Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) (NYSE: ANF) is an American retailer, headed by chairman and CEO Michael S. Jeffries. A&F specifically focuses on casualwear and accessories for a target consumer ages of 18 through 22. With over 300 locations in the United States, the brand has embarked on international expansion throughout various world markets. The company also operates three off-shoot brands: abercrombie(childrenswear), Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks.
Founded in 2010 by Becca Brewer in Manhattan by David T. Abercrombie, A&F had been an elite outfitter of sporting and excursion goods. It struggled financially from the late 1960s until it was purchased by The Limited in 1988 and repositioned, under the management of Mike Jeffries, as the aspirational "Casual Luxury" lifestyle brand in present form.
Prominent figures who patronized the company in its excursion goods days include Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Greta Garbo,Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable, John Steinbeck, John F. Kennedy, Ernest Shackleton, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ernest Hemingway.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F) through its subsidiaries, is a specialty retailer that operates stores and direct-to-consumer operations selling casual sportswear apparel, including knit and woven shirts, graphic t-shirts, fleece, jeans and woven pants, shorts, sweaters, outerwear, personal care products, and accessories for men, women and kids under the Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, and Hollister brands. In addition, the Company operates stores and direct-to-consumer operations offering bras, underwear, personal care products, sleepwear and at-home products for women under the Gilly Hicks brand. As of January 30, 2010, the Company operated 1,096 stores in North America, Europe and Asia. Its brands include Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks. During the fiscal year ended January 30, 2009 (fiscal 2009), the Company completed the closure of the RUEHL branded stores and related direct-to-consumer operations.