ABERCROMBIE & FITCH TO OPEN NEW STORE CONCEPT IN HONG KONG

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has announced that it will bring its new A&F store concept to Hong Kong by the end of 2017. The American retailer has signed an agreement with Wharf Holdings, and plans to bring its iconic brand to Wharf’s flagship property, Harbour City. The largest mall in Hong Kong, including shopping, dining, entertainment and sightseeing, Harbour City attracts more than 80 million visitors a year, and its tenants include many of the world’s leading brands.

The new Abercrombie & Fitch store in Hong Kong, which will be approximately 6,800 square-feet, is one of seven new concept stores that will be completed by the end of 2017. The updated store layout provides the customer with a new vision of the A&F brand and is designed to be an inviting space that facilitates brand engagement and encourages product trial. The first new A&F prototype store, which opened in February of this year in Columbus, Ohio, is demonstrating improved customer engagement and productivity on a smaller footprint.

The modernized space was imagined with the best customer experience in mind, encouraging the discovery of A&F’s new collections and brand positioning. Looking to provide a unique and personal shopping experience, the layout includes accommodating features such as innovative fitting rooms, and omni-channel capabilities.

Each fitting room has thoughtful amenities designed to enhance the customer’s mood, including separate controls for light and music, as well as a phone charging dock.  Select fitting rooms comprise of two individual capsules within a larger, private suite, allowing for sharing new looks with a friend or family member, while also enjoying privacy.

With a focus on customer engagement and service, associates will be on hand to help customers place and pick up online orders in store. Furthermore, cash wraps will be placed throughout the space, enabling a quicker and more accessible checkout experience.

“Harbour City is a world-renowned mall and it will be a premier location for our updated Abercrombie & Fitch experience,” said Fran Horowitz, chief executive officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “While we continue to invest in our omni-channel capabilities, enabling our customers to engage with us whenever, wherever and however they choose, our stores remain an important gateway to our brands. In this new space, we expect to deliver greater productivity on a significantly smaller footprint than our previous Hong Kong store. We are looking forward to bringing our new store experience to existing and new customers in Hong Kong.”

For the balance of 2017, the brand expects to complete six new A&F prototype stores, four of which will include a downsizing of an existing location; Somerset North, Troy, MI (July 2017); Lenox Square, Atlanta, GA (July 2017); Tysons Corner, McLean, VA (August 2017); Fashion Square, Scottsdale, AZ (August 2017); Century City, Los Angeles, CA (August 2017); and Harbour City, Hong Kong (December 2017).