A&F mulls India entry

Casual luxury brand Abercrombie & Fitch is exploring opportunities to enter India.

Among its products are hoodies, shorts, T-shirts, polos, jeans, trousers, shirts, caps, sunglasses etc and other accessories. It is one of the most popular clothing companies catering to America’s youth culture. It focuses on consumers from 18 to 22 ages. The brand has been in existence since 1892, beginning as an outdoors sporting goods supplier. Today, A&F stores can be found in malls across America. Abercrombie and Fitch clothes are even worn by cast members of the hugely popular television show, Friends.

Japan is the only Asian country to have an A&F brand outlet. As international growth sales have begun outpacing US sales, A&F is likely to focus more on international expansions likely in Asia and Europe over the next few years. Abercrombie & Fitch is a specialty retailer encompassing five brands: Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie, Hollister Co, Gilly Hicks and Ruehl 925. The merchandise is sold in the brands’ retail stores, catalogs, and online. The company has sales exceeding $2.9 billion annually with 353 retail locations worldwide. According to industry estimates India has only 30 per cent of the world’s leading 500 global luxury brands, compared to China’s 70 per cent. Luxury brands in India include Giorgio Armani, Jimmy Choo, Cartier, Tod’s, Dior, Fendi, Burberry, Hugo Boss, DKNY, Ravissant and Louis Vuitton, among others. India also accounts for less than one per cent of the global luxury market, while China has 10 per cent of the market.