume, and "Perfume 15". The brand released the "abercrombie" cologne and perfume set previous to 2006; however, it was retired Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 2007. Chase and Spirit were released Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 2006 and were followed by Cologne 15 and Perfume 15 being released Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 2007. Chase and Spirit have begun the phasing-out process and have had their price reduced permanently, as of Fall 2010. New fragrance Phelps and Emerson were released for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 2008. On July 9, 2010 the newest girl's fragrance was launched called "Hadley", while the newest guy's fragrance, "Clutch," was released as part of the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 floor-set 2010, and has a scent similar to that of "Fierce," although more age appropriate and subdued.

Expansion

The Abercrombie Kids brand will begin its international expansion, following its sister brands Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister Co.
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18 through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store...

, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The first store has opened at Sherway Gardens
Sherway Gardens
Sherway Garden is a large shopping mall located in Etobicoke with over 200 stores. It is located on the south-east intersection of The Queensway and The West Mall in the west end of the city on the Mississauga border...

 with the opening postponed by a few days. Toronto Eaton Centre
Toronto Eaton Centre
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the now-defunct Eaton's department store chain that once anchored it. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one...

 opened an abercrombie kids store on November 26, 2008. In 2009, abercrombie kids opened a location at the West Edmonton Mall
West Edmonton Mall
West Edmonton Mall , located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is the largest shopping mall in North America and the fifth largest in the world. The mall was founded by the Ghermezian brothers, who emigrated from Iran in 1959. It was the world's largest mall until 2004.West Edmonton Mall covers a gross...

, directly under the adult Abercrombie. abercrombie kids may soon follow the international expansion outside of North America.

Flagships

Abercrombie & Fitch has begun planning openings of non-A&F flagships for its brands in high-retail venues. The Company has opened the first Hollister Co.
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18 through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store...

 flagship in SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...

 July 2009. abercrombie kids will follow this trend. This opening is one of the main comminments the A&F company has for fiscal 2009.

After the opening of the Milanese abercrombie flagship, a second flagship in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 was planned to open in 2010 on 666 Fifth Avenue
666 Fifth Avenue
666 Fifth Avenue is a 41-story office building on Fifth Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Streets in New York City.-Tishman ownership:The Tishman family via Tishman Realty and Construction built the tower in 1957. It was designed by Carson & Lundin and the building was called the Tishman Building...

, with 22000 square feet (2,043.9 m²) of retail space. However, A&F has decided instead to open it as an HCo. EPIC flagship location instead.

Controversy

Humor tees from the brand have always had a following of criticism and controversy. Most slogans are taken as degrading girls (e.g. "I'm not allowed to date unless you're hot"). They also show arrogant messages or disrespectful slogans ("'I will make you an all-star on the walk of shame'"). They are anti-education slogans as well: "'I'd do your homework, but I don't even do mine'; 'School is for catching up on sleep'). Girls' shirts are 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. 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 so "cute."
In mid 2011, Today Show featured a segment on padded triangle bikini tops being marketed towards 7-16 year old old girls. The bikini was criticized as being "sexually ostentatious" and "promiscuous."
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