Hollister and Gilly Hicks on Regent Street Open in March!

83-97 Regent Street, as seen on Google Maps, when it was home to the National Geographic store.

Hollister and Gilly Hicks are opening May 12!!!

Click on this post for more info:
Hollister and Gilly Hicks on Regent Street, London Opening May 12!!!



Hollister and Gilly Hicks are now expected to open in "mid-summer"

Opening date is yet unclear.

Refer to this updated post for more info:

Hollister and Gilly Hicks on Regent Street Opening Mid-Summer!

This post is outdated...

That's right boys and girls! The coolest pre-Olympic Games event in London - the opening of some of the hottest shops - is happening in late-March! The good-lookin' people at A&F London on Savile Row have begun to spread the word, too! Hollister Co will be opening its first ever international EPIC flagship location that's going to rock every HCo fanatic in the UK! Meanwhile, Gilly Hicks will be opening the second Gilly "home" in Greater London! Both, to be located at 83-97 Regent Street, adjacent to one another, are gonna heat things up amid the mounting anticipation for the upcoming 2012 games!


Wanna read up more about these upcoming locations? Check out the following posts...

• HCo EPIC: Read more (here)!
• GH: Read more (here)!

This is definitely gearing up to be one unforgettable year in London!


Stay FIERCE!


Thanks to our reader Tuan, who visited A&F London recently, and got hear on the March opening.




UPDATE (13 March 2012): VERY IMPORTANT! Everyone, the opening date for both stores is yet unsettled. It's been said they'll open in late-March, but with the date still undecided things are subject to change.



UPDATE (20 February 2012): The official page for the Hollister location is up! Check it out if you are interested in working for the store: https://www.facebook.com/groups/244936198911985/

Spotted on the Screen! | A&F in 'The Social Network'

Surely, you have seen The Social Network? The 2010 drama movie which tells the supposed story of the beginnings of Facebook. Highly acclaimed as a film on its own, it stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder) and also features Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker - the guy who became Facebook's founding president.

Anyway, there is this one scene in the film (1 hour, 19 minutes into the movie) in which Timberlake's character walks with a girlfriend into Zuckerberg's house-and-Facebook-headquarters. ...AND the girlfriend happens to be wearing an Abercrombie & Fitch polo! LOL

It's always fun and cool spotting A&F or HCo in the media be it in movies or on TV! Thus, we're starting a new feature on The Sitch on Fitch titled 'Spotted on the Screen!' Where else have you seen Abercrombie or Hollister? If you'd like to share, you can email us at anfnewsnow@aol.com or drop in a comment below. Keep a sharp look-out! :)

Stay FIERCE!

Image in this post is a screenshot from Columbia Picture's The Social Network used here for illustrative purposes only.

Abercrombie & Fitch in India?! That's the Rumor...

And you thought its climate made India hot...wait until Abercrombie arrives!

When it has come to its expansion in the Asian market, Abercrombie & Fitch has up until now focused on the Far East and the Southeast; it operates locations in Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Singapore and it will open in Hong Kong in late-2012. But our favorite all-American brand may now be seriously considering bringing its cool appeal to the Subcontinent!

Abercrombie & Fitch has been in India on a retail reconnaissance mission...an exploration of the market. There are no plans set in stone, however: "We are not in a position to comment specifically about expansion into India. We can tell you that we are constantly evaluating new opportunities for our brands, including new countries, for expansion," offered an A&F spokesperson.^[source] Naturally, Abercrombie & Fitch will eventually find its way into the Indian market. It may not be soon, but you can bet that there will be an A&F in the nation sometime in the 2010s before the decade is over...

India is, after all, another one of the world's fastest growing economies - factoring in an average growth rate of 10.4% in 2010 - and this ensures a continued growth in consumers with an expendable income (primarily upper and upper middle class people). And this growth is being taken into consideration by multiple international businesses. Brands like Chanel, Dior, and Fendi have been in India for a while now but they only operate, like, one store and have catered to the extremely small upper class consumer. Now that there is a slow rise in the middle class of people with money to spend, companies like IKEA and Starbucks are moving in. However, as the McKinsey Global Institute remarks, "While luxury goods makers may be able to sell to India's global consumers with little modification to their products, those selling to India's new middle class will need to be innovative to square the difference between the rising aspirations of consumers and their still-modest pocketbooks."^[source] Still, India, along with China, ranks as one of the most important growth opportunities within the 2010s and 2020s and, as the MGI furthers, "Companies that fail to understand the unique desires and tastes of the new Indian consumer will miss out." By 2030, India is projected to surpass Germany as the fifth biggest consumer market! That's awesome!

Obviously, it is pretty smart to start evaluating future opportunities, while considering an entrance, in the Indian market. Abercrombie & Fitch is very cautious, nevertheless, and A&F expansion into India, whenever it will initiate, will be deliberately slow.

Imagine that...Abercrombie & Fitch in India!

Stay FIERCE!

Abercrombie & Fitch in Barcelona...FLOORED! And Plans for Europe Shift...

A&F Madrid will be the only Abercrombie in Spain for now...  |  (image source)

This is very disappointing news...

Abercrombie & Fitch has just made the decision to cancel its plans to open in Barcelona. The Company had been planning, since 2011, on opening a Barcelona flagship store - what would have been the second location in Spain - inside the previous Banco Vitalicio de Españia building addressed on the corner of Paseo de Gracia and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes. Unfortunately, there has been a change in plans which could have repercussions in its greater plans for Europe.

Up until the end of 2011, A&F was awaiting to sign papers for the go-ahead in Barcelona - leasing the space and initiating its construction. It seems that while it waited, Abercrombie & Fitch had enough time to consider the future impact that the uncertain and ongoing economic conditions in Europe would have on its business growth. Financial European growth for A&F during the third quarter of 2011 slowed. The Company cited "macroeconomic headwinds" as a factor of this slow in growth because it is susceptible, naturally, to the effects of the economic environment. Tourism traffic itself slowed down and it plays an prominent role in the performance of A&F flagships located in global cities. Nevertheless, Mike Jeffries (chairman and CEO; and "god" to A&F fanatics), maintained in the October earnings call that the European operations were still healthy and that the strategy and financial objective was unchanged. Now that we're nearing the end of the fourth quarter, things have become off-putting and the game has changed...

The Barcelona flagship has been cancelled and the decision is a reflection of a reassessment on future European expansion. Particularly in Spain, the Madrid flagship will be the only A&F location in the foreseen future. This may also mean that the idea to open a Gilly Hicks in Spain may also be reconsidered. Back in February 2011, Abercrombie & Fitch signed a contract for 34 College Green in Dublin for the first A&F - a flagship - in Ireland. The store was originally scheduled to open by the end of 2011, but was postponed and its fate is publicly unknown as of now. Flagships which are definitely on track to open include Hamburg (26 April 2012), Munich, and Hong Kong (late-2012). Amsterdam and Stockholm were also said to open in 2012, but their opening is also uncertain (at least to the public). Openings for fiscal 2012 will be shared by February...

This is the first piece of bad news we've covered that's definitely neither 'hot', 'funny' or 'wow'...Although you could call it an 'interesting' turn of events, albeit sad. :(

Abercrombie & Fitch Collaborates with IBM for 'Smarter Commerce'

Abercrombie & Fitch has its sights set on the future of commerce...  |  (image source)

On 17 January 2012, the National Retail Federation, the largest retail trade association in the world, held its annual conference in New York City. During the event, the technology and consulting corporation IBM announced that Abercrombie & Fitch is "working" with them to implement what IBM calls "smarter commerce" into A&F's direct-to-consumer operations (e.g. the online "e-commerce" business of A&F).[source 1] This is a move, in part by Abercrombie & Fitch, to further improve its customer-business relations, with "speed, efficiency, and adaptability,"[1] as it continues to grow its business in an environment in which consumer activity is becoming ever more influenced by mobile and social networking.

But what exactly is smarter commerce? It is a concept by IBM which the company developed to signify higher business practices of using collected consumer data, primarily through online activity, using newly created software, to position marketing more effectively to better meet customer shopping preferences. This would entail monitoring in real-time, using social media, "to better assess the effectiveness of new services and product offerings"[source 2] while "automating purchasing, marketing, sales, and fulfillment processes to better serve customers."[1] In effect, this would provide A&F with the ability to "continue to deliver quality merchandise, and provide a unique shopping experience that will deepen its relationship with consumers."[1]

Reportedly, Abercrombie & Fitch wants to elevate its online operations to a $1 billion dollar business by sometime in the near future and it will only achieve this by harnessing the power of modern, innovative cross-channel solutions. We no longer live in a world where the majority of interaction between a business and customer is through a brick-and-mortar store. We're becoming highly interconnected through the evolution of social networking and online activity and this is taking customer-business interaction to a new level. It is crucial for Abercrombie & Fitch to maintain an online shopping experience which satisfies and surpasses the preferences of its shoppers while also keeping track of what works and what doesn't. After all, about "2/3 of all consumers make a first purchase because of a digital experience."[source 3]

To reach its aspirations, Abercrombie has thus selected IBM's smarter commerce ingenuity. As the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for A&F, John Deane, explained, "We require a world-class solution that will scale over time, bolster international expansion, and support cross-channel commerce. IBM's e-commerce and order management solutions meet our requirements for infrastructure, scalability, and future growth."[1]

If you've been paying attention over the past few months, you've noticed the steps the Company has been taking to further advance. Redesigned e-commerce sites for the A&F brands were launched in early-2011 to systematically improve product organization and online shopping; and a search feature was added as well as a further step. Meanwhile, the utilization of Facebook as a social marketing tool continues to reach out to customers worldwide. (Facebook plug-ins were integrated into hollisterco.com - "like" and sharing buttons for individual products - but were later removed in 2011). Furthermore, mobile websites for the brands were reintroduced in late-2011 as an improvement from the first, short-lived attempt at mobile e-commerce back in late-2009.

And it is not just Abercrombie & Fitch getting uplifts. Dior, which previously managed an annoying website itself - the Dior Homme division was even more tedious - launched an updated version of dior.com, in late-2011, which encompasses all of its divisions in one concise and beautifully navigable site which brings forth an online experience with the company that puts its previous version to shame. Louis Vuitton, which, too, recently updated its website (also a much appreciated improvement), and created its official Facebook page, is getting ready to launch, for the first time, its mobile site. The point is that companies are aware of the power that modern social, online, and mobile technology now have in retail in the 21st century as important nodes of commerce.

Abercrombie & Fitch, a specialty retailer and a global leader in its respective industry, is keeping up with the changing times. Indeed, these have been challenging years (with the Great Recession and what not), but the Company has proved capable of adapting and surviving. Re-established as a fashion retailer in 1992, Abercrombie & Fitch has seen much change in the industry and has grown considerably since...it's only just begun. And this collaboration with IBM will continue secure a prosperous future for the ever-expanding, worldwide A&F Empire! Cheers to that!

Stay FIERCE!

Gilly Hicks in Spain? That's the Rumor!

Gilly in Spain, dude?!  Oh yeah!  High-five!  LOL

Gilly Hicks en Españia?! Rumor has it that the Cheeky Cousin of Abercrombie & Fitch may be opening shop in Spain in the near future!

Along with its ambitious plans for Germany and the United Kingdom, Abercrombie & Fitch is pushing through in expanding in Spain. As we all should know, the Company began its retail presence in the nation on 30 September 2010 with the opening of its first Hollister Co shop. Since then, the HCo brand has opened 8 shops. The Abercrombie & Fitch brand then entered the Spanish market on 3 November 2011 when it swung doors to its Madrid flagship; it is now on track to open in Barcelona possibly in 2013. And now its seems that the Company is also accessing opportunities for its Gilly Hicks brand!

As Ana Fernándes, manager of A&F Madrid, shared with Modaes.es (a Spanish fashion retail online magazine), Abercrombie & Fitch is "looking" for retail opportunities for Gilly Hicks. If such a plan is indeed in motion, then it is currently in its early stages - scouting for possible retail spots to open up the first shop. Fernándes refused to offer furthermore details.

Where would it open? Naturally, the high contender is Madrid. That's where A&F and HCo first opened. Nevertheless, Spain's first Gilly Hicks could well open in some other city as a vehicle to test the market for the brand...similarly to the Gilly Hicks opening in Oberhausen, Gemany. Or not. Who knows. But Madrid is definitely the top choice.

As to when it would open, assuming that the plan falls through, we can speculate in 2013 or 2014 - no later than that.

The first Gilly Hicks in Spain! This is definitely something to watch out for!

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A&F Singapore Store Model in Trouble!

It seems like this shirtless boy should have been outside displaying his abs to the crowd, rather than hanging out inside A&F Singapore...!

Look at the management man's face staring wide-eyed at the guy-model who speeds out past him...and then look at the guy in the background eye-balling them! LMAO.

Poor bloke. Hopefully he didn't get fired for being a little slow-headed (if that was the case)! LOL

Stay FIERCE!

A&F Düsseldorf's Particularly Attractive Store Model!

For this A&F Düsseldorf store model, it's what's underneath that counts!

He comes across as very put-together and sharp...tall, dark, and handsome...and rather slender, too, clad in his A&F clothes and coat - almost looks like a young aspiring future politician (in Converses), you could say, or something, the way he is posed in this photo...

But take a look at what's blazin' down under...

Woa! Right?! Now, close your mouth before you begin drooling!  Just kidding. LOL. But if you can't believe it's him, compare this following photo below to that photo of him in his coat...

Same facial structure, hair cut...it's him. This guy wasn't modeling the first few hours when A&F Düsseldorf opened. He was actually on "other duties" like regulating consumer traffic and who knows what else because he kept walking in and out before the store opened. That first photo of him in this post is when he stood in front of reporters when doors opened at 10:00. A different guy was inside the entrance hall taking pictures with the fans....

Our guy outside at the entrance in the right-hand circle,
and the first store model on the left inside the entrance hall.

Our guy in this post started modeling shirtless at the entrance later on in the day. He was also one of the "promo boys" (as we call them) that promoted the flagship store on 25 November 2011...

The guy (right) with our boy Chris (left).

Here he's dead center of the attention!

And he is definitely German. From all the footage of all flagship store events from December 2011, he only appears in photos and videos of Abercrombie & Fitch in Düsseldorf. Interesting to note, too, is that the Company's marketing team chose to focus on him very prominently in the A&F gets Fierce in Düsseldorf! video...watch out Chris! LOL.

It'd be awesome to have a name for him, but unfortunately it's unknown to us. Do you know it? Leave a comment below if you do. Otherwise, he'll just be our 'Mysterious A&F Düsseldorf Promo Boy." ;D

Stay FIERCE!

UPDATE (27 April 2012): We've had people tell us on two separate accounts that the unknown German model's name is Philipp Griffigo. We can't confirm that, but that seems to be it. And we're just good fans of the German hottie. No stalking! LOL. :)

Abercrombie & Fitch in Singapore Video! The Hottest Highlights from THE MAIN EVENT!



The moment of a lifetime...THE MAIN EVENT!

"Just follow me all over the world,
And you won't even notice what hit you babe..."

The longest and most aspiring promotional video by Abercrombie & Fitch, The Main Event is an amazing 2:07 minutes of FIERCE cool! Capturing the headlining pure euphoria and intensity of international fanaticism for this globally iconic brand, the video beautifully embodies A&F's aspirations of bringing the hottest lifestyle to its fantastic overseas fans! The cheeky fun, the smiles, and all the excitement partying with the models and the fans...it all plays to the thumpin', fist-pumping romanticism of Ola's All Over The World (Cahill Radio Edit). It's complete awesomeness!

The Main Event video was released on January 6 on the A&F Facebook page: if you haven't seen it yet, then you need to head on over (here)!

Check out the hottest screenshots from The Main Event!

Moose marks the spot!

A Chinese language newsprint with the Singapore Lion fountain in the background.

Red-hot and FIERCE!

Thumbs up, indeed!

These girls were the first in line...and the first to walk inside!

Looking up from the lower level to the ground floor above.

The half-naked guy handing her the polaroid photo...she's so bashful! LOL

Shopping at A&F Singapore...Winner! LOL

Quite awesome, wouldn't you say?! A&F Singapore marks the overall third Abercrombie & Fitch in Asia and the first in the Southeast Asian region. Located at 270 Orchard Road in Knightsbridge...

it's the ultimate destination for Casual Luxury!

The Main Event video by the A&F Marketing Team is the conclusion to the amazing coverage of Abercrombie & Fitch in Singapore! We should really thank them for their amazing work!

As for us here on The Sitch on Fitch, honestly, the opening of A&F Singapore came as a huge relief as the grand finale to the epic and busy Christmas 2011 store openings! There was just so much pressure and anticipation building up towards December 15 when the flagship finally opened (and that does not even include Düsseldorf and Brussels!), but the excitement made everything worth it! Hopefully, we did our job and you enjoyed it all!

Finally, out of 150+ screenshots from the video, the 33 images in this post are the lucky ones which made the ultimate cut! It was lengthy proccess - this video is so long! - involving painstaking, and very tough, choosing. Everything from a person's pose to their clothing, from the lighting to the camera angle, was scrutinized. There were 5 other more shots in the second-to-last selection of 38 pieces. Nevertheless, it all came down to this - a collection of the best highlights from THE MAIN EVENT!

WE LOVE SINGAPORE!

Stay FIERCE!

All images in this post are screenshots from The Main Event promotional film by Abercrombie & Fitch. They are used here for illustrative purposes only.

Abercrombie & Fitch in Düsseldorf Video! So Hot!

All smiles and FIERCE attitude at A&F Düsseldorf!

This has got to be the hottest promotional video for an A&F Flagship yet! If you haven't seen it yet, you've gotta go check out (here) on the official Abercrombie & Fitch Facebook page! Titled A&F gets Fierce in Dusseldorf!, this video runs along with 1:20 minutes of chiseled good-looking hotties, cute smiles, and total fan craze! The track playing on the video is, of course, Good Love (Kat Krazy Extended Mix) by Devolution currently on the Spring Preview 2012 playlist now in stores!

Have a look at our favorite screenshots below!

A beautiful shot of Königsallee Boulevard!

Our favorite guy Chris front and center!

Because an A&F boy always needs his Converses on a chilly morning!

I know! It's jaw-dropping hot!

The A&F Sweatpants collection on display.

The signature bronze statue inside every A&F Flagship.

We should thank this guy for his work! LOL

Bruce Sageant's murals next to the staircase.

The cute plaid shorts and navy tights all female store models wore.

It looks like he's naked...we wish!

Little girl at abercrombie kids.

Fantastic, right?! The amazing A&F Düsseldorf, located at Königsallee 17, is Germany's first ever Abercrombie & Fitch location housing both A&F and abercrombie brands under one roof!

We definitely had an awesome time covering everything about this flagship. It was a really fun experience and that it is Germany's first A&F just made everything even more exciting! It wasn't just the Germans...fans the world over shared this excitement because every A&F opening is of interest to all of us - the global network of Abercrombie & Fitch fans!

WE LOVE DÜSSELDORF!

Stay FIERCE!

All images in this post are screenshots from the A&F gets Fierce in Dusseldorf! video by Abercrombie & Fitch. They are used here for illustrative purposes only.